All People Making a Difference
Difference MakerA young entrepreneur shows low-income teens how to launch a businessDaquan Oliver's family didn't have it easy when he was growing up. But his resourcefulness, drive, and desire to honor his mother's hard work helped get him to college, where he formed a mentorship program.
Project Wildlife helps creatures great and smallThe San Diego-area nonprofit group has helped to rehabilitate some 320 species of wildlife, about 10,000 birds and mammals annually.
Hydropower helps households in off-the-grid areas of PakistanSmall-scale hydropower plants are proving a key way to provide power in remote regions of Pakistan, while at the same time helping protect the environment.
In drought-stressed regions, 'graywater' recycling gains attentionSome households and businesses are reusing graywater 鈥� water from bathroom sinks, showers, bathtubs, washing machines, and laundry sinks.
Nepal turns to bamboo to rebuild after quakesBamboo grows widely in Nepal, is easier to transport than heavier materials, and is relatively cheap to use, experts say. Twin earthquakes last year destroyed nearly a million buildings in the Himalayan nation.
Difference MakerIn slums of Romania, a Dutchman is drawn to help the RomaBert Looij aids ostracized Roma, who are also known as Gypsies 鈥� including those living at a rat-infested dump.聽'I help them because nobody else is helping them,' he says.
Reaping benefits beyond better prison menus, inmates grow their own foodFrom New York to Oregon, prison gardening programs are providing a cost-effective food source 鈥� and are giving inmates opportunities for personal growth.
Mind Treasures helps adults and children take control of financesThe nonprofit group views 'treasures' as more than just material wealth.
An artist tries to create a beautiful image for food wasteAliza Eliazarov鈥檚 tableaux of rescued food highlight just how much Americans waste. Some of her projects, displayed for passersby, have encouraged them to think more about the subject.
Difference MakerA retired lawyer opens first US slavery museum with $8.6 million of his moneyJohn Cummings has redeveloped an antebellum plantation in Louisiana where more than 350 slaves labored. Americans must 鈥榯ake responsibility鈥� for the wrongs of slavery, he says.
A television exec wears a new 'flat hat' 鈥� park rangerAfter four decades in public TV, John Kerr found himself living his childhood dream, serving at Yellowstone National Park.
Celebrate! RVA throws birthday parties for at risk childrenCelebrate! RVA tells kids from challenging circumstances who may not get a birthday celebration at home that 'they matter.'
Difference MakerA former gangster morphs into a lawyer who helps troubled kidsOnce known as 'Red,' David Lee Windecher is now one of Atlanta鈥檚 hottest young lawyers. His message: Too many Americans buy into a myth that youths are a lost cause.
In US, refugees cook to win over hearts, minds, and stomachsSeveral kitchen-based initiatives, from New York to California, are giving refugees opportunities to make a living. The initiatives can serve as a counterpoint to anti-immigration sentiment, proponents say.
Floating school on a lagoon brings hope to Nigeria's slum-on-stiltsMakoko Floating School, built with local wood and floating on hundreds of recycled plastic barrels, can adapt to changing water levels and withstand storms and floods.
After losing her husband, this military wife laced up sneakers with othersLisa Hallett co-founded the Wear Blue running club 鈥� now with 15,000 members 鈥� to commemorate soldiers who have died in action. Helping others cope with those losses has become her mission.
An entrepreneur's mobile tech brings buying power to rural IndiaAkanksha Hazari's data company helps underserved communities earn rewards for water filters, tuition fees and more.
Musicians in Kosovo fight anti-Roma prejudiceA growing movement is using music to challenge negative perceptions of the Roma, or gypsy, community in Kosovo.
Difference MakerYuval Roth gives Palestinians a lift so they can get medical care in Israel'These encounters break down barriers 鈥� everything the Palestinians knew about us, and everything we knew about them, simply disintegrates,' says the founder of The Road to Recovery.
Is 'The 30 Year Sweatshirt' an antidote to 'fast fashion'?Young British entrepreneur Tom Cridland is designing a line of practical, everyday clothing meant to last decades and be more eco-friendly.