I found out about this microfinance organization through The Hashoo Foundation. Wokai specifically works in rural China.
From their About Us Page:
Wokai's team works on the ground to evaluate and monitor Field Partners who distribute contributions and collect repayments from recipients in rural China. The process is quite involved, but it's the only way we can ensure that all contributions are having the desired impact in rural China.
(1) The first step is visiting, evaluating, and training our Field Partners. Our Investment Committee must approve all new partnerships.
(2) Our Field Partners screen and select recipients in their local communities, then post their profiles on our website.
(3) Contributors (like you!) browse through their profiles, and make tax deductible donations to fund their loans. These tax deductions are valid in the United States of America, per our 501(c)3 status.
(4) Wokai distributes this money to our Field Partner for allocation to recipients.
(5) Field Partners collect loan repayments from recipients, and send updates to Wokai about their progress.
(6) Once the loan is fully repaid, you may reinvest your contribution to fund a different recipient's loan.
(7) This cycle continues for three loan terms. Afterwards, your contribution will be used as long term loan capital at Wokai's Field Partner.
Want to learn more about the process? Visit our Help Center.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
$20,000 College Scholarship from KFC
Kentucky Fried Chicken has a window of opportunity until FEBRUARY 10, 2009. I just found out about it when I went to KFC for some fried chicken yesterday.
Here's a quick summary from their website:
The KFC Colonel's Scholars Program® is looking for high school seniors with entrepreneurial drive, strong perseverance, demonstrated financial need, and who want to pursue a college education at an accredited public institution in the state they reside.
The KFC Colonel’s Scholars Program is about you, your dreams and aspirations, and the perseverance to succeed. This program is offered to high school seniors planning to attend a public in-state college or university. Students who meet the criteria may apply online to become a KFC’s Colonel’s Scholar. Students selected for this scholarship are eligible to receive up to $20,000 to complete a bachelor’s degree program.
Here's a quick summary from their website:
The KFC Colonel's Scholars Program® is looking for high school seniors with entrepreneurial drive, strong perseverance, demonstrated financial need, and who want to pursue a college education at an accredited public institution in the state they reside.
The KFC Colonel’s Scholars Program is about you, your dreams and aspirations, and the perseverance to succeed. This program is offered to high school seniors planning to attend a public in-state college or university. Students who meet the criteria may apply online to become a KFC’s Colonel’s Scholar. Students selected for this scholarship are eligible to receive up to $20,000 to complete a bachelor’s degree program.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
End Poverty 2015
Watching the Sundance Channel tonight, I saw this awesome little program with celebrities announcing 8 Millenium Development Goals. Josh Lucas, one of my favorite actors, Heather Graham, and others joined together to deliver a powerful message, more of a report, about poverty, hunger, lack of education, unclean water, and more primarily in poor countries and how it affects millions of people, mostly women and children.
They are asking us all to ASK OUR GOVERNMENTS TO HONOR THEIR MDG GOALS. Amen, brother and sister! Ok, I get a little excited about this stuff... It's so important.
Please learn more at End Poverty 2015.
They are asking us all to ASK OUR GOVERNMENTS TO HONOR THEIR MDG GOALS. Amen, brother and sister! Ok, I get a little excited about this stuff... It's so important.
Please learn more at End Poverty 2015.
Not On Our Watch
Many years ago, I had a vision of using celebrity status to focus attention on what's working in the world. Now that it's actually happening, I couldn't be happier. Not On Our Watch is a prime example of the power of combining celebrity with a passion for good. Founded by Don Cheadle,George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, David Pressman and Jerry Weintraub, NOOW's mission is to put an end to atrocities around the world. I love it. It's bold, it's beautiful and it includes Brad Pitt.
George Clooney met with President Obama and VP Biden on Feb. 24 and is 'enrolling' them in helping to end the atrocities in Darfur. Go George!
From their website (please check it out and let's keep this good stuff rollin'):
Our mission is to focus global attention and resources towards putting an end to mass atrocities around the world. Drawing upon the powerful voices of artists, activists, and cultural leaders, Not On Our Watch generates lifesaving humanitarian assistance and protection for the vulnerable, marginalized, and displaced. We encourage governing bodies to take meaningful, immediate action to protect those in harm’s way. Where governments remain complacent, Not On Our Watch is committed to stopping mass atrocities and giving voice to their victims.
George Clooney met with President Obama and VP Biden on Feb. 24 and is 'enrolling' them in helping to end the atrocities in Darfur. Go George!
From their website (please check it out and let's keep this good stuff rollin'):
Our mission is to focus global attention and resources towards putting an end to mass atrocities around the world. Drawing upon the powerful voices of artists, activists, and cultural leaders, Not On Our Watch generates lifesaving humanitarian assistance and protection for the vulnerable, marginalized, and displaced. We encourage governing bodies to take meaningful, immediate action to protect those in harm’s way. Where governments remain complacent, Not On Our Watch is committed to stopping mass atrocities and giving voice to their victims.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Concern Worldwide
In their efforts to eliminate poverty, Concern Worldwide, is involved in the campaigns involving Child Labor, Climate Change, and Education for the poor.
