Erica Campbell on ‘life-changing’ trip to Ethiopia: ‘My daughter says she’ll never look at water the same’

April 27, 2025 9

Erica Campbell has always seen her music as ministry. As one-half of the Grammy award-winning gospel duo Mary Mary and now a celebrated solo artist, she’s built her life on faith, family and a desire to serve others.

But a recent trip to Ethiopia with World Vision has deepened that mission in a way she didn’t fully expect.

“I’ve chosen a lot in my life: my music, my career, where to go, what to do,” the 52-year-old mother of three said in an interview with The Christian Post. “But this was different. This time, I was the one being chosen.”

Campbell recently joined forces with World Vision’s Chosen program, a child sponsorship initiative that turns the traditional model on its head: instead of sponsors selecting a child from a photo, children get to choose their sponsors.

“When I saw the video of the young girl and boy choosing me, it brought me to tears,” she said. “It had nothing to do with music, nothing to do with my status. Just a picture and a smile, and they said, ‘Yeah, maybe this lady can help.’ That moment changed something in me.”

What sets the Chosen program apart, Campbell says, is its emphasis on dignity and empowerment. In cultures where children often have little to no say in major decisions, being able to choose their sponsor gives them agency and, as Campbell described it, “a sense of power.”

“They don’t get to choose their parents, their family, or even what school they go to,” she said. “But they can choose this. It’s a small act that gives them something beautiful: ownership, pride and hope.”

Campbell first partnered with World Vision more than a decade ago while pregnant with her son. She sponsored a child back then, but the opportunity to return, this time with her two youngest children in tow, opened her eyes to the deeper impact of the organization’s work.

The singer said that after landing in Ethiopia, she was struck not just by the country’s beauty but by the strength and grace of its people, from the honor shown by community elders to the resilience of young girls who walk miles each day just to gather water for their families.

“They welcomed me into their villages with music and dancing,” she recalled. “Some of the lyrics were saying, ‘We knew God would help us. We knew there would be hope.’ That kind of faith, that kind of community just shook me.”

For her children, the experience was equally impactful.

“My daughter said, ‘I’ll never look at water the same,’” Campbell said. “To see a 13-year-old say that, ‘I’ll show more gratitude just for water,’ that’s the kind of change you can’t teach in a classroom. That’s perspective.”

Campbell often speaks about the importance of generational giving, instilling in children the value of compassion and the responsibility to care for others.

“It’s not just about us and our little bubble,” she said. “It’s about teaching your kids to be grateful and generous, to look out for others, to love their siblings, their grandparents, and people across the world they’ll never meet.”

The Church, she stressed, has a vital role to play in that mission: “Kids in America spend more than $39 a month on snacks or games. That same $39 can change a child’s life, a family’s life, a whole community. We need to have those conversations in our homes and our churches.”

To those hesitant to give — or unsure of their ability to make an impact — Campbell offered the challenge to “start with your heart.” She emphasized that, to her, partnering with World Vision is obedience to Jesus’ commandment to serve the “least of these.”

“I challenge people to gauge their hearts before they give, and then again after they’ve given,” the More Than Pretty author said. “There is something powerful about giving to someone who can’t repay you. It aligns you with the heart of God.”

“We are blessed to be a blessing,” she added. “The Bible says, ‘Give, and it shall be given unto you.’ God doesn’t say, ‘Only give what you won’t miss.’ He gave His only Son. That’s our example. Nowhere in Scripture does it say to look out only for yourself. But everywhere you look, God is calling us to give.”

Campbell’s humanitarian work and her music are deeply intertwined. For her, songs are a vessel of hope and healing, tools to draw people closer to the heart of God and to the needs of others, all themes in her latest album, I Love You.

“When I write songs about love, perseverance, selflessness, it’s all connected,” she said. “We’re supposed to let our light shine so people can see the good in us and glorify God. That’s the goal.”

The “Shackles” singer added that Ethiopia has already begun to shape the themes of her upcoming music. As she and her sister, Tina, celebrate 25 years of Mary Mary, Campbell says the next chapter will be marked by intentionality and impact.

“We’re not just putting out music because we’ve done it for so long,” she said. “We’re praying over every note, every word, asking how we can be more deliberate in what we’re offering to the world.”

In addition to Mary Mary’s milestone, Campbell is heading out on tour with friends Tamela and David Mann, Kierra Sheard-Kelly, and Tye Tribbett for the “Live, Love, Laugh Tour,” a tour she described as a celebration of faith and fellowship.

“I get great joy out of music,” she said. “But even more, I love that God can use it to bring joy to other people.”

“I’m a Jesus girl. That’s who I am,” Campbell added. “Whether it’s a song, a sponsorship or a hug from a little girl in Ethiopia, I just want people to know they are seen, they are loved, and God hasn’t forgotten them.”

For more information on World Vision’s Chosen program or to become a sponsor, visit worldvision.org/chosen.

Written by: Staff Contributor

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