Global Poverty

VH1 Top 20 Celebs: Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey, the Queen of Giving, has donated over $300 million dollars to global charities.

Read more about the show on CelebsGoneGood

Show Schedule

  • Tue 11.24, 5:00 PM
  • Thu 11.26, 11:00 AM
  • Tue 12.1, 11:00 AM
  • Mon 12.7, 5:00 PM
  • Fri 12.11, 5:00 PM
  • Wed 12.16, 12:00 AM
  • Wed 12.16, 5:00 PM

VH1 Top 20 Celebs Gone Good: Alicia Keys

Find out how Alicia Keys is making a difference around the world by donating her time to educational issues in the U.S, and as co-founder and ambassador to Keep a Child Alive.

Read more about the show on CelebsGoneGood

Show Schedule

  • Tue 11.24, 5:00 PM
  • Thu 11.26, 11:00 AM
  • Tue 12.1, 11:00 AM
  • Mon 12.7, 5:00 PM
  • Fri 12.11, 5:00 PM
  • Wed 12.16, 12:00 AM
  • Wed 12.16, 5:00 PM

the problem:

Becca's Closet lends dresses to any body who can not afford one. Whether it is for a prom or even just a nice dinner, we have all kinds of dresses. Currently, we are in a small room above a hair salon. The dresses are cramped and hard to look through and I am hoping to find a larger space or buy better organizing materials in order to make the experience of looking for the perfect dress more enjoyable.

vital stats:

people impacted:

50

people involved:

3

why it's important:

Every girl deserves to feel beautiful, regardless of their finacial standing. Becca's Closet has provided this opportunity for countless number of young women and I hope to continue this.

the plan of action:

I am hopping to eiter find a larger space, or better organize the small space we have to work with now. This could include more rackets, a real door for the dressing room, more storage, and paint.

how you can get involved:

others can help by volunteering their time, or donating old dresses.

project updates:


Check out our videos!

the problem:

We stood outside a padlocked, whitewashed government hospital on the outskirts of Naigaon, a remote village in rural India.

The building, about the size of a three-car garage, was small and box-shaped with barred windows and, by all appearances, abandoned. In an area where these state-run hospitals are plenty in number, they offer little to the people who live there. The building was empty.

"They've never seen a doctor here," said Jayesh, one of the staff members at the Comprehensive Rural Health Project (CRHP), a nongovernmental organization headquartered in nearby Jamkhed, where we were staying.

That was during a trip my classmates and I made last year to work with the Comprehensive Rural Health Project in Jamkhed, India. Through the Periclean Scholars program at Elon University, we're creating a feature-length movie that delves into the subject of health care in rural India. This documentary aims to tell the story of India's poor and their struggle to access quality health care.

Many of India's over one billion citizens lack access to basic health care services. Only about 50 million middle-class Indians (that's 5% of the population) can afford private health care, and the rest are dependent on services provided by the government or alternative systems such as nonprofits. Malnutrition, neonatal diseases, diarrhea and pneumonia are the major causes of death for children in India. These health issues can all be prevented though simple health education and prenatal and postnatal care, services that are unavailable to many of Inda's poorest citizens.

The first step toward change is to make people aware of the issue and of alternatives that exist to provide health care to those who fall through the cracks of state systems. Through this documentary we hope to raise awareness about the issue in India and to start a conversation about ensuring access to quality health care for poor communities world wide.

vital stats:

people impacted:

50

people involved:

25

why it's important:

As part of an organization called Periclean Scholars (for more info check out the elevator speech video below) we've spent the last three years studying India, its history and social issues in the country. Several of us from our organization have had the opportunity to travel to India and partner with individuals and organizations there, learning about their experiences and brainstorming pathways for sustainable change. This documentary is an outgrowth of everything we've learned and experienced.

"Health for All" will encompass complicated issues like the rights of health care and role of nonprofits, while centering around one simple point: people in poverty don't have access to basic care. We've seen the burden that sickness or injury can place on a family that has to borrow from a loan shark to afford a doctor's visit or to abandon their livelihood and travel long distances to receive care. We hope that this documentary will raise questions about the access that poor communities have to quality health care world wide, and through education and increased awareness act as a catalyst for positive change.

the plan of action:

As a documentary team, we're making a film that follows three different organizations as they pursue this idea of health for all. One of the organizations is in rural Maharashtra, working with impoverished villagers; another is based in the slums of Bombay; and a third is on the outskirts of Hyderabad. We need some point of comparison for these alternative systems, so we've also highlighted a government hospital in Delhi.

