Filed under: Community Service | Tags: blog, Green By Design, Tanzania, VEF
Any outfit that adheres to their mission to do good stands out in today’s world, and that’s what makes Green By Design outstanding. From the clean, friendly visual presentation to the Green By Design Shop of handpicked toys, gadgets, furniture and other products made sustainably, Green By Design gets it, does it and makes it look good. Here’s a clip from their most recent blog post to whet your appetite.
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Green By Design: In the Heart of Tanzania
Published by Melissa Cicci
On the outskirts of Dodoma, the capital of Tanzania, microenterprise is making a difference in the lives of rural villagers. Since 1987, Village Enterprise Fund (VEF), a non-profit based in San Carlos, California, has helped fund more than 16,000 small businesses in East Africa with grants that typically range from $100-$150 but that make incalculable difference in human lives and fortunes.
Recently, I traveled to the heart of Tanzania to visit some of the grant recipients. Central Tanzania reminded me of the American southwest, where I live: red clay earth, simple mud-brick dwellings, dry riverbeds and a deep blue sky.
Also as in parts of the American southwest, there is a real need here among the local people to find alternatives to subsistence farming whereby locals may empower themselves out of the enervating cycle of poverty.
Follow them on Twitter: @GreenByDesign
Filed under: Adora Svitak, Clients In The News, Community Empowerment, Community Service, Education, Obama, Technology | Tags: Activboard, Promethean, Activexpression, Activclassroom, Interactive Whiteboard, IWB, ICT, Adora Svitak, child prodigy, child author, whitney young
Adora Svitak, 11, writes Tuesday about her visit to Whitney Young for her blog.
On Tuesday, February the 3rd, Adora Svitak visited Whitney M. Young Magnet School in Chicago, Illinois, to talk about writing and publishing.
The presentation utilized an Activboard from Promethean, accompanied by Activexpressions (a voting system which allows students to vote, text in in answers, etc.) The Expression technology immediately collects results from students.
When polled, the majority of students believed that the presentation was inspiring, motivational, innovative, interesting, and educational. However, they didn’t all immediately turn into scholars; when asked about their plans for action/publication, they jokingly responded that they would like to sit around watching TV. Adora said, “I read on your school’s website that you have a…100% graduation rate. I guess they’ll have to take out the thirty percent of you that responded [couch] potato.” She added, “I’m glad they still have a sense of humor!”
[ Read Adora's Journalistic Style Blogpost ]
[ BBC Radio Story ]
Filed under: Community Empowerment, Community Service, Obama | Tags: Chris Scanzoni, INTIWAWA, WNC for Change, WNC for Obama
Meet Chris, 18 YO and one of the most active volunteers I ever met for Obama in Western North Carolina. He is headed to Peru for the remainder of his gap year until he enters college in the Fall. He’ll be working for small German NGO, INTIWAWA in rural Peru in a village ravaged by malnutrition, illiteracy, and alcoholism. He is on a clear life path as a community organizer and will be changing lives – not through charity – but through respect, inclusion, and empowerment.Please help send Chris to Peru. He is resourceful, of course, and has created an easy PayPal link. Sensible City has chipped in and if you do, please comment back to this blog post so we can track:).
In return, Chris promises to work hard, keep an online blog (http://ungringoaldesconocido.blogspot.com) of his experiences, and to change one more community in the name of generous donors.
