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Five Organizations Helping Women in Developing Countries

Organizations Helping Women in Developing CountriesMen, women and children in developing countries face many common struggles. But women living in poverty must also contend with their own set of unique challenges, such as sexual violence and educational discrimination. Ahead are five organizations helping women in developing countries.

 

  1. The Malala Fund
    Founded by the international human rights icon Malala Yousafzai, the Malala Fund is one of the most famous organizations helping girls and women get an education in developing countries. The Malala Fund works directly with girls in local communities to advocate for their education. Donations to the fund are used to invest in schools and supplies, as well as place activists and educators in the girls’ communities. The organization primarily helps girls in Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and countries housing Syrian refugees such as Lebanon and Jordan.
  2. PERIOD
    Taboos and traditions surrounding menstruation pose a significant health threat to women and girls in many developing countries. Just last month, a Nepali teenager died while observing her culture’s tradition of separating menstruating women from their families in “menstrual huts.” PERIOD is a nonprofit working to break the taboo around periods through advocacy and education. It also distributes period products to women in need.
  3. The Orchid Project
    Female genital cutting is a devastating practice that many women undergo in developing regions such as West Africa. The Orchid Project is one of many organizations working to end this human rights violation. This organization raises awareness of this damaging tradition and advocates for more resources for its victims. They also partner with grassroots organizations to educate local communities about the misconceptions and dangers surrounding FGC in order to end this dangerous practice.
  4. Prajwala
    Prajwala, which means “eternal flame,” is an Indian organization founded by social activist Dr. Sunitha Krishnan. The nonprofit rescues victims of sex trafficking. Prajwala works to keep these women out of prostitution by providing them with education, mental health care and job training.
  5. Women for Women
    Conflict disproportionately occurs in developing regions, and women are often the overlooked victims of this violence. Women for Women is a nonprofit that provides women in conflict zones with an empowerment program. The program equips women with business skills, job skills and networking opportunities. Women for Women also provides women in conflict zones with resources such as microfinancing and access to local healthcare sources.

Women in developing countries have their own special needs beyond challenges such as hunger and health problems. These are just a few of the many organizations helping women in the developing world.

– Bret Serbin

Photo: Flickr

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Four Organizations Providing Free Education in Africa

Free Education in AfricaThroughout sub-Saharan Africa, upwards of five million children are left without traditional education due to poverty, unrest and civil turmoil. Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest rate of primary school enrollment in the world, with 34 million primary age children living in the region not in school.

Without access to education, these children mature without many options for their future, allowing the cycle of poverty to continue in countries such as Ghana, Gambia and the Congo. In response to this, several organizations have put forth different efforts to deliver quality education where little is available. Across different platforms, including online curricula, these organizations are innovating to establish programs for free education in Africa.

  1. The Vodafone Foundation is a nonprofit that seeks to resolve the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges using communication technologies. In June 2017, the foundation launched Instant Schools For Africa, a program providing free access to quality education materials online in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Lesotho, Mozambique and Tanzania.Vodafone distributes online learning materials such as specialized tablets, with zero mobile data charges to encourage widespread use of its curriculum. Outside of the Instant Schools for Africa initiative, the Foundation is working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to connect young refugees to its growing Instant Network Schools program. As part of the mission of delivering free education in Africa, the Foundation aims to help three million young refugees by 2025.
  2. The Children Reach Out Program is a Ugandan organization that provides free classes and workshops to urban Ugandan children, especially those at risk economically. From basic learning skills and hygiene to hands-on career guidance, the Children Reach Out Program goes beyond traditional schooling to help Ugandans in need.Since 2009, Children Reach Out has been an important presence providing education for children living on the outskirts of Kampala and other Ugandan cities.
  3. The Volta Aid Foundation is a non-governmental agency in Ghana that connects volunteer teachers and doctors to children that may be without proper educational opportunities or medical care.In addition to offering orphanage care throughout the Volta region of Ghana, the Foundation teaches math, English, and computer literacy to establish the building blocks for a promising future. In a country where only 65 percent of the adult population is literate, The Volta Aid Foundation is committed to making a difference.
  4. The Africa Hope Fund (AHF) has been providing free, quality education in Africa since 2009. AHF works on several different fronts such as sponsoring poor children to attend secondary school in Zambia, or issuing funding to build new classrooms, libraries and deliver school supplies across the continent. AHF also partners with smaller nonprofits that are just starting out in countries like Zimbabwe and Botswana to help them grow and reach as many children as possible.

