My wife and I recently traveled to Mamelodi, South Africa (30 minutes outside Pretoria) with 300 other volunteers from Crossroads Church in Cincinnati, OH. I wasn’t sure what to expect, since I had never been to Africa before, but I was very excited to experience the culture and develop relationships with the people there. I was amazed at the love, joy and hope that seemed to radiate from the townships despite the fact that most people we met were either unemployed (80%), had HIV/AIDS (40%) or did not know where their next meal would come from.

While we were there we built 10 homes, planted over 250 sustainable vegetable gardens, provided a library full of 7,000 donated books and had a children’s camp each day for over 1,000 kids! While all that is definitely an accomplishment, the most fulfilling part of our trip was the amazing friendships we developed with the South Africans. I was so encouraged by their ambition and hope for the future — something that we, as Americans, have in common.

While I was there I wore my ONE bracelet every day just like I have for the past 4 months since I got it. On my last day, I took my ONE bracelet off and gave it to an awesome kid named Kevin—who I developed a good relationship with and who seemed to like me as he was by my side every time I turned around.

The experiences I had in South Africa will last a lifetime and it has encouraged me to become more involved in the ONE Campaign and try harder to get other people involved to help make a positive difference in Africa. ONE can have a tremendous impact on people living in poverty and I believe it’s my responsibility to help support ONE’s efforts.

-Jake Armentrout, ONE Member, Cincinnati, Ohio