(andPOP) - In May, when Matt Damon spent a week in Africa and witnessed the impact that diseases and extreme poverty have had on the nation, he expected to return home depressed, having witnessed so much tragedy.
"Instead I came back feeling absolutely inspired and optimistic and energized by what I saw," Damon told andPOP this month at the One X One fundraiser in Toronto.
On the trip to Zambia, organized by One: The Campaign to Make Poverty History, he learned that a child dies every 15 seconds because of unsanitary water. He was shown evidence of the catastrophe but he also learned of possible solutions.
He visited, amongst other sites, an HIV-AIDS clinic, funded by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
It was at locations like that clinic where Damon became optimistic, and decided to get more involved.
"I looked into the eyes of people who have been saved by money from the Global Fund because they suddenly have access to ARVs (antiretroviral drugs). I've seen a lot of these things working," Damon explained.
"There are solutions on the ground."
The Academy Award winner, who has appeared in "The Bourne Identity" and "Ocean's Eleven," points to a book called "The End of Poverty" by United Nations adviser Jeffrey Sachs.
"It's literally a prescription for what to do and how to solve the problems of extreme poverty," Damon said.
The One X One event – attended by Brad Pitt, Penelope Cruz, Wyclef Jean and John Legend – raised over $2 million for numerous charities including War Child, Right to Play, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, Child Find and The African Children's Choir.
But equally as important, Damon said, it raised awareness.
"These are issues that can be solved and problems that can be fixed. It's just a matter of us raising our collective consciousness about it," he said. "We're building momentum now and we're going to hit a tipping point soon. You can either stand by on the sidelines while the history books are being rewritten or you could join in the fray."
For more information on The One Campaign, visit one.org.