In areas where basic amenities such as electricity and transportation are in question, expanding education is necessary to ensure that children have access to learn basic skills to build the foundation of prosperity. In delivering education to areas that lack infrastructure, these organizations are playing a crucial role in fighting global poverty. Through providing free education in Africa, these initiatives help prepare the next generation to take on the challenges of the future.

– Nicholas Dugan

Photo: Pixabay

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4 Organizations Ending Poverty Through Sport


While the Wimbledon Tennis Championship has just ended, some of the world’s best athletes’ work doesn’t end on the court. Martina Hingis, a 2017 winner of the Wimbledon Doubles league, has promoted and discussed her ‘fourth career’ as an ambassador for Right to Play. Right to Play is one of many nonprofit organizations promoting sports to empower and educate children from poor backgrounds. Here are four organizations ending poverty through sport:

  1. Ball to All
    Founded in Scottsdale, Arizona, Ball to All is an organization that provides soccer balls for underprivileged children. Founder Ori Eisen created the charity in 2003 after providing a friend, Nikolas Mangu, with five soccer balls before his travels back to his home country of Kenya. When Nikolas delivered the balls to a local school, the children celebrated the simple gift.Since the first delivery, Ball to All has delivered 9,426 balls to children of developing nations. Ball to All is one of the organizations ending poverty through sport by providing the basic tools for childhood development. Ball to All ambassadors believes that the organization provides children more than just a tool for play. They also believe, by taking part in sports, children are less likely to be negatively influenced by extremist groups, are made to feel important and are kept out of trouble.
  2. Peace Players International
    Peace Players International (PPI) uses basketball as a tool to provide unity, education, and inspiration to children around the world. The organization began in Northern Ireland to bridge the divides between religion, prejudice and racism through sport and create greater social cohesion. With great success, the organization spread to 15 countries by 2010 and provided specific programs for each local climate.In Jerusalem, where violence and political instability frequently reoccur, PPI uses sport to unite Arab and Jewish youth. However, in South Africa, the focus is more on providing safe and successful outcomes through sport for communities impacted by HIV/AIDS, drug and alcohol abuse or high unemployment.

    In a Sport for Development and Peace report, the U.N. states that for sports programs to be successful in creating change in developing countries, the sport must be all-inclusive. PPI does just that by focusing on the groups that would not usually have an opportunity to participate in sports leagues or groups that would not usually play together.

  3. Right to Play
    Johann Olav Koss, the four-time Olympic medalist, founded Right to Play in 2000. He was inspired by a humanitarian trip to Eritrea, where the children wanted the same as any other child: to play.The organization uses voluntary coaches to implement sports programs educating children about leadership, health issues and employment opportunities. The programs spread across 20 countries and tailor to the specific scenarios of each country.

    By introducing after-school programs to underprivileged areas, Right to Play improved school enrollment and attendance rates. In Rwanda, students who took part in Right to Play’s programs maintained a 95 percent attendance rate in school. With this and many other successes, several governments recognize Right to Play as one of the organizations ending poverty through sport.

    Every week, Right to Play reaches one million youths around the world with half of the children being young girls. By improving schooling outcomes and providing all-inclusive programs that close the gender gap, Right to Play improves opportunities for children in developing economies and promotes a healthy lifestyle.

  4. United Through Sport
    The U.K.-based charity United Through Sport focuses on development through sport. With programs in Africa, South America and upcoming in Asia, United Through Sport provides two main programs to underprivileged youth. The Mass Participation Program provides thousands of children the chance to play whilst promoting health and education. Further, the Schools of Excellence program offers top-level coaching and schooling necessary for aspiring athletes.With direct coaching, disadvantaged communities obtain health benefits, emotional development and life skills such as decision making and leadership. The organization also delivers an interactive curriculum through sport on serious topics affecting the communities involved. The organization has taught more than 100,000 hours of HIV and AIDS prevention through the sports curriculum. Additionally, by providing professional opportunities that would not otherwise be available to the individuals of the program, United Through Sport provides a pathway for dedicated participants to receive scholarships at top local and international schools.

