I got a note yesterday from Rachel Strickland, one the folks at Raising Malawi. She told me the Orphan Care Center in Malawi is open; thought I'd like to know.

(End of Construction)

I can't put into words how I felt reading that email. I was like, OK. We're doing it. It's happening. It's real. There is a place now for 4,000 orphans to go for food and a sense of family and maybe even a little fun.

I am proud to have had a hand in this, however small my hand may be.

I walked into the other room to tell David the good news. He's my second biggest donor followed by my friend Steve Centrillo, so I wanted him to know we hit a first big milestone in Malawi. I went to share the news, but bumbled and fumbled for words.

I don't think I can even explain it now. I have all these flashbacks from my own life that make this event particularly momentous in my mind. How to explain?

Have you ever felt invisible? Like you're way too young to hold all this burden and no one is looking, but you know they should? It's crazy for me to even have these memories. I don't feel entitled to them. I'm an American. I have it pretty good. But I did struggle to get a leg up. Pay for college. Make something of myself. And the whole struggle really sucks in so many ways....but the hardest part is believing you're totally alone. People all around you could help....but they don't. They choose not to see. You become invisible.

Being seen and being heard is a big driver for me. I'm not always good at it. In fact, I'm still mostly bad at it. But sometimes, I let myself and my interests be seen and heard. And giving voice to these orphans is how I am completing my past. It feels good. It's where the vulnerablity inside of me becomes my strength. It's where the most vulnerable of the vulnerable -- orphans left to fend for themselves -- can go to care and be cared for; and be SEEN.

And I'm seeing it happen in real time.

The Orphan Care Center will help so many children in countless ways.

If you gave so much as a nickel to this cause, please take a minute to SEE these pictures. YOU did this.

Thank YOU.

(Pre-school - exterior)

(Pre-school interior)

(Feeding Hall - exterior)

(Feeding Hall - interior)

(Orphan Affairs Unit)

Special thanks to my David - David Duncan - for being a regular part of the conversation with me.

And thanks to my friends for always supporting me and caring about what I care about and your notes and thoughts of encouragement during this journey, esp: Steve Centrillo, Donna Bellamy, Jessie Quiroz, David Freeman, Ed Kishinevsky and Justin Kiernan.

YOU make a difference for ME.

Thank you.

Millennium Promise and Malaria No More hosted a joint benefit last monday in NYC at Cipriani -- 42nd Street. The event raised $2.7 million, thank you VERY much!

This video premiered at the event. It outlines the 8 goals of the original Millennium Declaration, a visual complement to the words of Kofi Annan's 2000 Millennium Summit address to the UN. Please take three minutes to watch and get familiar with the Millennium Promise.

Check out Vanity Fair, July Issue

The entire issue is dedicated to Africa. There are 20 covers photographed by Annie Leibovitz.

The Cover Shoot



In it, Madonna talks about Raising Malawi.

What is really cool for me is that I met some of the people featured in the Malawi article and am growing much more aquainted with others.

For one, Madonna says that she was first introduced to Malawi by Victoria Keelan, a native Malawian businesswoman.

I know Victoria Keelan from the Raising Malawi charity video updates. She is the first person to appear in this video. Remember, I have a cameo appearance in the same video....6.5 mins in, so now I'm feeling doubly honored!


I met Nathan Rissman, who is the director working on the Malawi documentary. I included a picture of him on my "Memories of Malawi" blog entry.

I met Fanizo show below here, who Nathan introduced me to. I shook his hand and visited the school (er...concrete hut) he attends. I took a picture of the kids in his village all huddled in the rain under a single umbrella. (see "Memories of Malawi" entry). Fanizo is an orphan and now aged 14, is on his own to pay for further education. He's a lovely boy. I truly wish him well (and money for school!).


I clicked on more photos from Malawi on the Vanity Fair website, to discover Kristen Ashburn here as the Kristen I met on this trip. She was on the tail end of her visit when I arrived, so I didn't get to know her too well, but I really liked her. So much that I brought her filthy muddy shoes she left in Africa all the way back to New York with me (as we both live there), per Maureen's request. Maureen runs the lodge. I had no idea Kristen was such a big deal in the photography world! I should've guessed! Hey Kristen, I have your shoes if you want them. P.S., I'm loving your work! I had no idea!

And lastly, my new heroes Jim Yong Kim (shown below) and Paul Farmer who are the renegade pioneers of Partners In Health. Jim Yong Kim interviewed Madonna. You can read it on vf.com.

juLiA siLkA is moving to LA
blog fundraiser chain letter experiment

After six years in NYC, I’m moving again. This time to LA! I'm transferring with Ogilvy. What better occasion for a blog, fundraiser chain letter experiment? Heads up: that means I'm asking you for a charitable donation and/or to send this to someone you think may be interested in this cause.

My goal is to raise $101,000 for some of the world’s most vulnerable children by Christmas. So far, I’m at $28,503.57, which leaves a mere $72,496.43 to go.

I searched long and hard for a charity till I set my sights on Raising Malawi. (RaisingMalawi.org) Its mission is to literally raise the entire country by bypassing the crap bureaucracy and administration of many not-for-profit organizations and channel funds directly to a few select community-based organizations that show real promise to be able to make an immediate difference.

I visited many of these CBOs this past February and can vouch they are set up to help orphans and vulnerable children. They are genuine in heart, demonstrate solid money and resource management and could really rock the planet if only they had the financial support.

If you don’t know Malawi, it’s a little sliver of a country in sub-Saharan east Africa. The government is, alas, not corrupt. The people are loving. Malawi is nicknamed “the warm heart of Africa”.

If you’d like to help, here’s what to do:

STEP 1: Make a tax-deductible donation by:

Check: make payable to Raising Malawi.
Send to: 1062 South Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035 Attn: Philippe Van Den Bossche

Credit: click here to make a donation online at raisingmalawi.org

Step 2: After you donate:

Please email me (jsilka@yahoo.com) with the amount so I can count it against my goal.

Thank you for being someone who makes a difference in the world. Your donation will literally save lives.

Come on Money Angel!


Special thanks for the juLiA siLkA blog chain letter fundraising drive go out to:


David Duncan (NY)
Wendy Joice-Denhard (IL)
Justin Kiernan (NY)
Ed Kishinevsky (NY)
Mary McGoldrick (NY)
Deborah McNally Yalango (NY)
Jason Singer (LA)


May all good things return to you!