tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49089573209595285012024-02-20T00:38:30.170-08:00Change You Can AffordWe ALL have the power and the opportunity to change the world!
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What have you done today?~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-82132244339448854412011-02-14T19:06:00.000-08:002011-02-14T19:06:50.872-08:00Names and ThoughtsDon't forget, I have transitioned everything over to the new domain, <a href="http://changeyoucanafford.com/">ChangeYouCanAfford.com</a>. That's where all the posts will be. :-)<br />
But here is a repost of my lasting entry, trying to decide on a name for the charity I am starting up using the idea behind the blog. Very exciting, let me know if you have suggestions.<br />
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<div class="PostContent"> Hey all,<br />
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Just wanted to let you know what is going on around here and what the future holds. :-) Something I have noticed in the past is that often people will be overwhelmed with problems of the world and this will result in them not helping at all. Not knowing who they should help or if it will even make a difference is not a good reason to not help at all. Rather, we should see it as a challenge, how many people can we help, what can we each do, individually and collectively to change the world. That is the vision I have for this website.<br />
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I will take it from a personal blog to a website, where people can visit everyday and donate a dollar to an organization, easily. I imagine a site where the main page changes each day to a new organization and it has a scrolling total on how much we have raised that day. And then archives, where people can look to old posts and see how much we raised for other groups.<br />
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What I need from y’all is help with the name. I personally am attached to the Change You Can Afford name, but I do realize that for simplicity sake a shorter name might have advantages. A shorter name will roll of the tongue easier, and it is very common for successful businesses to have short names which relate to the mission of the organization.<br />
Ideas…<br />
<ul><li>Daily Aid</li>
<li>Daily Alms</li>
<li>Donate Daily,</li>
<li>Be the change (referring to the quote about be the change you wish to see in the world)</li>
<li>A Dollar A Day</li>
<li>Affordable Change</li>
<li>The Power of One</li>
</ul>We are looking for something that reinforces the idea of the power that a group can have when they act together and the impact of a dollar a day. Any ideas and suggestions you have would be appreciated, clever wording is not one of my fortes.<br />
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Also, if you or anyone you know would be interested in helping getting us going let me know. WE have multiple board members, but a few more to split the work up more is good. Or if you have a skill which could be useful for us; website design, graphic design, advertising, accounting, etc, we would love for any help you could give us.<br />
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Thanks!</div>~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-9184808735922840322011-01-31T19:23:00.000-08:002011-01-31T19:23:13.573-08:00New Site!Hello, my lovely readers.<br />
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I have a wonderful surprise for you. Today is the debut of the brand new website. We know have our own domain name and are not just a blog on a blogging site. But it is not a big change, all you need to do is delete the blogspot from the url. The new website is quite simply<a href="http://www.changeyoucanafford.com/"> www.ChangeYouCanAfford.com</a>.<br />
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I am very excited to share the new site with you, as well as having done the work myself. I hope you like it and please take a look around and let me know what you think. There are a few area's I need to finish up on, but besides that I think the new site is up and running.<br />
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So please redirect your RSS feed, your bookmarks, and anything else to the new address. I will check this site on occasion, but from now on, all posts will be made at the new site.<br />
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I hope you like it.~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-24864548213034120492011-01-30T11:01:00.000-08:002011-01-30T12:15:38.296-08:00Microfinance Week: Winner - VittanaHey all,<br />
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So the winner of the <a href="http://changeyoucanafford.blogspot.com/2011/01/microfinance-week.html">microfinance week competition</a> is <a href="http://vittana.org/">Vittana</a>, they are the student microloaning organization which lends peer to peer, which means I get to choose the person I loan my $25 dollars too. If I can I will link it up to this post later, that way you can see who I choose, thanks to your choice of organization.<br />
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Thanks for the comments, and I know there are a lot of you who read and don't comment, but I really would love to hear from you lurkers, so please think about commenting next time you enjoy an article or want to add to the conversation. Thanks!!!<br />
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This upcoming week is the first week of February, which for those who are unaware is <a href="http://www.history.com/topics/black-history-month">Black History Month</a> here in the USA and Canada. A fact which I would like to commemorate by donating to organizations which work to eliminate racial prejudices and help create a more equal society. Off the top of my head, I was thinking the <a href="http://www.aclu.org/">ACLU</a>, <a href="http://colorofchange.org/">Color of Change</a>,<a href="http://www.naacp.org/content/main/"> NAACP</a>, or possibly <a href="http://www.uncf.org/">UNCF</a>. If you like these idea's let me know. However, if you have any suggestions of good organizations out their, please let me know. I always love learning about new charitable organizations.<br />
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Thanks. :-)~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-12073404367423427752011-01-28T12:55:00.000-08:002011-01-28T12:55:50.046-08:00Microfinance week: NestThe final installment of this week is an organization called <a href="http://www.buildanest.com/index3.asp">Nest</a>; "a nonprofit organization that empowers female artists and artisans around the world. Using a unique combination of interest-free microfinance loans, mentoring from established designers, as well as a market in which to sell their crafts, <a href="http://www.buildanest.com/index6.asp">Nest</a> helps its loan recipients create successful small businesses. <a href="http://www.buildanest.com/index2.asp">Nest</a> instills pride of ownership, preserves ancient artistic traditions and successfully moves women from poverty to self-sufficiency." A important aspect of their model is their interest-free loans, which is different from many microloaning operations which charge exorbitant rates on their loans that I disapprove of and try not to support those organizations.<br />
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It helps preserve the traditions of handmade products from women worldwide and uses a system of bartering to repay their loans. This idea connects microfinance with fair trade practices. Their approach allows them to "act as a collaborators with women artisans rather than simply consumers or importers. By knowing where our product comes from and supporting those who create it we are able to use the arts as an avenue to reduce poverty."<br />