    United Through Sport works with more than 56,000 children and 90% of participants of its programs saw academic improvements. The organization has proven to not only provide the basics of child development but also the tools to better the future economic success of the individuals involved. Through its programs, United Through Sport stands as one of the organizations ending poverty through sport.

Sport is being used as a tool for development. While Ball to All, PPI, Right to Play and United Through Sport can’t solve all the issues of developing countries, sport can create positive change. By educating the young and promoting equality for all genders, religions, and creeds, the organizations form inclusive economies. The United Nations has stated that sport is a human right and essential for childhood development. By using sport to reduce poverty, individuals of every age can lead a healthier and more fulfilling life.

– Tess Hinteregger

Photo: Flickr

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Four Ways Organizations Participate in World Population Day

World Population Day
Tuesday, July 11 was World Population Day, and leaders from around the globe met in London to review how much progress is being made in giving women deciding power in their pregnancies to meet global development goals.

Established as an observed day by the U.N. in 1990, World Population Day commemorates continuing efforts to empower women through gender equality initiative and access to safe contraceptives – both are tools to reduce global poverty.

July 11 also coincided with the 2017 Family Planning Summit, which was held in London and was organized by the United Nations Population Fund, the United Kingdom and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Here are four ways various countries and organizations observed World Population Day:

  1. The Central Luzon region of the Philippines commemorated the day by highlighting the importance of women’s empowerment as a benefit to communities. Activities and coordination with local government emphasized the importance of advocating for women’s choice in policymaking. Hamis Kigwangalla, Tanzania’s deputy minister of health, community development and gender, led the nation in observing WPD. The theme of the observance was the same theme as it was for the year: “Family Planning: Empowering People and Developing Nations.”Education on various contraceptive methods was provided, with an emphasis on family planning as a means of addressing health and rights for women at home and globally.
  2. The Girls Empowerment Movement (GEM) observed World Population Day in partnership with Good Food Brampton and IMPACT Leaders Fund on July 22. The organization hosted a workshop which educated participants on integrating sustainability into everyday life. According to its website, GEM connects youth in the Peel region of Canada to mentoring, leadership and empowerment opportunities.
  3. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation commemorated World Population Day by attending the Family Planning Summit in London. The summit stressed the importance of providing access to safe contraceptives to ensure that women are empowered to achieve greater stability, contribute towards global prosperity and increase their quality of life.“Longer-term, more innovative research and development need to be done to create new contraceptives that meet more of women’s needs,” Melinda Gates said in her speech at the summit.“If you put these innovations together, the future looks promising. Women get the contraceptives they need when they need them. As a result, they have more opportunities, raise healthy children, and build more prosperous families and communities,” Gates said.
  4. The Gambia also officially commemorated World Population Day with a meeting in Sanyang Village. The government placed an emphasis on the relationship between population and the reduction of poverty and national development. The event was organized with the participation of the Health Promotion Directorate and the United Nations Population Fund.

Providing women in developing countries with access to contraceptives empower them to be economically independent and contribute to global prosperity and development.

– Hannah Pickering

Photo: Flickr

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Five Organizations Promoting Education in Haiti

In the United States, public education is frequently taken for granted. The plethora of education choices we are afforded often blinds those with privilege from how fortunate they are. In developing countries such as Haiti, these options are non-existent. The following nonprofits and other organizations are promoting education in Haiti.

Education for Haiti
With only about nine percent of Haitian children graduating from high school, Education for Haiti sees it as vital to ensure that children stay in school. The founder, Richard Ireland, spent time in the Peace Corps working in Haiti and saw firsthand the lack of access to education. After identifying six families living in extreme poverty, he decided to pay their children’s tuition. Altogether the six families had 33 children that he was able to send to school.

This legacy carries on today as the organization continues to provide tuition assistance to children of Haiti. While six families were helped last year, the organization hopes to grow to help even more.

Global Partnership for Education
Global Partnership for Education focuses on education all over the world. Through a series of grants, this organization is affecting change in Haiti. The first grant awarded to Haiti lasted from 2010 to 2015 and was utilized to increase access to education, boost student performance and increase governance in the school system.