From their website:
Concern Worldwide is a non-governmental, international, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.
From their website:
Concern Worldwide is a non-governmental, international, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.
Solar Aid
Solar Aid's mission is to fight climate change and global poverty by "bringing clean, renewable power to the poorest people in the world." By powering water pumps and electricity for schools, businesses and homes, they can impact villages and improve people's lives, breaking the cycle of poverty.
From: About Solar Aid
Fighting poverty
Right now, two billion people have no access to electricity. They rely on burning fuels such as kerosene and wood for light and heat, which is highly toxic and expensive. Having solar power improves people's health, income and education. That's because solar power can enable poor people to cook food, pump clean water, run fridges, light homes, schools and hospitals, farm more effectively, and much more.
Fighting climate change
Climate change is mainly due to the massive and continuing use of burning fossil fuels for energy. This has pumped vast amounts of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere. At the same time, we have destroyed vast tracts of forest, which has released billions of tonnes of carbon.
By replacing carbon-emitting products with solar power, and reducing our
dependency on burning wood and fossil fuels we can alleviate global warming.
Fact:
The average kerosene lamp, used widely across the developing world, creates around a tonne of carbon over seven years. Replacing these lamps with solar lanterns will lead to significant reductions in carbon emissions.
From: About Solar Aid
Fighting poverty
Right now, two billion people have no access to electricity. They rely on burning fuels such as kerosene and wood for light and heat, which is highly toxic and expensive. Having solar power improves people's health, income and education. That's because solar power can enable poor people to cook food, pump clean water, run fridges, light homes, schools and hospitals, farm more effectively, and much more.
Fighting climate change
Climate change is mainly due to the massive and continuing use of burning fossil fuels for energy. This has pumped vast amounts of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere. At the same time, we have destroyed vast tracts of forest, which has released billions of tonnes of carbon.
By replacing carbon-emitting products with solar power, and reducing our
dependency on burning wood and fossil fuels we can alleviate global warming.
Fact:
The average kerosene lamp, used widely across the developing world, creates around a tonne of carbon over seven years. Replacing these lamps with solar lanterns will lead to significant reductions in carbon emissions.
Grameen Foundation
The Grameen Foundation enables the poorest people in the world to break the cycle of poverty by helping them, mostly women, start their own businesses.
What they do:
Microfinance - a powerful poverty-fighting tool: Microfinance helps people to escape poverty by giving them collateral-free loans and other financial services to support income-generating businesses. As each loan is repaid, the money is redistributed as loans to others, thereby mulitiplying its impact. For Fatima, a FONDEP client in Morocco, the loans have helped her build a business and new horizons for her children.
What they do:
Microfinance - a powerful poverty-fighting tool: Microfinance helps people to escape poverty by giving them collateral-free loans and other financial services to support income-generating businesses. As each loan is repaid, the money is redistributed as loans to others, thereby mulitiplying its impact. For Fatima, a FONDEP client in Morocco, the loans have helped her build a business and new horizons for her children.
Freedom From Hunger
Freedom From Hunger has been helping people around the world to improve their lives and break the cycle of poverty and hunger since 1946. They have an extensive website and what I like most, besides what they stand for, is that they report on the impact that they are making.
Here's a little bit from their website:
Freedom from Hunger combines microfinance with health and lifeskills services to equip very poor families to improve their incomes, safeguard their health and achieve lasting food security. To implement and expand our programs sustainably, we collaborate with a network of more than 50 local organizations in 16 countries. For more in-depth information about our methods, visit www.ffhtechnical.org.
Here's a little bit from their website:
Freedom from Hunger combines microfinance with health and lifeskills services to equip very poor families to improve their incomes, safeguard their health and achieve lasting food security. To implement and expand our programs sustainably, we collaborate with a network of more than 50 local organizations in 16 countries. For more in-depth information about our methods, visit www.ffhtechnical.org.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
UN's Water For Life Program
The US & Japan have joined together in a partnership to provide clean water to the world's poor. This was a report from the Johannesburg 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development. The full report can be seen by clicking here.
What would be possible if all countries joined together in the same partnership?
It looks like this was a UN sponsored event and has not been held since then. However, when I researched "sustainable development" it took me to the UN website where they have the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs Division for Sustainable Development. There I found a link to their "Water for Life" website. There are great resources on this site.
Please check them out.
What would be possible if all countries joined together in the same partnership?
It looks like this was a UN sponsored event and has not been held since then. However, when I researched "sustainable development" it took me to the UN website where they have the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs Division for Sustainable Development. There I found a link to their "Water for Life" website. There are great resources on this site.
Please check them out.