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In addition to the funding for the women's businesses, <a href="http://www.buildanest.com/index2.asp">Nest </a>also teaches the "loan recipients basic business skills, product development, financial literacy, marketing, appealing to a Western consumer, environmentally-sensitive production, professional presentation and pricing—all essential skills for craft-specific businesses." They help them with the merchandising of their products and work to create a marketplace and contacts for them to sell their crafts out of. I like their focus on creating connections for their loan recipients to be able to wholesale their products.<br />
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And even if you do not support them with a donation, you can still support their work by shopping in <a href="http://www.buildanest.com/shop.asp">their store</a>. They have one store of the artisans work and another store of US based designers selling their work. Purchases at either help support <a href="http://www.buildanest.com/index6.asp">Nest's</a> work with Guatemalan women.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/12468244" width="400"></iframe></div><a href="http://vimeo.com/12468244">Nest Overview</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/buildanest">Nest</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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This week I was running <a href="http://changeyoucanafford.blogspot.com/2011/01/microfinance-week.html?showComment=1296089900841#c1366315913685747989">a contest</a>, the microfinance organization whose post received the most comments will receive $25. If you like the microbartering system of <a href="http://www.buildanest.com/index3.asp">Nest</a>, then comment below. Originally, I was going to close voting Saturday at noon PST, but I think that some people were waiting to vote until they read all the options. Voting is extended through Saturday and I will announce the winner Sunday morning. So get to voting and we shall see who the winner is. :-)~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-71812925810053584212011-01-27T09:19:00.000-08:002011-01-27T09:19:38.913-08:00Microfinance week: Friendship BridgeSo, today's organization is Friendship Bridge, a microloaning organization which offers loans and non-formal education to Guatemalan women. They believe that:<br />
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- "Microcredit helps impoverished women reach economic independence.<br />
- Education for women and children is an important tool for development.<br />
- Health education enhances personal, family and community well being.<br />
- Respect for the spiritual and cultural roots of communities is fundamental.<br />
- Participatory techniques incorporate each client’s voice.<br />
- Women are leaders for change in their families and communities.<br />
- Effective programs are created through listening"<br />
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I like that they have a well encompassed vision of their work, not only do they want to educate, but they want to make sure the women and their families are healthy. Charities which work with the local communities and listen to their concerns has always been one of the aspects I most admire. Additionally, I think a well run charity can help an area more by valuing the history of the region and respecting the communities beliefs, instead of imposing their missionary/religious beliefs which is all too common with some organizations.<br />
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"Friendship Bridge borrowers typically start or expand small businesses such as weaving, embroidery, raising livestock or poultry, basket making, roadside vending, or growing fruits and vegetables for sale at the local markets. Profits from these businesses boost overall household income. As loans are repaid, they are re-loaned. The reinvestment of loan funds multiplies the impact of each dollar loaned."<br />
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Overall, another well run organization, whose mission statement, I truly admire and respect. If you agree and want me to donate to them, comment below. We are having a bit of a contest this week, <a href="http://changeyoucanafford.blogspot.com/2011/01/microfinance-week.html">rules found here</a>. The post with the most comments will receive $25 for that organization, you can vote multiple times so if you are torn between different organizations, just vote for both. But you only have until Saturday at noon, so make sure you vote before then...~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-42132584574080992232011-01-26T11:38:00.000-08:002011-01-26T11:39:15.894-08:00Microfinance week: VittanaI think, this might be my favorite organization of the week. <a href="http://vittana.org/">Vittana</a> is a global student microloaning organization, which is organized through peer to peer lending. You put money into your account, then you find a student to loan money too, after the student graduates they begin repaying their loan, once you receive the money back the process starts all over again. While looking the company up, I came across a short <a href="http://www.economist.com/node/16996791?story_id=16996791">article in the Economist</a> talking about student loans, microfinance, and <a href="http://vittana.org/">Vittana</a>, and if the Economist thinks this is a good idea that is good enough for me.<br />
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In many countries, their is no access to student loans because they are risky and their is no government program either. A student might be accepted to school, but unable to pay so they will not have the chance to learn and contribute, which is just not acceptable. That is why I think this organization is so wonderful, it is helping a person achieve a livelihood. They tend to target second year students with a record of attendance or children of those benefiting from other microloans as they will have a family history of repaying the loan to lower the risk. The <a href="http://vittana.org/">Vittana</a> community has lent <span class="total-amount">$516,452 and has an excellent repayment rate of approximately 97%.</span><br />
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"When you invest $25 in a student on Vittana, we promise you that your full $25 loan is given to the student. Neither Vittana nor our local microfinance partner subtracts any fees or any other surcharges in any form from your loan. Vittana also charges no interest or fees in any other form from the student or local microfinance partner. After making a loan to a student, you have the opportunity to donate as much (or as little) as you want to Vittana itself. This donation is completely optional — you are under no obligation whatsoever." -<a href="http://vittana.org/howitworks">How it works</a><br />