The second grant to promote education in Haiti, which is $24.1 million, is set to last from 2014 to 2018. This grant is more targeted at enrollment. This reached 102,000 students the first year and an additional 35,444 the following year. This program is a tuition assistance initiative aimed at reaching children who otherwise would not be able to afford a non-public education.

UNESCO
As the educational and cultural arm of the United Nations, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is renowned for its contributions to discovery and innovation around the world. Haiti is one of 181 countries in which UNESCO has created schools that are part of the Associated Schools Project Network.

With two primary schools, six secondary schools and 13 colleges, the organization is making notable changes in Haiti. The establishment of these schools not only bolsters Haiti but also helps the United Nations to reach the Education for Sustainable Development plan. These schools bring new perspectives based on innovation and experience.

Hope for Haiti
Like many nonprofits, Hope for Haiti focuses on more than one problem in Haiti, but education remains a key issue. Rather than focusing on ground-relief, it uses donations to power the organization and promote education in Haiti.

The nonprofit requires only $5 to provide school supplies to a student, and $100 can support an entire education. The scholarships provided to students through donations are able to change lives. One student, Marie Francelene, was able to attend nursing school through the organization’s assistance. Without Hope for Haiti, she would have been like thousands of other unfortunate students and unable to continue her education.

Haiti Foundation Against Poverty
The Haiti Foundation Against Poverty has narrowed its view to a specific area of Haiti. The United Nations labeled the slum Cite Soleil one of the most dangerous places in the world, but this label only encouraged the Foundation. In 2008, Les Bours School was opened on the outskirts of the notorious slum.

Les Bours School was established to promote education among the most disadvantaged children in Haiti. These are children living in unimaginable conditions surrounded by violence and gangs. The school created hope for these children’s futures. To continue this program, each student at Les Bours School is matched with a sponsor in order to continue funding.

These organizations promoting education in Haiti have left a substantial impact on the small island country, with every bit of aid making a big difference.

– Sophie Casimes

Photo: Flickr

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5 Organizations Fighting Famine in East Africa


According to U.N. Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Stephen O’Brien, the world faces its worst humanitarian crisis since World War II in the current famine affecting certain African and Middle Eastern countries. More than 20 million people in Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia and Nigeria are facing severe starvation and malnutrition. In addition to the U.N.’s push to mobilize aid to these countries, smaller organizations have made a concentrated effort to fight famine in East Africa.

5 Organizations Fighting Famine in East Africa

  1. Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) is a nonprofit organization focused on fighting global starvation, annually producing more than a million meals that are shipped to impoverished countries. FMSC operates in several locations around the Twin Cities, hosting volunteer meal preparation shifts six days a week. The current East African crisis has prompted FMSC to increase its efforts. The organization now aims to produce an additional 10 million meals to reduce starvation in Somalia.
  2. The Léger Foundation has been combatting global poverty and social exclusion for over 65 years. In June 2017, it joined Canada’s growing Famine Relief Fund, which focuses on providing aid to the millions of Africans affected by the famine. While currently responding to humanitarian demand in Cameroon, The Léger Foundation is expanding outreach to other countries afflicted by the famine including Nigeria and South Sudan. As a new member of the Famine Relief Fund, the foundation will see its donations doubled by Canada’s government through the end of June to support famine relief.
  3. SOS Children’s Villages is another member of the Famine Relief Fund dedicated to fighting famine in East Africa. SOS traditionally operates as a nonprofit centered on providing homes for orphaned and abandoned children and has built more than 550 children’s villages. These provide children with food, shelter, education and a family life. The recent famine has prompted SOS Children’s Villages to shift its focus to East Africa. Fundraising efforts are now aimed at alleviating food shortages caused by drought and subsequent livestock loss.
  4. Caritas Australia is a Catholic charity working to end poverty and facilitate global development for people of all backgrounds. Recently Caritas launched a program called Africa Emergency Appeal to mobilize its humanitarian network of partners to respond to the famine in East Africa. Caritas and its partner agencies currently provide local assistance in delivering clean water, sanitation supplies and food such as sugar, beans and maize flour.
  5. Save the Children is a British charity that promotes children’s rights and seeks to improve conditions for children globally through healthcare and education. In response to the famine in East Africa, Save the Children aims to reach children under the age of five and provide aid to those most at risk for malnutrition and diseases such as malaria. With humanitarian infrastructure already in place in the affected countries, Save the Children can turn its focus to fighting famine in ways such as increasing malnutrition screenings in Nigeria or distributing vouchers for supplies in Somalia.