For the month of January we were in India shooting the documentary. We shot in Bombay for 5 days at a social business, Hyderabad for 4 days at a government-supported commission on rural poverty, and a nonprofit in rural Maharashtra for about a week. We also got footage in Pune, and we spent the last 4 days shooting at a government hospital in Delhi.

We returned to North Carolina with hours upon hours of B-roll and interviews and with an even greater understanding of the depth and complexity of the issue. The next few months will be spent writing, editing and producing the film, keeping in mind what we've learned and comparing it with the extensive background research we've done on the topic. The team currently working on making this project a reality includes directors, producers, writers, editors, researchers, editors, audio techs, a composer, artists, fact-checkers, translators and donors. There are dozens of students, professors and professionals involved in this project, each of us with a growing passion to share what we've learned about this issue with others. We plan to screen the documentary publicly both in the US and in India, to submit it to film festivals and to allow it to be used as an educational resource.

how you can get involved:

Join our pursuit of better health for all by informing yourself more about the situation of those who don't have access to quality health care in your community, and around the world. Check out the organizations that we showcased as alternatives and consider supporting their work in India as well:
www.jamkhed.org
www.swasthindia.in
www.serp.ap.gov.in
Let us know as if you have any questions, comments or suggestions for the documentary. We would love to hear from you.

project updates:

videos:

See video
See video

the problem:

The problems addressed by this project are vast and diverse. We are currently purchasing baskets and earrings made by Rwandan women struggling to provide or their families and reselling them in the United States to help them broaden their market and raise awareness of Rwandan issues In America. We hope to soon provide training to 25 more women in the village of Cyegera including how to make baskets and clothing as well as some marketing skills. This training program is the idea of the Rwandan women we currently work with.
Providing training and a means of income to these ladies addresses humanitarian issues including poverty, hunger, education, fallout of the genocide that occured in 1994, women's rights, and family planning. This project increases the chance of the children of these women to be educated and receive proper nutrition. It also encourages recycling and sustainability since the products are made from grass and recycling bean or rice bags. We also hope that empowering these ladies to use their own skills to provide for their families will inspire personal growth and empower them to greater progress.

vital stats:

people impacted:

30

people involved:

7

why it's important:

Mama Baskets is important to me because I know these women well and have seen both their sturggles and potential first hand. I have visited the village in which they live three times to date, one of these times being a ten-week stay in which I worked to address many community needs. These ladies are resourceful and kind women who have great potential if empowered and encouraged.

the plan of action:

The current plan of action is to continue purchasing and selling baskets and earrings and to find a funding source for the training project.

how you can get involved:

Others can help by visting our facebook page to purchase one of the items or by donating toward shipping costs or toward the training project.

project updates:


Check out our videos!

the problem:

Clean water is essential for life, but one in eight of the world's population does not have access to it. This, and lack of safe sanitation, result in 1.4 million children dying from water-related diseases every year.

The lack of clean water means millions of women and children spend hours each day searching for water and carrying it home. This exhausting task can cause damage to their heads, necks and spines, and leaves them with little time for productive work or education.

vital stats:

people impacted:

16,000,000

people involved:

10,000

why it's important:

WaterAid helps the world's poorest people escape the cycle of poverty and disease.

Together with local organizations, WaterAid uses practical, sustainable solutions to provide safe water, effective sanitation and hygiene education to the poorest people in developing countries.

WaterAid works with individuals and their families, paying special attention to the most vulnerable people, to help them set up, operate, manage and maintain their own projects.

the plan of action:

Setting up personal fundraising pages is a fantastic way of getting all your friends and family involved in raising money to tackle the global water crisis.