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This week, we are running a bit of <a href="http://changeyoucanafford.blogspot.com/2011/01/microfinance-week.html">a contest</a>. Whichever organization's blog post for the week has the most posts is the microfinance organization that I will donate $25 to. So far this week, <a href="http://vittana.org/">Vittana </a>is my favorite, but what do y'all think?~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-84449071679253935012011-01-25T20:30:00.000-08:002011-01-25T20:30:07.680-08:00Microfinance week: Microloan FoundationThe UK based <a href="https://www.microloanfoundation.org.uk/Home">MicroLoan Foundation</a> is another microfinance organization that does great work across the globe. Their mission is "<b>Giving a hand up, not a hand out to women in Africa</b>." Which really goes well with my thoughts on charity, I prefer organizations which help people to improve their lives instead of merely giving them temporary aid. So, I already like this organization and that is just on the front page.<br />
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Unlike some direct microloaning programs, you do not choose individuals to loan your money to, instead you donate to them and they will automatically reinvest funds when they are repaid. One of the nice aspects is that you donate you money and allow the organization to be in charge of the funds and you do not need to continue monitoring it like you do with direct lending. <br />
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The <a href="https://www.microloanfoundation.org.uk/Home">MicroLoan Foundation</a> works by loaning to groups of women and "each group has its business ideas appraised and receives eight training sessions covering topics such as book keeping and cash flow." The groups meet with to make sure they all stay on target to repay their loans and get business advice, as well as with a loan officer. "And here's the real beauty in MicroLoan - because we offer a hand up not a hand out, when the women repay their microloans, we give it to another woman....when she repays it we give to another....and so on...your donations keep on helping women in Africa over and over again" -<a href="https://www.microloanfoundation.org.uk/What-we-do/How_we_work">How we work</a>.<br />
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Here is a video made by the organization, you all know how I love these. I feel sometimes that words spoken directly by those impacted by a charity can have so much more affect than 1000 flowery words written by me on this blog.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="youtube-player" frameborder="0" height="305" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sg4DXX4BrYI" title="YouTube video player" type="text/html" width="490"></iframe><br />
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Don't forget, <a href="http://changeyoucanafford.blogspot.com/2011/01/microfinance-week.html">this week is a challenge</a>, whichever blog post gets the most votes for the week is the microfinance company that I will give $25 to. So if you like MicroLoanFoundation, comment below. :-) P.S. Was distracted by the State of the Union and its coverage, sorry for the late posting today.~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-61632933471848991022011-01-24T18:44:00.000-08:002011-01-24T18:46:22.201-08:00Microfinance week: KivaThe first microlending program I am going to talk about will be <a href="http://www.kiva.org/">Kiva</a>. In my opinion and personal experience, the success of Kiva, brought the idea of microlending into the mainstream. With the huge growth of <a href="http://www.kiva.org/">Kiva</a>, the number of people who had heard about and participated in microfinance multiplied exponentially.<br />
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Microfinance is a range of financial services to the very poor, and I am focusing on microcredit. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcredit">Microcredit</a> is the "extension of very small loans (microloans) to those in poverty designed to spur entrepreneurship. These individuals lack collateral, steady employment and a verifiable credit history and therefore cannot meet even the most minimal qualifications to gain access to traditional credit." It is banks, organizations, and/or individuals who give small loans, often just a few hundred, to people who are trying to start their own business, grow their business, or learn a new trade. It has been shown to be very effective and has very high rates of repayment compared to traditional large loans.<br />
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My favorite of these is the ones that are set up like Kiva, where you get to loan money to individuals and when they repay it, you can choose another person to loan too. It is a very wonderful feeling getting to look through different people and finding one that you want to support. Here is a lovely video by them explaining how they work:<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="302" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/2769845?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/2769845">A Fistful Of Dollars: The Story of a Kiva.org Loan</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/kieranball">Kieran Ball</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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So if you want to vote for this one to be my choice of the week, comment below and let me know. This week I am doing contest and will give $25 to whichever post gets the most comments through out the week. :-) Details <a href="http://changeyoucanafford.blogspot.com/2011/01/microfinance-week.html">here</a>.~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-21311421028463718002011-01-24T12:58:00.000-08:002011-01-24T12:58:51.097-08:00Microfinance weekThis week I want to focus on microfinance programs, however, due to the way these organization function giving them a dollar would be near useless. Instead I will be giving $25 to one of the microlending program which I write about this week and y'all get to choose which one.<br />
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I will write about five different microlending programs throughout the week. When you like the organization or their work you can leave a comment, which will count as one vote for that organization and the organization which receives the most comments will be the winner. You can only vote once for each organization, but you can vote multiple times throughout the week. In the event of a tie, I get to choose the organization. The voting will be closed at noon Pacific Standard Time on Saturday, so don't forget to vote and check back throughout the week.<br />
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Any questions, just leave a comment below. :-)~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-87276549776247408862011-01-23T19:28:00.000-08:002011-01-23T19:28:59.455-08:00Sunday Suggestions!This week I was thinking of focusing on different micro loaning programs. I have two or three in mind, but if you know of any, please let me know. :-)<br />
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Thanks and hope everyone had a great weekend.~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-2548302657787418962011-01-21T17:00:00.000-08:002011-01-21T17:00:34.213-08:00WaterIn many area's of the globe access to clean drinking water is one of the most important issues. Which is why today I am giving to <a href="http://thewaterproject.org/">The Water Project</a>.<br />
<ul><li>"Nearly 1 billion people don't have safe water to drink.</li>
<li>A child dies every 15 seconds from a lack of clean water.</li>
<li>1 in 4 children who die before age 5 worldwide, die of a water related disease.</li>
<li>Children often walk miles every day to collect dirty water to drink.</li>
<li>You can change that for only $10 per person!"</li>
