All People Making a Difference
Postcard program tracks education of children in India's migrant familiesMore than 10 million children are estimated to migrate with their families to different parts of India every year. As part of the postcard program, they send confirmation that they're back in school when they go home.
How beneficial are 'one-to-one' laptop programs in schools?Drawing on 15 years of observations, two researchers find that test scores improved significantly and that students exhibited a variety of other skills when they used laptops.
Difference MakerOn a walk with Michael Dukakis as he picks up litterThe former governor and 1988 Democratic presidential nominee says it makes his day when somebody says, 鈥楴ow you got me doin鈥� it.鈥�
Indonesian 'maid detectives' on mission to save women from traffickingA small team from the rights group Migrant Care tries to identify potential victims of human trafficking at Jakarta's airport and offer advice to others leaving of their own free will on how to look after themselves.
An Illinois church's furniture-refurbishing ministry helps single momsDouglas Avenue United Methodist Church wanted to try a different approach to helping single mothers who are in poverty or are healing from drug abuse, or both.
How SquashBusters uses sport to transform young livesSquashBusters takes a sport oft-regarded as elitist, introduces it to city kids, and uses it to boost their academic prospects, build character, and give them a sense of belonging.
Difference MakerAt Mexican border, he puts emphasis on the basic rights of migrantsEduardo 鈥楨ddie鈥� Canales tries to prevent the deaths of migrants passing through the sandy, scorching terrain of South Texas. He also works with families abroad who are searching for their loved ones.
Water pollution from agriculture: how wood chip bioreactors could helpWood chip bioreactors are simple trenches that can be constructed on farms to clean the water that flows out of tile drains. Although the bioreactors are already a proven practice, more work remains to be done.
Taste for mushrooms helps Tanzanian farmers protect forestWhen harvests fail, farmers turn to cutting forests聽鈥� but cultivating mushrooms could be an alternative. Farm Africa is teaching farmers to grow oyster mushrooms.
In Columbus, Ga., a training program opens doors for those in needThe Open Door Institute offers a 16-week life skills training program to both the homeless and low-income residents who are seeking documented skills to improve their chances of landing a decent-paying job.
How one nonprofit is transforming farming in MyanmarProximity Designs operates in Myanmar (Burma) with the goal of increasing income for the country鈥檚 rural poor. The organization鈥檚 agronomists work with farmers to come up with affordable solutions.
Difference MakerAn advocate for refugees trying to find their footing in HungaryWhen Babak Arzani fled Iran and reached Hungary in 2010, he found himself in a foreign land where he didn't speak the language. He helped found a group that supports the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers.
As Colombia peace talks advance, groups clear land mines one at a timeGetting rid of mines in Colombia 鈥� a land of mountains and jungle terrain 鈥� is a key challenge for the nation and is crucial for rural development and tackling poverty.
How one 15-year-old is helping West Virginia flood victimsKaitlyn Hoffman, a sophomore in聽Berkeley Springs, W.Va., collected enough donations to load up a small trailer plus a 53-foot tractor-trailer.
She helps visitors enjoy the treasures of Prague CastleHana Hrdinov谩 is committed to the preservation and maintenance of Prague Castle, which is both a space of immense historical and cultural significance and a functioning government complex.
In Illinois, some food pantry users are taught to grow own vegetablesLee Jennings, a township supervisor, thought the well-mowed grass outside his office in Crystal Lake, Ill., could be put to better use.
Difference MakerShe takes in children in Thailand, sometimes because others won鈥檛Sunanta 鈥楴ong鈥� Kaewmuangpech opened a children's shelter with no sponsors or resources whatsoever. Here鈥檚 how she did it.
A critic of schools gets a new view as a tutor in ClevelandLarry Jemison was a self-described complainer about poor schools. But after he retired, he saw a chance to actually do something. Now, three days a week, he helps children learn to read.
One nonprofit's way of responding to natural disasters 鈥� more than 60 of themAll Hands Volunteers has enabled more than 35,000 people to bring aid to places ranging from post-Sandy Brooklyn to Ofunato, Japan, after the 2011 tsunami.
In drought-hit India, some villages restore century-old irrigation canalsResidents see the traditional system as a prime example of how communities can work together to overcome the challenges of their environment. But how widely it could be used remains a question.
