Today I’m posting a Guest Post on my blog from actor Hugh Jackman. He has an important message he wants to share and I thought it would be fitting to post this on my parenting blog.

Parents reflect on what is best for their children all the time. We do this which such frequency and earnestness it changes how we regard everything else. It’s hard to eat junk food after researching healthy recipes for your baby. When we do, it is because we are so focused on others we neglect ourselves. Ideally, taking care of others should inspire us to take better care of ourselves. In the end, that’s best for everyone. The well being of our children, ourselves, even the world, are linked.

Unfortunately, we don’t always know what the right choices are. We are all busy—too busy, in many cases, to research products. I want to take a few minutes to talk about a few easy ways we can do what is good for our bodies and for the world our children will inherit.

With this in mind, I want to tell you a few hopeful things about the Congo. What does making the right choices for our family have to do with the Congo? One word: coffee. As a parent, I can tell you I drank a lot of it! So, you might be interested to know that while it is true that Congo is one of the poorest places on earth, things may finally be changing… and coffee is playing an important role in this transformation.

Eleven years ago a group of farmers in the Kivu area, survivors of the so called “conflict years,” teamed up to cultivate buyers for their coffee. This enterprising group of small farmers called themselves “Sopacdi.” The collective now consists of over 5600 farmers. It is also interesting to note that 20% of the farmers are women who lost their husbands in war. To further assist single parents in supporting their families, Sopacdi’s female members receive a price premium for coffee delivered to the cooperative.

Not only does Sopacdi coffee taste amazing, but it enables families to rebuild. It’s nice to think families can help each other. In meeting your needs staying up all night with a newborn and a strong, rich brew, you’re helping another Mom. Furthermore, an organic fair trade product choice also means no chemicals, pesticides and other industrial agents in your cup.

As parents, when we buy fair trade coffee produced by Sopacdi we are helping ourselves, our children, and the world. When we invest in the Congo, or places like the Congo, supporting families in achieving the dream of safety, health, and independence through sustainable practices — we are leaving a better world for our kids and everyone’s kids. Consider Inmaculée Nimavu Musangi, a widow and president of Sopacdi’s women’s group. Inmaculée gets up early to ready her two children for school before spending all day working on her small farm. In the early evening she returns home to cook dinner. The price premiums established by Sopacdi to support single mothers allow her to live an independent life, provide quality food for her family, and be a successful farmer.

The growth of Sopacdi is indicative of how things have begun to recover for families of the region. This phenomena, however, is global and not unique to the Congo. Mothers can and will change how we conduct business and how we live and treat each other. That’s why organizations like the UN are placing increasing focus on supporting Moms.

So, how did I become involved in Congolese coffee? It started in 2010 after I served as a World Vision ambassador in Ethiopia. At the time, I thought my voice was the most powerful tool I had. But after speaking at the United Nations, I realized that it was time to act on a practical level, not just talk about or drink fair trade coffee. I started the Laughing Man to invest in fair trade coffee growers like Sopacdi. It is more important than ever before for women and mothers and families to seek economic independence. That’s how we leave a better world to our children.