</ul>Drinking dirty water can be very bad for people's health. It is vitally important in order for a community to thrive that it have access to clean and safe drinking water. I hope you will help.~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-4643232541170763082011-01-20T10:04:00.000-08:002011-01-20T10:04:18.457-08:00Children's SmilesOne of the sweetest things in our world is children's laughter and their smile. I know I have spent too much time watching a video of a laughing baby on YouTube. In fact I will share that with you now. :-)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="youtube-player" frameborder="0" height="401" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cXXm696UbKY" title="YouTube video player" type="text/html" width="495"></iframe><br />
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Every time I watch it I can help but smile and giggle along with that little child, especially when he starts laughing before ripping the paper - he knows what is about to happen. It puts me in a better frame of mind every time. Which is why today I today I decided to support <a href="http://www.operationsmile.org/">Operation Smile</a>, every child deserves to have a beautiful smile and they help with this.<br />
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The organizations goal is to help those who are born with a <a href="http://www.operationsmile.org/about_us/who-we-are/cleft-lip-and-cleft-palate.html">cleft condition</a> that makes it hard for many of them to eat, speak, socialize, or smile. It requires surgery to fix it and in many places the parents can't afford that surgery, which is where Operation Smile comes in, they help these children live a normal life by giving them the ability to smile naturally. "Since 1982, Operation Smile — through the help of dedicated medical volunteers — has provided free surgeries to children around the world. As one of the most prominent children’s charities in the world and with a presence in over 50 countries, we are able to heal children’s smiles and bring hope for a better future."<br />
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I'm a bit of a sucker for charities that work with and for children, if you hadn't noticed already, and this one really is a great organization and has received many awards in honor of their service around the globe. Because I missed a post, I went ahead and wrote a second post for y'all today...let me know what you think of this organization.<br />
<span></span>~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-49773078306843946082011-01-20T09:42:00.000-08:002011-01-20T09:42:42.248-08:00Toys for ChildrenFirst off, I apologize for the missing posts, but I was definitely feeling under the weather. Still not feeling 100% but am almost their. :-)<br />
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Today, I will be talking about <a href="http://www.childsplaycharity.org/index.php">Child's Play Charity</a>. This is a charity whose mission is to donate gaming systems, games, and toys to hospitals and children who are at the hospitals. I remember when my brother was in the hospital when we were younger, he was only allowed one stuffed animal (their fur and stuff attracts germs, not good, and I don't remember them having games like this. I'm sure that having Playstations or Wiis for the children to play with would be wonderful and keep them from being bored and unhappy in the hospital.<br />
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While the majority of the hospitals are located in the USA, they also have hospitals in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the United Kingdom, and one in Egypt; they are expanding as they find people willing to help organize with hospitals around the world. "With over 70 partner hospitals and more arriving every year, you can be sure to find one from the map above that needs your help! You can choose to purchase requested items from their online retailer wish lists, or make a cash donation that helps out Child’s Play partners everywhere. Any items purchased through Amazon will be shipped directly to your hospital of choice, so please be sure to select their shipping address rather than your own."<br />
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You can help wither through donating money to the organization, to a hospital to purchase needed items, or purchasing items from their wishlist and shipping them via Amazon. They try to keep their administrative costs as low as possible, often being only 2-3% of their over all budget, but "there is a slight administrative cost that does get paid for with donations (for example, shipping $200,000 worth of Nintendo DS’ to dozens of hospitals worldwide is not free, sadly)." They do try to keep the costs as low as possible, by not having lots of staff or big offices that they think are unnecessary.<br />
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You can also help this charity through <a href="http://givingworks.ebay.com/">Giving Works</a>, a program of Ebay where people can sell items and have the proceeds be donated to a charity. You can also search for sales benefiting charities you like and purchase those items to support your charity. Its a pretty interesting concept, but I haven't used it, If you have or someone you know has let me know what you think. :-)<br />
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Well, that is today's post. I like this organization because I think it is important to remember that children need more than just medicine or research on illnesses, if they are sick they need to be entertained and happy which is what <a href="http://www.childsplaycharity.org/index.php">Child's Play Charity</a> does for kids in the hospital. :-)~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-62043855448091674532011-01-18T22:01:00.001-08:002011-01-18T22:01:11.353-08:00Ugh...Today's blog post was cancelled due to the fact that halfway through the day I started feeling like crap. My apologies, I will try to make more effort to have post ready to go for days when I feel sick in the future and I will write an extra post tomorrow.~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-23314594494353977222011-01-17T15:56:00.000-08:002011-01-17T16:00:58.256-08:00Martin Luther King Jr. DayIt's MLK Day and I was trying to think of what I could write that would pay adequate tribute to him. And I realized that his message was and still is so important for our society, so instead of trying and, potentially, failing, I will quote Martin Luther King himself.<br />
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"Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.<br />
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And include the video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIFTNmOOLmk&feature=player_embedded">Ten OTHER Things Martin Lurther King Said</a> by <a href="http://www.illdoctrine.com/">Jay Smooth of Ill Doctrine</a>. Because "at this time of year we always hear the same 2 or 3 MLK clips over and over, but there was much more to the man. So here are ten of my favorite quotes from MLK that aren't heard as often."<br />
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<object height="400" width="500"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AIFTNmOOLmk?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AIFTNmOOLmk?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="400"></embed></object><br />
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Just listen to the wisdom of Martin Luther King and reflect on what we all can do individually and together to create progress for all of us. And consider what you can do to help end racism, classism, and sexism - whether they effect you or not. Being conscious that these issues still exist is not enough if we do nothing to change the status quo. Because, as <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1260800/quotes">Dr. Horrible states</a>, "Destroying the status quo because the status is not quo."<br />