WaterAid will use the money in our vital work enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to life's most basic needs: clean, safe water and effective sanitation. Every day 4,000 children die from water-related diseases. You can make a difference by setting up your page today. Remember, WaterAid's projects cost just $25 per person.

how you can get involved:

Set up your personal fundraising page for WaterAid today at http://www.wateraidamerica.org/get_involved/personal_fundraising_pages.aspx

Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wateraidamerica
Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/wateraidamerica

Show your support for WaterAid by uploading a WaterAid cover photo at http://www.wateraidamerica.org/get_involved/facebook_timeline_cover_imag...

project updates:

videos:

See video

the problem:

The problem goes beyond physical poverty. The problem is spiritual poverty. I went on a missions trip last summer 2011 to Ndola, Zambia, in southern Africa simply spread the love and good news of Jesus Christ.

vital stats:

people impacted:

25

people involved:

16

why it's important:

This is important to me because everyone needs a saviour. Yes, food, clothes, shelter, may all be very important. We did give away some of our clothes during that trip. What is more important however, is for a person to believe, know and except Jesus Christ as their savior.

the plan of action:

What we did was go to Africa. We street witnessed in the marketplaces, and at the highschool in Ndola. We also visited a nursing home and shared the gospel there. It was really awesome to see how people who had so little, and went through so much hardship, could be just so appreciative of what they have. The they had for their saviour and each other was amazing to see.

how you can get involved:

PRAY! PRAY! PRAY! Continue to pray for our friends in Zambia that they stay strong in their faith. Also donate to various organizations that help poverty in Africa.

project updates:

the problem:

Increase the life style of young children in under-developed countries.

vital stats:

people impacted:

200

people involved:

20

why it's important:

It impacts me directly because I know what they are going through.

the plan of action:

1. This step has already been done in we went as a group to Bolivia and provided help for the school.

2. Continue to create the trips to these areas in South America for benefiting the community.

how you can get involved:

Contributing to Ascend Alliance.

project updates:

the problem:

Sierra Leone, Africa, has the highest rate of child mortality in the world, due to poverty, lack of education, its remote location, and poor water condition. This high mortality rate could be lowered through instructive education and appropriate medical provisions.

vital stats:

people impacted:

300

people involved:

50

why it's important:

The issue of child mortality through the age of five is close to my heart because I personally know missionaries who are from Sierra Leone. They have whitnessed the problem first-hand and have told me stories that make me grateful to live in America. The death comes quickly, usually from a fever (which kills within a day), malnutrition (if the mother can not give milk, a newborn is given water until it can eat solid food), or hypothermia (During the night, even in Africa, the babies' body temperature decreases drastically. They freeze to death overnight). Preventing these unnecessary deaths is so simple, which is why I have to educate Americans on the subject.

the plan of action:

Currently, I have filled two collection barrels (shipping barrels each the size of an oil drum) with life-saving supplies that will soon be shipped to Sierra Leone, Africa. With the help of Peace Moravian Church and New Beginnings Moravian Church, I am positive that this will be an ongoing project, and plan to continue collecting supplies for children as well as cash donations (to pay to ship the barrel). Hopefully I can reach outside of the church and get other organizations to contribute!

how you can get involved:

I am collecting: Basic vitamins, Infant Fever-Reducing Tylenols or other medicine, powdered baby formula, infant blankets, first aid kits, thermometers, liquid insect repellant, mosquito netting, warm baby clothing, protein bars, and prenatal vitamins. Others can also donate cash to assist in either shipping the barrels to the country or buying more supplies. Any medical supplies, if you name it, they need it.

Please contact me through my website: http://sierraleonebarrelproject.webs.com/

Thanks!

project updates:

the problem:

Fountain of Hope Youth Initiative was founded in 2003 by a group of youths impacted by the effects of HIV/Aids, poverty, limited access to information, degradation of environment, tribal & cultural intolerance. The primary objective of FOH is to engage the youths and entire community in seeking local remedies that would help in elimination or reduction of the above issues. Our goal is to offer a noticeable contribution towards achievement the Kenya’s Vision 2030 & The Millennium Development Goals. FOH exists to offer a platform for youths and the community to exercise social obligations and therefore as an organization we strive to promote the philanthropic culture to the local community.

vital stats:

people impacted:

2,000

people involved:

5

why it's important:

I believe in generosity and doing unto others as I would like it to be done to me.

the plan of action:

I am the webdesigner for FOHLC website, I built the website on my own hosting and I need help continuing working on the project so it could have more exposure and more impact for the local Kenya community

how you can get involved:

Donate, invest, share

project updates:

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