All People Making a Difference
Green housing: In Buffalo, it's not just for rich peopleCan cities build sustainable housing that's affordable, too? Buffalo, N.Y., did and created a job-training pipeline in the process. Here's what can happen when a neighborhood takes the lead.
Updated water wheels power India's rural mountain economyWooden water wheels have long captured energy from mountain streams. New versions work even better, helping provide a local, sustainable source of energy to Indian villages high in the Himalayas.
Difference MakerKimberly Ritter stands up to child sex trafficking in US hotelsKimberly Ritter discovered that some US hotels harbor a horrifying secret 鈥� child sex trafficking. Now she and her employer are urging the hospitality industry to confront the problem.
An oasis of community and support for Latina momsIn California, many Latina mothers find themselves cut off by domestic responsibilities and language barriers. But with the help of trusted mentors, they鈥檙e learning new skills and strengthening their support networks.
Sierra Leone combats the outrage of child soldieringThe Child Soldier Initiative will train the army and police in how to engage with children in combat situations, as well as educate youths about the problem.
Playworks coaches teach games, prevent bullying at recessThe nonprofit group Playworks provides 360 schools in low-income neighborhoods fun, organized activities for children during recess, allowing them to return to class refreshed and ready to learn.
Bosnian woman helped make rape a war crimeNusreta Sivac's efforts to gather testimony from women across Bosnia helped win convictions in court and categorized rape as a war crime under international law.
Difference MakerJack Reece helps a Noah's Ark of animals in IndiaFrom elephants to buffaloes, dogs to donkeys, Help in Suffering (HIS), a nonprofit animal welfare group in Jaipur, India, treats animals large and small at low or no cost.
Can music help heal Mali's war wounds?One of Mali's biggest stars, the singer-songwriter Salif Keita, says music can help bring peace and reconciliation to his homeland, which has been torn apart by an Islamist uprising in the north.
Zardozi helps Afghan women stitch together their own businessesThe NGO Zardozi helps women in Afghanistan start their own businesses by using a skill that most of them already know: sewing.
Ding-dong! Living Goods calling with life-changing productsLiving Goods delivers products 'to the doorsteps of the poor' in Uganda and Kenya, such as anti-malaria treatments, fortified foods, solar lamps, reading glasses, and sanitary pads that dramatically improve their health and well-being.
Push for biogas in Kenya asks women to get their hands dirtyWomen are among those being trained as masons to install biogas digesters in Kenya, providing households with cheap, clean energy and helping to slow climate change by replacing wood, gas, or kerosene.
Sticky notes promote acts of kindness in schoolsSPPRAK, a not-for-profit program in Terre Haute, Ind., literally 'notes' random acts of kindness by students, teachers, and staff.
Difference MakerIndira Johnson places intriguing sculptures to create dialogues on peaceDozens of giant Buddha heads emerging around Chicago are meant to be a catalyst for conversations about peace in troubled neighborhoods.
11 quotes from difference makers Ever wonder how you can help create positive change? Here is advice from 10 outstanding people whose lives made a difference in the world.
Gates, Zuckerberg champion computer programming in a new nonprofit videoBill Gates, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey lobby for the teaching of computer coding in a new video produced by the nonprofit group Code.org.
Arts program for the homeless hopes to gain from Oscar success of 'Innocente'San Diego-based ARTS (A Reason to Survive) helped 15-year-old Inocente Izucar survive when she was homeless. An Oscar-winning film about her life, called 'Innocente,' helps show how the arts can benefit those in need.
Heroes to Heroes helps wounded US vets recoverHeroes to Heroes takes groups of traumatized US veterans on a journey to Israel meant to restore their sense of humanity and civility.
Karen Olson taps religious groups to help the homelessFamily Promise now has 182 affiliates in 41 states helping families in need achieve independence and self-sufficiency.
'Sand dams' store water for dry season in semi-arid KenyaSimple dams that can be constructed in a day by unskilled laborers may revolutionize Kenyan agriculture by storing millions of liters of water, providing once-parched communities with water for domestic use and irrigation throughout the year.