Social Good Archives

May 18, 2014May 21, 2014

— 22 Comments

Time to Support the Global Partnership for Education

Roughly one year ago I was seated inside a three-story building in the heart of one of Delhi’s many slums, on the floor of an all girls school, one of the first in the slums that focused on helping girls who have been sexually abused, to emotionally heal and go to school. As a mother and a global advocate, the scene inside the school was heartbreaking. For these girls were the same age as my own daughter yet had already seen more hardship than imaginable. Yet somehow these girls had one common dream: The dream of an education and lifting themselves out of the poverty and daily struggles of life inside a slum.

As we entered the Protsahan school, girls were meditating to help them prepare for their day of school.

My experience in India reminded me of the uttermost importance of education especially for girls. The statistics around the world are dire yet also full of hope and opportunity for the future. More than 57 million children worldwide are denied the basic right to go to school (33 million of which are girls) and Nigeria where girls have recently been violently kidnapped from school, is home to the most out of school children in the world.

What is even more shocking is that 250 million girls and boys – nearly 40% of the world’s children of primary school age – can’t even read a single sentence.

This is a tragedy but there is hope. World leaders will be convening this June to discuss the replenishment of the Global Partnership for Education, a international fund that has already helped support quality education for 22 million children in some of the world’s most challenging environments.

Education in Afghanistan
Girls at Ayno Meena Number Two school in the city of Kandahar, Afghanistan, which was built in late 2008 with support from GPE funding. Photo Credit: GPE/Jawad Jalali

May 7, 2014October 3, 2017

— 24 Comments

Save the Children Releases 2014 State of World’s Mothers Report

Just in time for Mother’s Day, Save the Children released its 15th annual State of the World’s Mothers report this week revealing the best and most difficult places to be a mother. This year’s report focuses on saving the millions of mothers, newborns and children living in fragile communities due to conflict and natural disasters, and their everyday struggle to survive.

Being a mother is a tough job. I can attest. But imagine what it is like being a mother in a war-torn country or in a place that has been struck by a natural disaster. Caring for your family becomes a daily race for survival. It is something that no parent should have to imagine. I applaud Save the Children for their amazing work and dedication to saving the mothers and children of our planet. These are the voiceless. It is time to give them a voice.

A mother holds her baby suffering from spina-bafida malformation in the special Baby Care Unit at Turai Yaradua maternal and children Hospital, Katsina, Northern Nigeria. Photo Source: Pep Bonet/Noor for Save the Children

Following is a summary of the highlights in the report and five key urgent actions required to help save mothers and children around the globe. All information below is taken directly from Save the Children’s 2014 State of World’s Mothers report.

Save the Children’s 2014 State of World Mother’s report

2013 proved to be a challenging year for mothers and children faced with an extraordinary amount of humanitarian crises. Sudan, Syria, The DRC and the Philippines have all experienced severe hardship while even here in the United States families have been displaced and children threatened after the Oklahoma tornadoes and dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The 2014 State of World’s Mothers Report documents the progress we’ve made as well as the critical steps that must be taken to ensure that all moms and children are safe.

Global Health Global Issues Global Non-Profit Organizations and Social Good Enterprises SOCIAL GOOD Women and Girls

April 16, 2014October 3, 2017

— 22 Comments

La Alianza Ayuda: The Fight to End Sexual Abuse of Girls in Guatemala

As a mother of two children ages 7 and 9, there are times in life that my heart breaks when I hear about tragic injustices being done to children. This is one of them.

Last week I was contacted by a new powerful campaign called “La Alianza Ayuda” spearheaded by LatinWorks and La Alianza, the Central American branch of US-based Covenant House to raise awareness about the unspeakable: The rampant sexual abuse that is plaguing young girls across Guatemala. Tragically, the issue of sexual abuse committed against girls in Guatemala has become one of the most serious social issues in the country as thousands of adolescent children are sexually abused by relatives.

Child Labor, Marriage, Education and Survival Global Issues Global Non-Profit Organizations and Social Good Enterprises SOCIAL GOOD Women and Girls

March 26, 2014October 3, 2017

— 13 Comments

Toxin Freedom Fighters: Standing Up For Safer Chemicals

Disclaimer: This post is a part of a sponsored awareness program and campaign by Seventh Generation to raise awareness and demand change to the Toxic Substances Control Act by April 30, 2014. All the research for this post was provided by Seventh Generation but all the views below are my own.

As a mom, advocate and someone who cares deeply about our planet, I have joined an exciting new campaign sponsored by Seventh Generation, a leading producer and distributor of environmentally-safe household products, to raise awareness about the hundreds of toxic chemicals in our products that are hurting our families and our world.