Worldwide Water foundation
Water - something we take for granted in the civilized world, especially in the United States. For others, water is a precious commodity and the lack of clean water is a leading cause for death. The Worldwide Water Foundation provides solutions for desperate situations where clean water is needed.
For more info, click here.
A little info from their website:
Worldwide Water Foundation is a nonprofit International organization serving the worlds developing countries by providing a solution to water related problems. Worldwide Water meets the needs of people through education and well drilling for the development of water resource programs that save lives and bring hope to a thirsty world.
For more info, click here.
A little info from their website:
Worldwide Water Foundation is a nonprofit International organization serving the worlds developing countries by providing a solution to water related problems. Worldwide Water meets the needs of people through education and well drilling for the development of water resource programs that save lives and bring hope to a thirsty world.
Disaboom
This website provides an online community for people with disabilities and was started by a physician who is also a quadriplegic. It provides support and like-mindedness for this community. For more info, click here.
As stated on their website: For people with disabilities, Disaboom's lifestyle articles, blogs, forums, and health information provide shared knowledge about SCI, cerebral palsy, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, and other disabilities. Whether you’re an amputee, caregiver, disabled veteran, or interested in exploring adaptive sports, accessible travel, or any other disability-related topic, welcome!
About Us
Disaboom.com was founded by Dr. J. Glen House, a physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation who is also a quadriplegic. His firsthand knowledge of the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and those whose lives they touch has driven the Disaboom.com mission: to create the first comprehensive, evolving source of information, insight, and personal engagement for the disability community.
As stated on their website: For people with disabilities, Disaboom's lifestyle articles, blogs, forums, and health information provide shared knowledge about SCI, cerebral palsy, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, and other disabilities. Whether you’re an amputee, caregiver, disabled veteran, or interested in exploring adaptive sports, accessible travel, or any other disability-related topic, welcome!
About Us
Disaboom.com was founded by Dr. J. Glen House, a physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation who is also a quadriplegic. His firsthand knowledge of the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and those whose lives they touch has driven the Disaboom.com mission: to create the first comprehensive, evolving source of information, insight, and personal engagement for the disability community.
Sweden: Prostitution Virtually Eliminated
I found the strategy and success of Sweden's law against the buying of prostitution well worth sharing. The whole premise is to prosecute those buying prostitution and help prostitutes get out of the cycle of prostitution.
This article details the strategy and how it works.
To learn more click here.
Here's a brief excerpt from Justice Women:
Sweden's unique strategy treats prostitution as a form of violence against women in which the men who exploit by buying sex are criminalized, the mostly female prostitutes are treated as victims who need help, and the public is educated in order to counteract the historical male bias that has long stultified thinking on prostitution. To securely anchor their view in firm legal ground, Sweden's prostitution legislation was passed as part and parcel of the country's 1999 omnibus violence against women legislation.
This article details the strategy and how it works.
To learn more click here.
Here's a brief excerpt from Justice Women:
Sweden's unique strategy treats prostitution as a form of violence against women in which the men who exploit by buying sex are criminalized, the mostly female prostitutes are treated as victims who need help, and the public is educated in order to counteract the historical male bias that has long stultified thinking on prostitution. To securely anchor their view in firm legal ground, Sweden's prostitution legislation was passed as part and parcel of the country's 1999 omnibus violence against women legislation.
Oceana
What can be done to protect one of the most vital and important aspects of the earth, our oceans? Oceana is doing it. They run specific campaigns to protect the earth's oceans. To find out more visit their website. Emulate!
From: ABOUT OCEANA
To achieve real benefits for the oceans, Oceana conducts focused, strategic campaigns. Each campaign has a specific timeframe and objective that will make a significant difference to the oceans. Each campaign combines scientific, legal, policy and advocacy approaches to reach its goal. Saving the oceans may take decades, but in each of our campaigns we aim to accomplish an important milestone in that effort within two to five years.
From: ABOUT OCEANA
To achieve real benefits for the oceans, Oceana conducts focused, strategic campaigns. Each campaign has a specific timeframe and objective that will make a significant difference to the oceans. Each campaign combines scientific, legal, policy and advocacy approaches to reach its goal. Saving the oceans may take decades, but in each of our campaigns we aim to accomplish an important milestone in that effort within two to five years.
The Innocence Project
This is a cool website about exonerating the wrongly accused based on DNA evidence. They are also about reforming the criminal justice system to prevent further injustice. To learn more, please visit their website and emulate!
From: About the Innocence Project
The Innocence Project is a non-profit legal clinic affiliated with the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University and created by Barry C. Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld in 1992. The project is a national litigation and public policy organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted people through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. As a clinic, law students handle case work while supervised by a team of attorneys and clinic staff.
From: About the Innocence Project
The Innocence Project is a non-profit legal clinic affiliated with the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University and created by Barry C. Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld in 1992. The project is a national litigation and public policy organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted people through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. As a clinic, law students handle case work while supervised by a team of attorneys and clinic staff.
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