All People Making a Difference
Difference MakerVia camel, rickshaw, whatever it takes, this nonprofit brings libraries to children鈥淚f children couldn鈥檛 come to the library, the library had to go to them,鈥� says the head of the nonprofit Alif Laila Book Bus Society.
Difference MakerA flood-hit island in India needed a school. He inspired a community to build one.Bipin Dhane impressed islanders on Majuli so much that they donated land, bamboo, and their labor to build a place where he could teach their children.
Difference MakerThis Nigerian educator gave a river a voice. The next generation is listening.Solomon Ekundayo wrote the storybook 鈥淭he Loud Cry of Ogun River鈥� to explain a river鈥檚 decline in terms children can absorb.
Difference MakerThe Children鈥檚 Symphony Orchestra of Brazzaville is an ode to joy 鈥� and disciplineSince 2018, children in the Republic of Congo have been performing classical music in a culture permeated by traditional rumba.
Difference MakerNigeria had no shelter for returned male migrants. So, he built one.Osita Osemene鈥檚 organization works to restore the dignity of returned migrants from Nigeria and elsewhere.
Difference MakerRural homelessness is on the rise. Volunteers are rallying to meet the moment.As tent encampments grow in rural areas, small-town volunteers are responding the best way they know how: with food, coats, and encouragement.
Difference MakerPartners in empathy: Indian nonprofit educates travel firms to combat elephant abuseWildlife SOS teaches tourists and tour operators about the pain that elephants endure during training, and later, in their lives as riding elephants.
Difference MakerThis Pennsylvania boutique keeps foster children clothed in kindnessThe Kindness Project鈥檚 curated shop provides each new foster child with a week鈥檚 wardrobe and other items.
Difference Maker鈥楾he tools to imagine solutions鈥�: Science educator inspires Pakistani childrenScience Fuse, a social enterprise, primarily teaches children in impoverished areas, including the Machar Colony slum area in Karachi.
Difference MakerChildren鈥檚 cafeterias nourish a sense of community across JapanIn addition to providing food, the sites have created opportunities for locals across the generational spectrum to interact with one another.
Difference MakerKids鈥� soccer can be pricey. A DC nonprofit aims to even the playing field.Hundreds of athletes from lower-income families in the Washington area are becoming part of competitive, no-fee teams, thanks to Open Goal Project.
Difference MakerA grassroots initiative opens digital pathways for nomadic Kashmiri childrenSince mid-2024, urban young people across India have been connecting tribal Bakarwal kids to training in digital animation, coding, and web design.
Difference MakerTo protect angel sharks, a Libyan biologist collaborates with fishing communitiesSara Almabruk is strategizing how to save Mediterranean angel sharks, 鈥渃ustodians of the seafloor鈥� whose robust presence can indicate a healthy ecosystem.
Difference MakerThis teen built an oasis for kids in a congested Nigerian megacityA garbage-dump-turned-park in Lagos is providing room for children to roam free and play.聽
Difference Maker鈥楾he land matters鈥�: An Indian scientist awakens a forgotten marshBecause of the work of Jayshree Vencatesan, the Pallikaranai marsh is quietly reclaiming its place in Chennai鈥檚 ecological life.
Difference MakerA Seoul soup kitchen serves up kimchi 鈥� and community 鈥� to combat lonelinessThomas House fulfills a pressing need for human connection as South Korean society ages and increasingly faces an isolation crisis.
A former businessman fosters dialogue with Haitian gang leaders to curb unrestLouis-Henri Mars鈥� peace-building group aims to unite Haitians from opposite ends of society through workshops and conflict mediation.
Difference MakerThis program is planting a 鈥榝orest鈥� of conservation-minded filmmakers in IndiaRita Banerji helped found Green Hub, a pioneering fellowship聽that offers free filmmaking training to Indigenous and rural young people.
Difference MakerCellos and camaraderie: This youth organization is an instrument of connectionFor 28 years, an after-school program run by Community MusicWorks has been reimagining what access to classical music education looks like.
Difference MakerIndian women learn how to rebuild their lives after being traffickedThe nonprofit Basirhat Initiative for Rural Dedication is breaking the silence around the exploitation of women in and near the Sundarbans.