Toxic chemicals are a great concern of mine. I take pride in the fact that I read product labels carefully and always try to buy environmentally friendly and safe products to use in my home. This applies to every product I by: Food, household products and toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner and soap. I honestly thought I was doing a good job by keeping nasty, toxic chemicals out of my body, my families bodies and the environment.

Yet like most consumers, I was wrong. I was unaware that of the 85,000 synthetic chemicals introduced into the American market since the Toxic Substances Control Act was passed in 1976, only a mere 10% of them have required testing by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). Therefore, that means thousands of synthetic chemicals are currently being used in our products that we have no idea whether or not they are safe to our bodies and our planet.

Child Labor, Marriage, Education and Survival Conservation/Environment Global Issues SOCIAL GOOD

February 22, 2014March 13, 2014

— 3 Comments

Whole Planet Foundation’s Annual Prosperity Campaign

Win a trip to Mexico to see Whole Planet Foundation’s work! See details at bottom of post.

Whole Planet Foundation, the social good arm of US-based Whole Foods Market, launched their 8th Annual Prosperity Campaign last week. With the goal of alleviating poverty by providing microcredit in communities around the world that supply Whole Foods Market stores with products, this year’s Prosperity Campaign aims to raise enough money to help 250,000 people and runs from February 20-March 31st. The Prosperity Campaign is Whole Planet’s largest fundraising drive providing 80% of their revenue that is given back to their suppliers.

Global Non-Profit Organizations and Social Good Enterprises SOCIAL GOOD

February 10, 2014

— 30 Comments

Typhoon Haiyan: 3 months later through the eyes of a child

The devastation of Typhoon Haiyan was almost unprecedented: It was the deadliest rapid-onset disaster globally in 2013. Nearly 6 million children have been affected, 4.1 million people remain displaced and over 6,000 people lost their lives.

James, 11, stands on the floor of what once was his school, the primary school in Binon-an, Batad, Iloilo province, Panay Island. Photo credit: Hedinn Halldorsson/Save the Children

James, 11, stands on the floor of what once was his school, the primary school in Binon-an, Batad, Iloilo province, Panay Island. James says “That day I was taking care of my younger siblings, I was thinking about my family’s survival. During the height of the typhoon, we all stayed in a single room. Then roof sheets were being torn like paper, and window’s shattered.” Photo credit: Hedinn Halldorsson/Save the Children

Long forgotten by the media and the world but not forgotten by the countless people impacted by the devastating Typhoon Haiyan which struck the Philippines three months ago, Save the Children has released a three-month report written all through the eyes of the most vulnerable: The children. The report cleverly titled “See me, Hear me, Ask me: Children’s recommendations for recovery three months after Typhoon Haiyan” focuses on the perspective of children and their recommendations of building their communities back and preparing for future disasters.

Children wait outside a mobile Child Friendly Space on the remote island of Talingting, which has been targeted as part of the Save the Children Boat programme, which visits remote islands off the coast of Panay that have been heavily affected by Typhoon Haiyan / Yolanda. Photo credit: Save the Children

Global Non-Profit Organizations and Social Good Enterprises SOCIAL GOOD

February 5, 2014October 3, 2017

— 17 Comments

CleanBirth.org in Laos: How $5 can save two lives

This week as part of World Moms Blog where I am a writer and editor for our social good column, we are participating in our second annual campaign to support fellow World Moms Blog writer Kristyn Zalota’s non-profit organization CleanBirth.org which saves lives of mothers and their newborns in Laos. Partnering with Multicultural Kids Blog and Girls Globe, we are coming together to help CleanBirth.org launch their crowd funding campaign to raise $7,500 to help train more midwives and provide sterilized birth kits to mothers in Laos.

What is so amazing about Kristyn’s story is how she saw a problem half-way around the world and decided to change it. As an avid traveler and a doula, Kristyn saw firsthand through her visits in the developing world how many mothers and children die during childbirth from simply lacking a safe, sterile birth. Inspired to make a difference Kristyn began CleanBirth.org and two years later she has seen remarkable results and has saved many lives.

Global Health Global Issues Global Non-Profit Organizations and Social Good Enterprises SOCIAL GOOD Women and Girls

February 4, 2014

— 32 Comments

World Cancer Day 2014: Why we can never give up the fight

I normally try not to be too personal on my blog as I understand there are certain things I can and cannot share. Yet today, I must open up about something near and dear to my heart. The fact that the last six months of my life, I’ve experienced firsthand what it is like to be impacted by a loved one fighting cancer. My family has been part of the startling figure: There are one million new cases of cancer diagnosed in the United States every year.