These are just a few of the many organizations that have responded swiftly to the growing humanitarian crisis in Africa. While there is still need for further funding in these countries, these organizations are doing all they can to bring immediate relief and save lives.

– Nicholas Dugan

Photo: Flickr

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4 Girls’ Education Organizations That You Should Know About

4 Girls' Education Organizations That You Should Know AboutEducation inequality is an issue all around the globe, with many countries showing a disparity in literacy rates between men and women. The 1990 World Declaration on Education for All mandates gender equality and education as essential elements of an advanced world, but insufficient action has been taken to develop education systems according to these standards. Since then, many female-run, nonprofit girls’ education organizations have sprung up to create opportunities for women in developing countries.

The plight of many uneducated women in developing countries is a woeful one. Many face poverty, female genital mutilation and early marriage. Access to education opens doors for women, empowering them to provide for themselves and their families and enabling them to participate in politics and the working world. Below are four girls’ education organizations working actively to improve women’s lives.

4 Girls’ Education Organizations That You Should Know About

  1. Educate Girls: Educate Girls, an organization based in India, works with government schools to develop educational models and access in “educationally backward” areas of the country. Founded by Safeena Husain in 2007, the nonprofit seeks to grow and maintain enrollment rates among girls, partnering with organizations like UNICEF to address issues in specific school districts.The ultimate goal is to provide a quality education to 2.5 million girls, that they may acquire the skills and tools to participate in the workforce as adults.
  2. She’s the First: She’s the First (STF) was founded by Tammy Tibbetts and Christen Brandt in 2009 to help girls in developing countries complete their education. Based in New York City, its team helps girls to graduate high school by helping to cover tuition and boarding costs, as well as offering individual guidance and providing essential resources like uniforms and medicine.STF selects girls to support based on financial need and academic potential. It currently hosts 881 scholars, who, along with their mentors, make up a dynamic network of strong and supportive women.
  3. Camfed: Camfed, short for “Campaign for Female Education,” aims to reduce global poverty via education for girls. Founded by Ann Cotton in 1993, the nonprofit concentrates on rural regions of sub-Saharan Africa and provides support to individuals in need. Nearly two million students in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, and Ghana have attended school with Camfed’s help.Staunchly apolitical, the organization partners with government ministries and other nonprofits to create resources and awareness. In the long term, Camfed hopes to spark systemic change by molding strong female leaders.
  4. Forum for African Women Educationalists: The Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) is a pan-African nonprofit that encourages policy changes to make learning environments more accessible to girls. Partnering with government and private organizations across the continent, FAWE works to create community awareness and ensure equal treatment between boys and girls in school.FAWE has introduced a variety of educational models since its inception, including a 2007 gender-responsive pedagogy model tailored for teacher training colleges in Ethiopia, Senegal, and Tanzania. Their central objective is to seamlessly integrate women into the social and political fabric of their countries.

While there remains room for gender equality in schools to improve, these girls’ education organizations have made significant strides in creating access and increasing the quality of schooling for girls, an achievement that serves to develop the world as a whole.

– Madeline Forwerck

Photo: Flickr

15 Organizations Fighting Poverty in Developing Countries

15 Influential Organizations Committed to Fighting Poverty in Developing Countries Help
Naturally, The Borgen Project is our favorite organization fighting global poverty, but there are lots of amazing groups changing the world. Thanks to multilateral partnerships between nonprofit organizations, intergovernmental organizations and governments around the world, extreme poverty is down 50 percent since 1990. Below is a list of influential organizations that are fighting poverty in developing countries by working to better the lives of the world’s poor. This list is by no means exhaustive; this is just a sample of the exemplary organizations doing work in problem areas such as global health, water, sanitation, food, housing and education.

