All People Making a Difference
Pete Seeger: How can I keep from singing?Folk legend Pete Seeger talks about his life in music and social activism 鈥� and the power of making millions of small changes.
Difference MakerSabriye Tenberken trains people who want to change the worldStudents at Sabriye Tenberken's 'kanthari institute' have come from 30 countries and already overcome personal hardships. Graduates, determined to make a positive difference, have started more than 45 projects in the developing world.
Civitas: Romania's multitasking NGOFrom job training for public officials and youths to helping farmers market their crops, nonprofit Civitas works in many directions to improve lives in Romania.
Susan Langford connects young and old with 'Magic Me'Britain's Magic Me links children and teens with senior citizens through joint arts projects.
Coffee talk (and action): David Griswold uses empathy to get farmers a fair dealSustainable Harvest pays smallholder coffee farmers a premium price while sharing with them its knowledge of the coffee business. Farmers learn how the coffee supply chain works 鈥� right up to the consumer's cup.
Mobilizing young men in India to end violence against womenA small but growing number of organizations in India are tackling gender-based violence at its root, making men a central part of the solution.
Food trucks bring jobs, flavors, and a friendly urban vibeIn Portland, Ore., immigrants and other restaurant workers open food trucks to build businesses. And residents get the best fast food they've ever had.
Difference MakerDuarte Paiva helps the homeless by designing lockers to house their thingsThe young architect built shiny yellow lockers with shelves and a place to hang clothes. They also serve as a postal address: Letters can be inserted through an outer slot.
Art for Water helps people go deep in their thinking about waterArtist Christine Destrempes uses participatory art projects to raise awareness of a precious commodity 鈥� water.
A rice revolution?Rice demand is growing and climate change threatens this important food source. But a system of intensified cultivation may boost yields dramatically without the need for more expensive hybrid seeds, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides.
Renee Farwell aids children in Ghana because the 'reason we are here [is] to love each other'Mawuvio's (God's Children) Outreach Programme in Ghana provides educational and developmental services to street children who can't afford the fees to attend government schools.
From human waste to fertilizer to fuel: rice yields green charcoal in SenegalGroups like AgriDjalo, a small company focused on growing rice, are looking to start projects in Senegal that use urban biomass (primarily human waste) to fertilize fields.
New land bank in Philadelphia could boost blighted areasPhiladelphia is home to more than 40,000 vacant properties. A new land bank could help get them back on the tax roles and improve neighborhoods.
Ziqitza ambulances make money while serving India's poorBuilt on a vision of providing high-quality ambulance services to the poor, Ziqitza operates more than 800 ambulances and is expanding rapidly, eying markets outside India.
Firewood donations stock the stoves of the needyIn northern New England nonprofit firewood banks rely on the generosity of volunteers to cut, split, and pile up wood that those in need use to warm their homes.
Maureen Forrest gives hope to 25,000 children in KolkataMaureen Forrest began The Hope Foundation to support the street children of Kolkata, India, sustaining more than 60 projects in health, education, and vocational training.
Ted and Joyce Kruse serve Neighbors Near & Far from their Baltimore row houseJoyce and Ted Kruse operate their nonprofit group Neighbors Near & Far from their Baltimore basement, aiding both a local food bank and orphanages in Haiti.
Difference MakerLeslie Hawke helps Roma children get an educationShe cofounded OvidiuRo, a nonprofit group dedicated to helping severely impoverished children in Romania succeed in school.
Buddhist charity aids storm-ravished PhilippinesDespite the Philippines' long 海角大神 tradition, the Tzu Chi Foundation, a Taiwanese Buddhist charity, is winning many thank yous in devastated Tacloban.
'Pay for success' social-impact bonds help train ex-convictsSocial-impact bonds offer investors a more direct connection between the dollars they invest and the impact they have on a social problem.