Dear Friend:

Whether helping rebuild after the tsunami or working in our own communities, Americans have shown again and again we are a compassionate country.  Many of us have been following the tragic events unfolding in Niger, a West African nation facing a famine affecting close to 4 million people. 

That's a big number - about the same number of people as live in a state like Kentucky, and even more people than live in Iowa or New Hampshire.   And any American farmer can tell you that when a community is forced to eat the seed they should be saving to plant for next year's harvest, the situation is very serious - and maybe even hard for us to see or really understand.

There is hope.  In addition to helping today, America can also act to fight future famines in other countries like Niger.  Because of effective international assistance and the hard work of local people, in the past 10 years, Mozambique has moved from being a war-torn nation to one of the world's five fastest-growing economies - even after two catastrophic floods.  With the help of the United States and other countries doing their part, Mozambique's people are fighting corruption and building hospitals, schools and most importantly, the future of their nation.

By allocating an additional ONE percent of the U.S. budget toward providing basic needs like health, education, clean water and food, we can transform the hopes of an entire generation in the world's poorest countries, and help them move from fighting famine and other disasters towards promoting self-sustaining development.  Directed to honest governments, private charities and faith-based organizations, this increased support would provide the tools and resources people need to really make a difference, helping them to help themselves.

Right now, you can find out more about what's happening in Niger and decide how you want to get involved, by talking to your friends and family or even choosing to do more.  If you want to learn how ONE partners are working to help the people of Niger, you can visit the ONE.ORG blog.

Today and tomorrow, ONE by ONE, we can join together and build a better, safer world for all.Thank you.

The ONE Team