<br />
Have a great day everyone and remember all that Martin Luther King, Jr. accomplished for our society, as well as remember his dream and continue working towards it.~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-81160722098454414392011-01-16T12:03:00.000-08:002011-01-16T12:03:47.175-08:00Sunday Suggestions!Hello All,<br />
<br />
Today is a chance to give suggestions on organization which you think are awesome and do good work. It is also a chance to give any feedback you might have on the blog. Thanks!<br />
<br />
P.S. My godmother once quipped, that a blog was not official unless it had cat pictures. So, just for her, here is a picture of my cat playing in some paper. :-)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dRNozWFEIUo/TTNO3n0ZEPI/AAAAAAAAABw/q03aYlETpnc/s1600/PA230002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dRNozWFEIUo/TTNO3n0ZEPI/AAAAAAAAABw/q03aYlETpnc/s320/PA230002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-76829242141887189732011-01-15T16:50:00.000-08:002011-01-15T16:51:11.031-08:00Help Vs. Charity<dl class="avatar-comment-indent" id="comments-block" style="font-family: inherit;"><dt class="comment-author " id="c2741665046042985820"><span style="font-size: small;">This last week, I had an interesting comment on my <a href="http://changeyoucanafford.blogspot.com/2011/01/prosthetics-in-india.html">Prosthetics in India</a> post relating to the <a href="http://www.jaipurfoot.org/default.asp">Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti</a> - a charity who manufactures and provides prostheses for disadvantaged individuals in India. They are one of the most impressive organizations I have seen recently, very impressed by them; if you haven't read the post yet, you should read it or check out the website.</span></dt>
<dt class="comment-author " id="c2741665046042985820"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </dt>
<dt class="comment-author " id="c2741665046042985820"><span style="font-size: small;">One of the aspects which I appreciated was their <a href="http://www.jaipurfoot.org/03_mgt_whatisourhumansocial.asp">philosophy on helping</a>. One aspect of which was:</span><span class="visitorviewr" style="font-size: small;"> "HELP NOT CHARITY</span><span style="font-size: small;"> - while the assistance is being given free it is ensured that BMVSS, its donors and its beneficiaries recognize such assistance as help and not Charity. Psychologically it is recognized that assistance given as charity demeans both the giver and the taker. The recipient particularly looses his self-respect. The constant effort of BMVSS is that the support given is treated as one provided to a brethren rather than a charity to a poor person."</span></dt>
<dt class="comment-author " id="c2741665046042985820"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></dt>
<dt class="comment-author " id="c2741665046042985820"><span style="font-size: small;">I got the following comment relating to this point from Maureen "Yes, help not charity! Thanks for putting into words what I had been thinking." My quick reply was "I use the word charity a lot on this blog, but I get so frustrated by that. Because it takes a way a person's autonomy. It implies they could do nothing without our help, but that's not so, the important thing is how much they can do with a bit of assistance. None of us would get anywhere without some help from someone along the way..." </span></dt>
<dt class="comment-author " id="c2741665046042985820"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></dt>
<dt class="comment-author " id="c2741665046042985820"><span style="font-size: small;">But I keep have been thinking about this a bit more and wondering how this impacts my blog. How do I go about donating money to organizations without supporting organizations who merely give food. Do I emphasize the helping aspect and stay away from the word charity?</span></dt>
<dt class="comment-author " id="c2741665046042985820"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </dt>
<dt class="comment-author " id="c2741665046042985820"><span style="font-size: small;">I remember when I was younger and learning about the work of <a href="http://www.heifer.org/">Heifer International</a>, the volunteer explained it using the old phrase - Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for life. The idea behind this phrase has always appealed to me. Rather than giving someone food, organizations can help them have a livelihood. Giving them chickens will give their family sustenance from the eggs and they can earn money by selling the extras. Or help someone to become mobile again with protheses and aids so they can work to help support themselves and their family.</span></dt>
<dt class="comment-author " id="c2741665046042985820"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </dt>
<dt class="comment-author " id="c2741665046042985820"><span style="font-size: small;">Merely giving charity and giving food does not alleviate the problem, it makes them dependent on you. And while it is nice to help someone, wouldn't it be nicer to give someone a chance at self sufficiency? When I think about charities, programs which do this are the ones who truly appeal to me. Ones that work with a community to improve it long term, instead of just bringing aid by now and again.</span></dt>
<dt class="comment-author " id="c2741665046042985820"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </dt>
<dt class="comment-author " id="c2741665046042985820"><span style="font-size: small;">Maybe we need a different word than charity, one which addresses the idea of helping others, without the connotations of that other person being helpless. If you have suggestions, let me know. And as always, please comment and leave your thoughts.</span></dt>
<dt class="comment-author " id="c2741665046042985820"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </dt>
<dt class="comment-author " id="c2741665046042985820"><span style="font-size: small;">Thanks all, and while you are enjoying your three day weekend, remember Martin Luther King and all he stood for, as well as how far we still have to go to make his dream fully a reality.</span></dt>
</dl>~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-12305889223087994582011-01-14T23:13:00.000-08:002011-01-14T23:13:04.290-08:00Rebuilding HaitiI wanted to highlight another organization which I think is doing good work in Haiti and that is <a href="http://architectureforhumanity.org/">Architects for Humanity</a>. They have been working on rebuilding the infrastructure of Haiti, including many schools. They are working on <a href="http://architectureforhumanity.org/node/1318">a number of projects in Haiti currently</a>.<br />
<br />
I think this is very important as their are still over a million people living in temporary camps, under tarps and sheeting, without adequate protection from the weather or a safe pace to store their belongings. What I really like about this organization is that they do not just build a building without thinking it through. They focus on thoughtful design, with an emphasis on: "Alleviating poverty and providing access to water, sanitation, power and essential services, Bringing safe shelter to communities prone to disaster and displaced populations, Rebuilding community and creating neutral spaces for dialogue in post-conflict areas, Mitigating the effects of rapid urbanization in unplanned settlements, Creating spaces to meet the needs of those with disabilities and other at-risk populations, (and) Reducing the footprint of the built environment and addressing climate change." I really appreciate an organization that worry about the larger impact of their projects and try to help rebuild Haiti in a conscientiousness manner. <br />
