All People Making a Difference
Poverty 鈥� and giving 鈥� are changingThe good news: Millions of people in developing countries have moved out of abject poverty. They'll need a different kind of aid, centering on education. But millions more are trapped at the bottom and need help just to survive.
Difference MakerCorey Brooks camped on a rooftop to boost his Chicago neighborhoodPastor Corey Brooks spent nearly three months on the roof of run-down Chicago motel that was a hub of drug dealing and prostitution to shut it down.
Women provide 'spiritual security' in MoroccoMorocco has armed itself with a dramatically different weapon against terrorism 鈥� the power of Muslim women to quell violence before it happens.
Organic farming buds in LaosBoosting incomes in land-locked Laos means selling more value-added crops, such as organic fruits and vegetables.
Middle East youths tackle social problems by starting businessesYouths in the Middle East confront the world鈥檚 highest youth unemployment rates. Some are creating new businesses with a social purpose, such as battling illiteracy or environmental degradation, while also generating new jobs.
How mobile money fights malnutrition in GuatemalaKnown as mobile money, electronic currency can be stored on a mobile phone and then converted into cash to help those in need, such as victims of a disaster.
Nonprofit group fights homelessness in Ohio countyThe nonprofit Licking County Coalition for Housing makes a difference by providing financial assistance and temporary housing to the homeless.
Difference MakerIrmela Mensah-Schramm wages a private war on Nazi and other hate-based graffitiGermany's Irmela Mensah-Schramm checks lampposts, public benches, anywhere she might find a racist slogan or Nazi swastika. Then she pulls out a bottle of spray paint and covers it.
Ian Taylor climbs the heights to help build a school in AfricaIan Taylor is the youngest Irishman to climb Mt. Everest, the world's tallest peak. But he has made his treks doubly meaningful by helping to fund the Mt. Everest school in Kitandwe, Uganda.
Ageless agriculture: 11 food programs by and for seniorsHere are 11 programs and projects that aid older people in finding nutritional education, connect them to kids, or provide access to healthy food and active lifestyles.
Derrius Quarles founded Million Dollar Scholar to help other students afford an educationWhile still in his 20s Derrius Quarles started Million Dollar Scholar to provide scholarship information and other resources to students seeking financial aid to fund their dreams.
Polystyrene homes aim to take pressure off Kenya's forestsArchitects say using EPS is an inexpensive way for Kenyans to own decent homes, and conservationists say it鈥檚 also a way for Kenyans to build without cutting down the country's vanishing forests.
How to end modern slaveryMillions of people around the world are still enslaved, many in the sex industry. Education and training opportunities can help change the picture, says a former sex slave.
Difference MakerJennifer Epps inspires inner-city students and teachers in Los Angeles to excelEpps, the principal of Synergy Charter Academy in Los Angeles, has turned it into the 'best urban elementary school in the US.'
Edna Adan Ismail puts compassion at the heart of an African hospitalPatients come to the Edna Adan University Hospital in Somaliland from 500 miles away or more for treatment in the best-equipped general hospital in the region.
8 things Harry Potter fans are doing to fight real-life dark forcesIf Harry Potter were a real person, he鈥檇 fight child labor, voter suppression, and poverty. Here are several ways Harry's fans have taken his values from the books and movies into the real world.
After-school music program gets its wish 鈥� and moreAn after-school music program in Michigan received a surprise $20,000 gift that will help it go forward as a free educational opportunity for elementary and middle-school students.
Pura Vida Bracelets creates jobs, funds good worksWhen college students Griffin Thall and Paul Goodman visited Costa Rica, they saw an opportunity to market Pura Vida bracelets that would create local jobs and fund charitable groups.
Difference MakerSam Hawkins opened a shoe factory to give ex-cons a second chanceA shoe factory located just outside a prison in El Salvador is an act of love, a way to help former convicts stay out of prison.
EcoZoom: a model for selling clean cookstoves in AfricaEcoZoom stoves reduce fuel use by 50 percent to 60 percent and toxic emissions by 70 percent, while cutting cooking time in half, which allows women to spend more time gardening and tending to children.