I will not lie. The initial news of my loved one’s cancer diagnosis was devastating. My life fell apart as I was buried in fear, shock, anger and despair. But one thing never ever left us after hearing this cruel news. Our love for one another and our hope that we would help our loved one fight this awful disease and win.

Today ironically enough, on World Cancer Day we heard incredible, amazing news. That for now, the cancer is in remission, something we did not think would at all be possible so soon. Although the news is the best possible, we will continue to fight this battle to the end and never lose sight of hope and gratitude for our lives. For that is the best we can ask for. The time we get on this Earth is sacred and it is short. Every day is a gift. That is why they call it the present.

One thing I have learned so far through this entire ordeal is that I am not alone. In fact, everyone I know has been impacted by cancer either by a family member or close friend. But the diagnosis of cancer is no longer a death sentence. In fact we have made remarkable progress in fighting cancer which is a cause to celebrate.

Per the American Cancer Society, 60 years ago 1 out of 3 people diagnosed with cancer would survive. Today, 2 out of 3 people will survive.

What if the entire world joined forces to fight cancer?

Today, Tuesday, February 4th is World Cancer Day, a time when organizations and individuals around the world send a message: Ending cancer should be a global health priority.

According to the latest data released by the World Health Organization, an estimated 14.1 million new cancer cases and 8.2 million cancer-related deaths occurred in 2012, compared with 12.7 million and 7.6 million, respectively, in 2008. World Cancer Day, an initiative of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), unites the world’s population in the fight against cancer. This year’s campaign will focus on reducing stigma and dispelling myths about cancer.

– American Cancer Society

What you can do today to help fight cancer? Color your Facebook or Twitter profile purple to celebrate cancer survivors on World Cancer Day by clicking here. For every purple profile, Chevrolet will contribute $1 to the American Cancer Society for every purple profile, up to $1 million.

For more information on cancer, World Cancer Day and support, contact the American Cancer Society’s website which has an abundant amount of resources.

Global Non-Profit Organizations and Social Good Enterprises SOCIAL GOOD

January 22, 2014October 3, 2017

— 21 Comments

“Three Myths that Block Progress for the Poor”: The 2014 Gates Annual Letter

For the past year and a half I’ve been honored to be a part of an exceptional group of women bloggers using our voices on our blogs and through social media to help try to change the world. As a proud member of the Global Team of 200 and Mom Bloggers for Social Good, I’ve had the opportunity to learn about and share with you some of the amazing things different non-profits are doing around the world to save lives and end poverty.

Kibera slum, Nairobi, Kenya
Boys sit on a boulder overlooking the Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Photo credit: Gates Foundation

Jennifer James, founder of our social good team, has worked particularly hard with The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It has been fascinating to be a part of some of the work this amazing foundation is doing at changing the world and saving lives.

INDIA / Bihar / Jamsaut village / 23 March 2011
Bill and Melinda Gates with children at an Anganwadi centre in Jamsaut village near Patna. Photo Credit: Gates Foundation

Yesterday, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation released their co-authored 2014 annual report which contains some exciting findings and predictions in the world of social good.

2014 Bill and Melinda Gates Annual Letter

This year’s letter, “Three Myths that Block Progress for the Poor,” addresses three misconceptions about the global effort to end extreme poverty: Poor countries are doomed to stay poor, foreign aid is a big waste, and saving lives leads to overpopulation.

In fact, life is better for more people around the world than it has ever been. People are living longer, healthier lives and poverty rates have been cut in half in the last 25 years. Child mortality is plunging. Many nations that were aid recipients are now self-sufficient. Bill and Melinda want to tackle these myths because too often they give people a reason not to act.

-Bill and Melinda Gates, 2014 Annual Letter

Global Health Global Issues Global Non-Profit Organizations and Social Good Enterprises Poverty SOCIAL GOOD Women and Girls

December 15, 2013October 3, 2017

— 8 Comments

UNICEF’s “Passport to Protection”: The Importance of Birth Registration

On Friday I participated in a Google+ Hangout with the UNICEF’s #ENDViolence Team to learn about the importance of birth registration. Thursday, December 11th marked UNICEF’s 67th year anniversary as one of the world’s leading non-profit organizations focused on the rights and protection of children. In honor of this important milestone, UNICEF released the report “Passport to Protection” which highlights the importance of birth registration in protecting children and giving them an overall basic human right. The right to exist.

Birth registration is the first step in securing a child’s rights to health, education, and freedom from things like trafficking, violence and abuse. It is a passport to protection. Yet around the world, an astounding 230 million children under the age of five – one out of every three children in this age group globally – have never been registered at birth. Tens of millions of more children are without a birth certificate.