<br />
In addition, they are a <a href="http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=11671">four star charity according to Charity Navigator</a>.~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-18034608361289352572011-01-13T10:02:00.000-08:002011-01-13T10:59:06.650-08:00Haiti and Partners in HealthI have talked about <a href="http://www.pih.org/content/main/">Partners in Health</a> in health previously <a href="http://changeyoucanafford.blogspot.com/2010/08/haitian-inspiration.html">(Haitian Inspiration)</a>, I think they are my favorite organization working in Haiti and one of my favorite charities overall. One of the reasons, is that they seem to actually engage with the communities they are helping, not dictate, and truly understand their needs. They have been in Haiti helping for decades and really stepped it up after the earthquake to provide even more help to the people of Haiti. Here is a video of talking about the current situation in haiti and what needs to be done.<br />
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<br />
Their <a href="http://standwithhaiti.org/haiti/main">Stand With Haiti</a> page is full of information on the work they are doing in Haiti and the work that still needs to be done. They have released a one year later report and in their summary they discuss their <a href="http://standwithhaiti.org/haiti/one-year/stand-with-haiti-fund">“Stand with Haiti” plan</a> to help "Haiti recover and rebuild over the long term (...). Key elements of the plan include: <br />
<ul><li><a href="http://standwithhaiti.org/haiti/one-year/care-in-the-camps">providing comprehensive primary health care</a> to more than 100,000 people living in four of the spontaneous settlements of tarps, tents, and makeshift shanties that have sprung up in Port-au-Prince;</li>
<li><a href="http://standwithhaiti.org/haiti/one-year/expanding-comprehensive-health-services">expanding clinical and social support services</a> at our network of hospitals and health centers in the Central Plateau and Lower Artibonite to meet the needs of tens of thousands of people displaced by the earthquake and the communities that have taken them in;</li>
<li><a href="http://standwithhaiti.org/haiti/one-year/strengthening-specialty-services">strengthening specialized medical services</a> for which the earthquake had greatly increased a widespread, long-standing, and frequently unmet need, including surgery, rehabilitative medicine, and mental health;</li>
<li><a href="http://standwithhaiti.org/haiti/one-year/rebuilding-the-public-health-system">rebuilding and reinforcing the public health</a> and health professional education systems in Haiti."</li>
</ul>These are all very important issues to address and fix, they have always been focused on health and the country has to have a health system to combat illnesses so that people are able to rebuild their country. Also Haiti had one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean and it is very important that those people receive their medication in a timely manner and from good facilities, and the previous clinincs run by Partners in Health were some of the best in the country, to my knowledge.<br />
<br />
Another factor which is really important in their success, and one of the reasons I like this organization, is that they try to engage with the local community through employing the Haitian people, it "strengthens public institutions and governance, and works not just to repair the damage caused by the earthquake, but also to address the extreme poverty and lack of infrastructure that greatly worsened the disaster’s impact and weakened the country’s ability to respond." By giving Haitian's paid employment in their hospitals and building their hospitals, not only are they rebuilding school and infrastructure, but also the countries economy. Giving a person a job might be one of the best, and simplest, humanitarian approaches to rebuilding the country, because it allows peoples to care for themselves and their families and gives them a sense of self worth again. I imagine, it must be very disheartening to have so little one can do to change your circumstances and to rely on others for everything, being able to work again must be very rewarding and helps the economy of the country recover. <br />
<br />
I hope you enjoyed hearing about the work of <a href="http://standwithhaiti.org/haiti/main">Partners in Health in Haiti</a> and that you will consider helping them as well. Real quick, I wanted to point out the fact that they are a<a href="http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=4884"> four star charity from Charity Navigator</a> and 94.7% of their expenses goes to program expenses, which is just amazing for a charity whose headquarters are located in the USA, so they really focus on getting their money to the programs that are on the ground helping people around the world.~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-80976576574263844082011-01-12T17:30:00.000-08:002011-01-12T17:30:33.517-08:00Haiti: A Year LaterHey all,<br />
<br />
I decided to do a second post today, because it is the one year anniversary of the Haitian earthquake. While there was immense support of the Haitian people, the devastation caused by that tragedy was so monumental that it will be years before the economy and people fully recover. There are still millions of people living under tents, inadequate access to food for many, and little work for people. These, and others, are all very serious issues and need to be addressed.<br />
<br />
However, the issue I want to discuss today is the<a href="http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/report/haiti-sexual-violence-against-women-increasing-2011-01-06"> increase in rapes, violence, and sexual abuse of women in Haiti</a>.This is especially heartbreaking if you think about the situation of these women; they are living in makeshift camps, the majority of most people have lost members of their family, if they had business or a livelihood the quakes destroyed it... These women lost their loved ones, homes, and business all in one swoop and know face the constant threat of violence and being violated. <br />
<br />
"More than 250 cases of rape in several camps were reported in the first 150 days after January’s earthquake" according to the Amnesty International report, <a href="http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR36/001/2011/en"><em><strong>Aftershocks: Women speak out against sexual violence in Haiti’s camps</strong></em></a>. The report goes into more depth than the first link in the story, so if you want the long version download the report. The report also has the stories from some women impacted by this violence in their own words, which can be difficult to read, but I think it is important to <br />
<br />
The women's safety and sanctity of their bodies is not a priority of the government and that has to change in order for women to be free from the constant possibility of violence. "“There has been a complete breakdown in Haiti’s already fragile law and order system since the earthquake with women living in insecure overcrowded camps,” said Gerardo Ducos. “There is no security for the women and girls in the camps. They feel abandoned and vulnerable to being attacked. Armed gangs attack at will; safe in the knowledge that there is still little prospect that they will be brought to justice.”"<br />
<br />
