Former first lady Laura Bush signed on with anti-poverty advocacy group, ONE to participate in a Mother’s Day PSA that addresses the similarities and differences between African and American moms.
“All mothers deserve a chance to ensure that their children have a healthy start in life,” Bush said in the video, which encourages viewers to share their voices (not their money) to encourage quality health care and safety for African mothers and kids.
Kimberly Hunter, U.S. Press Secretary for ONE, told The Daily Caller that the organization invited the former first lady to join their movement.
“We’ve had a long relationship with the Bush family, Lauren Bush spoke for one of our projects before and we worked with [former president] George W. Bush around World Aids Day, and so with Mother’s Day, we approached the First Lady because shes a strong advocate for women with AIDS in Africa,” Hunter told TheDC. “We are so pleased she happily agreed to lend her voice to help…First Lady Laura Bush had a unique voice in being an advocate for HIV drugs for women in Africa, so she was the first person to come to mind [for the video] given her extensive work in the area.”
A former school teacher, Laura Bush has been a staunch education advocate and fighter against Africa’s AIDS and malaria problems. While serving as first lady, she took five goodwill trips to Africa to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and malaria.
“At ONE, we are grateful to Mrs. Bush for being a constant presence in ongoing efforts to help give moms and children a fighting chance in some of the toughest places in the world,” said ONE’s U.S. executive director Sheila Nix. “She is an inspiration to so many and we are honored to have her deliver such a powerful Mother’s Day message from ONE.”
Hunter added that Laura Bush’s daughter Barbara has worked with the grassroots campaign in the past, having appeared at one summit and spoken to the organization.
ONE, co-founded by U2’s Bono among others, combats extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa, by spreading public awareness and pushing political officials to support smart and effective programs and policies that protect lives, help place children in school and improve futures. ONE is a nonpartisan group and works closely with African activists and policy makers.
To further assist the women of Africa, ONE will fly mom bloggers to Kenya to see firsthand what African mothers have in common with American women. According to Hunter, six to eight bloggers will meet African mothers of a myriad of professions from female entrepreneurs to stay-at-home housewives “with challenges that are hard to imagine.”
Watch: Former first lady Bush ask American moms to raise their voices on behalf of African mothers