Global Issues Global Non-Profit Organizations and Social Good Enterprises SOCIAL GOOD

December 5, 2013October 4, 2017

— 13 Comments

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence (#16Days)

Every so often I get contacted by various NGOs to share important advocacy and awareness campaigns. If you follow my blog, you know how seriously I take my social good advocacy especially when it comes to poverty, violence against women and girls, global health and education. When you have witnessed some of these horrendous tragedies firsthand, you will forever be changed and feel compelled to tell the countless stories you’ve heard along the way.

Living in the slums of India can be a dangerous place for a young girl.

Recently I was contacted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) advising me of an awareness campaign that is near and dear to my heart: Gender violence. From November 25 to December 10, USAID is promoting an awareness campaign called 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence (#16Days) in attempt to shed light on this important issue.

When I was in India this past May on a social good blogging trip, I visited a beautiful school for abused girls in the heart of a Delhi slum. Almost every child at the school had been either physically or sexually abused yet their perseverance to move beyond their pain made my heart melt and fulfilled me with hope and commitment that I would never forget them nor their cause. No one should have to suffer because of their gender. Yet sadly many do.

Child Labor, Marriage, Education and Survival Global Issues SOCIAL GOOD Women and Girls

November 3, 2013

— 16 Comments

ONE Campaign and Heifer launch #GiveaGoat for the holidays

It is that time of year again. The holidays are coming! And with the onset of the biggest consumer spending of the year comes the reminder that many people around the world are not so fortunate when it comes to lavishing themselves with gifts. That is why for the next several weeks I will be highlighting unique ways to purchase gifts that give back and help someone else in need.

On October 24th, ONE partnered with Heifer International to launch an amazing, exciting campaign just in time for the holidays: #GiveaGoat to end extreme poverty.

The ONE Campaign works to end extreme poverty particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa while Heifer International specializes in bringing sustainable agriculture and commerce to areas with a long history of poverty, and have programs throughout the world. Both non-profit organizations are fabulous and by working together will be able to create even a greater impact on fighting extreme poverty around the world.

I have worked a bit with ONE already as a ONE Mom and Community Partner yet this is my first time learning more about Heifer’s work. While ONE is primarily an advocacy group with over 3 million supporters, Heifer provides the framework on the ground by working with smallholder farmers to promote economic self-sustainability and good health. Like ONE, Heifer believes strongly in empowering people especially women and girls who are the majority of the small farmer holders throughout Africa.

What makes Heifer’s work so amazing is that they don’t simply stop by helping one family. Heifer utilizes a program called “Passing on the Gift” which assures that each participant in the program—the person who receives the initial gift of an animal—becomes a donor by giving the animal’s offspring to another family in need. This concept helps build community and participation in each project. The families continually give to others, ensuring greater self-sufficiency and human dignity, one family at a time.

Although Heifer provides a variety of livestock ranging from chicks, rabbits, pigs, and sheep to goats, llamas, water buffalos, and heifers, for this campaign Heifer and ONE are focusing exclusively on the value of providing a goat.

So why a goat? Here are some facts you probably didn’t know about the benefits of having a goat.

1 goat can produce 1 ton of milk/ year. That’s enough to pull 1 family out of poverty
A gift of livestock has up to 9x the impact, as families pass on the gift to others.
One goat can produce 15 liters, or nearly 4 gallons, of milk a day!
Goats were first herded by humans 10,000 years ago in what’s now Iran. Man’s most helpful friend for 10 millennia

Why goats are awesome?

Let’s meet Stella, ONE and Heifer’s mascot. Stella is quite popular and even has her own Twitter and Pinterest Account!

How #GiveAGoat works: Now through December 31, you can buy or give a goat for $120 or a share of a goat in various increments.

Each goat can provide up to 1 ton of milk a year, enough to provide 1 family with enough income for shelter, education, health care and more.

Get a goat here: http://bit.ly/1djanYh

What you can also do to learn more:

Follow Stella the Goat who is the mascot for the campaign and will be guest curating content on ONE’s Pinterest and Instagram accounts:

http://pinterest.com/onecampaign/

Instagram: @onecampaign

More about the Limited Edition ONE Goat

Read how goats have changed people’s lives in Africa: ONE will be reposting success stories from farmers who have received a Heifer goat. Checkhttp://www.one.org/us/partner/heifer-international/ each week for a new story.

In the first 24 hours since the campaign was launched, more than 280 goats were sent to families in need in Africa. These goats can help pull families out of extreme poverty by giving them milk to sell at the markets, providing a much-needed source of income.

Gifts that Give Back Global Non-Profit Organizations and Social Good Enterprises SOCIAL GOOD