The report is calling for the new government to work with humanitarian agencies to develop a plan to address the violence women are facing, they also stat that "women in the camps must be fully involved in developing any such plan. Immediate steps include improving security in the camps and to ensure police are able to respond effectively and that those responsible are prosecuted."<br />
<br />
From the report, it was made clear that the police do not bother to investigate or prosecute rapists properly, instead of being ignored as cases are currently.<br />
<br />
A survivor of the violence and an advocate for change says it better than I can. In an address to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Malya Villard-Apollon, leader of the Commission of Women Victims for Victims (KOFAVIV):<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">“I am a leader of KOFAVIV, a grass-roots women’s organization that works with victims of sexual violence. I, myself, was a victim of rape in 1992 and again in 2003.<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span>I live in a tent in a camp. I have witnessed violence against women and girls. And, I have also witnessed the completely inadequate government response. KOFAVIV has recorded at least 242 cases of rape since the earthquake. But, we have yet to see a case prosecuted…<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span>Voices like mine are often not heard in forums like these…”</div><br />
<br />
<br />
We owe it to Malya and the hundreds, if not thousands, of other victims to support the organizations like <a href="http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/report/haiti-sexual-violence-against-women-increasing-2011-01-06">Amnesty International</a> who are supporting the the women on the ground.~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-70815923251310434732011-01-12T09:38:00.000-08:002011-01-12T09:38:52.878-08:00And a few more prosthesesObviously, I really like the charities that distribute and make prostheses around the globe, I think it is because the organizations are helping people to be whole again and to be able to support themselves. It is the opposite of some charities which bring food and just hang out food. Rather it enables people who have been disabled, often landmines or other war related issues, to work again and care for themselves. I imagine it to be a transformative moment in their life and I want to support organizations that support getting people prostheses and care.<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Today we will be talking about <a href="http://www.limbsofhope.org/index.html">Limbs of Hope</a> and their mission: "</span><span style="font-size: small;">The collection of prostheses, both new and used, to be distributed to those in need. Provision of recreational opportunities for amputees with emphasis placed on individuals in developing countries. Funding construction on sufficient rehabilitation clinics and also improving existing clinics. (...) We are working to become established throughout the world, that we might become a permanent force in the war against human suffering. The Limbs of Hope Foundation is composed of volunteers who strongly support our cause. With help, we are capable of changing the world for the better. In these times of fear and instability, we choose to offer a ray of light, a limb of hope…"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>They accomplish their mission through four different programs. Project Limbs aims towards fundraising for new prostheses and rebuilds used prostheses for new recipients, as well as medical referrals and financial assistance. Project Hope (Helping Others Play Equally) provides sports/recreational opportunities by creating more places to play and distributing equipment, hoping to help improve self-esteem as well. The third project is Project Foundation, which is focused on improving existing clinics and constructing new rehabilitation clinics. Their last project is Camp Amp, which is a summer camp for those who have experienced the loss of a limb and is meant to be both a fun recreational time as well as to help counsel those who are struggling, they want to have financial aid available so that any who wants to attend can.<br />
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<br />
Their website is not specific about exactly where they run programs except it does say in over fourteen countries, including photos on their site showing a program in Cambodia. While I would like more information on their website, what I do see I approve of and support.~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-6808977510074744532011-01-11T14:05:00.000-08:002011-01-11T14:05:27.546-08:00And even more prosthetics!Yesterday's post was so inspiring to me, I immediately googled other charities doing similar work out of curiosity at how they function. And, of course, I liked some of them, so I have to share them with you. Today I am focusing on <a href="http://www.sandygallsafghanistanappeal.org/home.htm">Sandy Gall's Afghanistan Appeal</a>, an organization who works to provide prosthetic's and other aids for over 20,000 patients and therapy for over 50,000. The 25 years of warfare that has plagued the area has created many people in need of the a prosthetic limb.<br />
<br />
The charity focuses are: "to treat the disabled people of Afghanistan by the provision of prostheses, orthoses and physiotherapy care; to train students in these professions to carry out the work themselves; to prevent further disability and promote better referral in the local community by providing health education and disability awareness information; to upgrade the skills of the technicians already trained with further education and to provide administrative training and management courses for senior staff."<br />
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For those of you who do not understand the impact warfare can have on a population, I have included a link to an article discussing the <a href="http://members.iinet.net.au/%7Epictim/mines/victims/victim.html">impact of landmines</a>, which are present in Afghanistan as well. To truly understand the horror of landmines, one needs to read about it and see the pictures of victims. Warfare causes so many horrifying issues, even in areas where the fighting is over, there are huge amounts of land that still have landmines from previous wars.<br />
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Any cause which helps victims of such a horrible event should be supported. If you know of other organizations that do work like this, please let me know, I would love to feature them as well.<br />
<div id="content"><br />
</div>~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-21721829065993774432011-01-10T23:10:00.000-08:002011-01-10T23:10:55.405-08:00Prosthetics in IndiaToday we are focusing on amazing organization in India, the <a href="http://www.jaipurfoot.org/default.asp">Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) or the Jaipur Foot Organization</a>. They are the largest organization working to fit those who have been handicapped with artificial limbs and calipers. The organization focuses on providing "all the artificial limbs, calipers, crutches, ambulatory aids like wheelchairs, hand paddled tricycles and other aids and appliances <strong>totally free of charge</strong> to the physically challenged." The average cost of a limb is $35, compared to the $8,000 in cost in the USA (according to the <a href="http://www.jaipurfoot.org/default.asp">BMVSS</a> website). This organization fits over 17,000 - 20,000 artificial limbs a year; they have sixteen branches and run over 40 mobile fitment camps to reach the disadvantaged in the distant areas of India, as well as running some programs in Asia and Africa.<br />
