All People Making a Difference
M-Pesa helps world's poorest go to the bank using mobile phonesIn Kenya, 43 percent of the GDP flows through M-Pesa, which gives 'unbanked' poor people access to basic financial services via mobile phones, fundamentally improving their lives.
Biogas fuel for schools eases pressure on Kenya's forestsBiogas plants, in which bacteria convert animal dung into methane gas, produce fuel for cooking and lighting, saving trees from being cut for firewood.
Increase crop diversity to boost nutritionLesser-known plants such as enset and amaranth can play an important role in improving nutrition while providing an alternative to the annual grains that need artificial fertilizers and costly pesticides and herbicides.
Difference MakerHamdy al-Azazy helps victims of human trafficking in EgyptThousands of refugees and asylum seekers attempt the hazardous trip through Egypt's Sinai trying to reach Israel. About a third die in the attempt and many are held for ransom. Hamdy al-Azazy helps as many as he can.
Woodblock Chocolate puts farmers firstWorking with small-scale farmers who grow cacao on just a few acres makes sense for Woodblock. Both sides benefit from having a relationship that keeps quality high.
Andrew Cot茅 roams the world to teach the sweet science of beekeepingAndrew Cot茅 founded the nonprofit Beekeepers Without Borders to teach beekeeping as a way to fight poverty.
Teen Zach Bonner builds an impressive track record of helping othersAt the age of seven, Zach Bonner started a nonprofit group to aid poverty-stricken children. At age 13 he walked across the US to raise awareness of homelessness.
After Sister Lucy Kurien witnessed a woman鈥檚 murder, she saved thousands of othersAs India marks the first anniversary of the Delhi gang rape that rocked the nation, YES! talks with Sister Lucy Kurien 鈥� whose life was changed forever when she saw a young woman set on fire.
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.