MINNEAPOLIS (Nov. 15,  2011) – Join My Village today announced a new partnership with Naomi Tutu, long-time race and gender equality advocate and daughter of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. Tutu will serve as an ambassador for Join My Village through speaking opportunities and appearances in 2011 and 2012.

As an innovative, online social change initiative facilitated by the humanitarian organization CARE with financial support from General Mills and Merck, Join My Village seeks to empower women and girls in the developing world. Tutu’s life experiences, passion for human dignity and commitment to equality for all provide strong synergies with Join My Village’s mission of helping girls create a better future for themselves, their families, communities and eventually the world by giving them an opportunity to succeed.

“My experience growing up black and female in apartheid South Africa taught me how much we all lose when people are judged purely on physical attributes. My passion for protecting dignity, especially for those who are marginalized, inspired me to get involved with Join My Village,” said Tutu. “I strongly believe that we create a better future for our world by giving women and girls the tools they need to succeed, whether those tools are the ability to go to school, or access to capital to start or grow a business.”

“We feel so privileged to welcome Naomi to the Join My Village family,” said Jeff Peterson, director of innovation and strategy for the General Mills Foundation. “Naomi’s tireless efforts to bring attention to the promise and power of girls will certainly help us raise awareness for the inequities they face around the world. We believe when people are inspired to engage with this issue, we will get closer to our goal of giving girls the opportunity to determine their own futures and we will be doing our part to help end global poverty.”

Since Join My Village launched in 2009, approximately $2 million has been contributed by General Mills and Merck combined. Over 2,000 families in Malawi have been positively impacted by Join My Village with economic opportunities opening up for women and increased access to quality education for girls. To date, nearly 300 girls in Malawi have received secondary school scholarships and 15 houses have been constructed for new female teachers, benefiting more than 5,000 primary school students.

There are a number of ways to for people to get involved with Join My Village and make a positive impact on women and girls in Malawi through Join My Village. By visiting www.joinmyvillage.com, people can help General Mills and Merck donate money to CARE by simply clicking and learning about the lives of women and girls in Malawi, or they can make a personal donation on the site. People can also help donate money by “liking” Join My Village on Facebook. General Mills and Merck will donate up to $900,000 this year to CARE in support of Join My Village. 100% of all money donated directly benefits girls in Malawi.

In addition to her speaking engagements and work with Join My Village, Tutu is a consultant to the Spiritual Alliance to Stop Intimate Violence (SAIV), founded by renowned author Riane Eisler and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Betty Williams, and leads Truth and Reconciliation workshops for organizations and communities experiencing conflict.   Tutu is a mother of three and currently lives in Nashville, Tenn.

Join My Village also has a partnership with country music singer and Join My Village ambassador Lee Ann Womack.