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While this work is extremely valuable, I think it is more their social outlook and policies that I approve of and really value. "The first and the foremost concern of <a href="http://www.jaipurfoot.org/default.asp">BMVSS</a> is that the dignity and self respect of the patients must be maintained and if possible enhanced:<br />
<ul><li><strong><span class="visitorviewr">FREE ASSISTANCE</span></strong>:- The assistance in form of limbs, Calipers, and other aids & appliances are being given totally FREE OF CHARGE. At times we face criticism for pursuing this policy. The argument is that if any assistance is given free it is not appreciated, but our situation is that almost 90% of our patients are below poverty line and cannot even pay 5% of our cost of appliances incurred by us. By insisting the payment of even US$ 2 or Rs. 80/- from the patients would literally tantamount to their being told that since they do not have even this small amount they must get out. BMVSS being a social organization cannot subscribe to or become a part of such an in-compassionate system. For BMVSS money is not the measure of everything.</li>
<li><strong><span class="visitorviewr">HELP NOT CHARITY</span></strong>:- while the assistance is being given free it is ensured that BMVSS, its donors and its beneficiaries recognize such assistance as help and not Charity. Psychologically it is recognized that assistance given as charity demeans both the giver and the taker. The recipient particularly looses his self-respect. The constant effort of BMVSS is that the support given is treated as one provided to a brethren rather than a charity to a poor person.</li>
<li><strong><span class="visitorviewr">EQUALITY</span></strong>:- The assistance is being provided without any distinction of caste, creed, religion or region. Among our other beneficiaries are Hindus (including Scheduled Castes and Tribes), Muslims Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis and others. Handicapped persons from all parts of the country visit our centers. Our centers at Jaipur and other places have been described as ‘mini-India’ with all its diversity and underlying unity.</li>
<li><strong class="visitorviewr">PROPER TREATMENT </strong> - Patients are treated with respect as human beings. They are attended to individually and cordially."</li>
</ul><br />
Their patients will be treated with respect, do not need to schedule in advance, are fed and housed until their prosthetic can be fitted and <span class="hilight_text_red">the administrative cost of <a href="http://www.jaipurfoot.org/default.asp">BMVSS</a> has been worked out to be only 4%, (amazing compared to to 30 to 50 % I see in many organizations. To be completely honest, I am very impressed with this organization; they seem to be doing an amazing job of helping individuals without disempowering them and doing it in an extremely cost effective manner. This is an organization that has completely blown me away. On every page of their website I found more to like about this organization. I know I talk like this about every charity, but this one really stands out of the many organizations I have seen. I can't imagine an organization in the USA could operate anywhere even close to that low a number, unless all its staff were volunteers. Just an all around amazing group.... I hope you agree and will donate to them as well.</span><br />
<span class="hilight_text_red"><strong><br />
</strong></span><br />
<span class="hilight_text_red"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">While looking them up, I found an article discussing a collaboration between the<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1596788754"> </a></span></strong></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1596788754">Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahyata Samiti </a><span class="hilight_text_red"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.jaipurfoot.org/default.asp">or the Jaipur Foot Organization</a> and MIT Engineering students. The students are working with the organization in order to make the fitment more precise, as well as design machines that are hand powered, which means they could work in the remotest villages of India. The people at the charity are too busy to refine their designing process, they are always working on fitting more individuals for prosthetics, but the students got a grant to support their work and they will be field testing their design this summer. If you want to read about their work, here is<a href="http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/itw-jaipur-tt0305.html"> an MIT article about the student project.</a> Enjoy.</span></strong></span><br />
<br />
<span class="hilight_text_red"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Please consider supporting this amazing, amazing charity. </span></strong></span>~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-42708492563785297852011-01-09T09:00:00.000-08:002011-01-09T09:00:05.327-08:00Sunday Suggestions!Good morning,<br />
<br />
Happy Sunday! Today is our first of our suggestion Sunday's, so I am counting on y'all to make it an awesome beginning to this section. Let me know of any events I should commemorate with a blog post. Or an amazing charity that you want to share with me or some ideas for the blog, just share them below.<br />
<br />
Thanks!~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4908957320959528501.post-21541455173684328362011-01-08T23:02:00.000-08:002011-01-08T23:02:46.230-08:00Thanks to my readers!Hello, my lovely readers,<br />
<br />
You all are wonderful and really make me happy that you continue to read my blog and encourage me to keep at it. Doing this blog and trying to change others lives really puts my own life into perspective and I really value that. I have been volunteering in one form or another almost constantly since high school and I have always enjoyed it. This blog is satisfying in a completely different manner from that experience, which I think that has its upside and its downsides. <br />
<br />
The obvious upside is that I am helping people I have never and am unlikely to meet. We will never know one another, but I hope I affect their lives in positive ways. And perhaps they in turn will have the opportunity to affect others lives in a positive way. However, blogging about charity is extremely solitary. It is me sitting by myself, finding charities on the web and then donating to them. I worry that this makes me a bit removed from what I am doing. It is extremely easy for me to merely focus on issues which appeal to me and not learn about new causes or issues.<br />
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So, I am counting on you, my readers, to challenge me by calling new organizations, causes and issues to my attention. For example, a friend was telling me about an organization which gives old prosthetics to people in the Global South, who might not otherwise have access to them, and another friend was telling me about a charity organized by gamers who give toys to children in hospitals. These both sound amazing and I will feature them in the next week.<br />
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Hope you enjoyed the sneak peak for the upcoming week and my thoughts on my blog. Please tell me about your thoughts on this post and my blog, I love hearing your comments and feedback.<br />
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:-)~Betahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11851442193784841280noreply@blogger.com0