Top Organization Fighting Poverty in Developing Countries

  1. Oxfam: Oxfam is currently fighting poverty in developing countries by taking on issues of inequality, discrimination and unequal access to resources. The organization provides assistance during humanitarian crises. Oxfam is also very involved in educating the world’s poor about human rights and civic engagement in order to change the root causes of poverty at the political level.
  2. United Nations Development Program (UNDP): Founded on the belief that all people should have a chance to live with dignity, opportunity and safety, the UNDP helps countries develop policies. These lead to sustainable development, democratic governance, peace building and climate and disaster resilience. The UNDP is a giant agency that delegates country-specific activities and programs through its Resident Coordinator System with offices in 130 countries. The organization’s highest goal is to implement the Sustainable Development Goals in all countries of operation.
  3. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF): UNICEF fights for children’s rights and welfare by strengthening legislation and social services. Initiatives include early childhood development, nutrition, immunization, water, sanitation and hygiene, children with disabilities and education.
  4. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA): UNOCHA is responsible for coordinating humanitarian relief efforts during natural disasters and conflict, as well as raising awareness and encouraging involvement among U.N. member states.
  5. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA): The UN DESA creates and analyzes data pertaining to the economic and social aspects of sustainable development, which U.N. member states draw from when creating U.N. resolutions as well as drafting local policy plans in each respective home country. The UN DESA’s in-depth policy analysis has helped to resolve many of the world’s most pressing socioeconomic issues.
  6. The Borgen Project: The Borgen Project is an influential U.S.-based nonprofit fighting poverty in developing countries through civic engagement and education. The organization believes that developed countries have a moral obligation to help the world’s poor. The organization advocates on Capitol Hill for poverty reduction legislation, increasing the international affairs budget and making poverty reduction a primary focus of U.S. foreign policy.
  7. U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID): USAID facilitates development abroad by allocating the U.S. international aid budget toward projects that increase agricultural productivity, lower child mortality rates and deadly diseases, provide humanitarian assistance during a natural disaster and prolonged conflict, as well as promote democracy, economic growth, environmental resiliency and women’s empowerment.
  8. Overseas Development Institute (ODI): ODI is an independent think tank that researches a myriad of topics such as climate, energy, poverty and inequality. The institute’s goal is to facilitate international development by providing policy advice, consultancy services and training programs to fight poverty.
  9. Concern Worldwide: Concern Worldwide is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that fights poverty in developing countries by providing lifesaving humanitarian aid primarily focused on alleviating world hunger, increasing world health, and responding to emergencies and natural disasters.
  10. The Hunger Project: Two-thirds of the world’s illiterate population is female. Sixty percent of HIV/AIDS cases today affect women. The Hunger Project recognizes that poverty is sexist, and believes that empowering women is essential to ending world hunger and poverty. The project fights for clean drinking water, nutrition, and sanitation, as well as economic growth.
  11. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF): The BMGF has been instrumental in saving the lives of 122 million children since 1990. This is largely made possible through its efforts to increase access to healthcare and vaccinations, which have all but eradicated polio and halved malaria and tuberculosis rates around the world.
  12. World Bank Group: The World Bank Group is a crucial piece of our international development; it funds development projects around the world through traditional loans, interest-free credits and grants. The World Bank Group produces some of the world’s leading research and publications concerning development policies and programs. The group also offers policy advice, analysis and technical assistance to developing countries throughout the project application process.
  13. The Earth Institute: The Earth Institute is part of New York University and is directed by Jeffrey Sachs. It is comprised of two dozen research facilities in the fields of Earth and climate science, public health, economics, law, business and public policy. All of the organization’s research is focused on the future sustainability of our planet. The institute uses its research to develop policies and solutions to the world’s problems, especially in the areas of sustainable development and the alleviation of poverty.
  14. The Red Cross: The Red Cross in an international NGO that provides urgent assistance to those affected by disaster through vaccination campaigns, disaster preparedness and by reconnecting families separated by conflict and natural disasters.
  15. Engineers Without Borders (EWB): Engineers Without Borders is fighting poverty in developing countries by providing real-world engineering solutions to tough problems all over the world. Whether that be through increasing access to clean drinking water in rural communities or building roads and dams, EWB is committed to community-driven development by working alongside community members.

There are thousands of other organizations that are working to do their part on local and international scales. These groups are all increasing standards of living and fighting poverty in developing countries.

– Josh Ward

Photo: Flickr

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Organizations Fighting Poverty in Developing Countries


Thanks to multilateral partnerships between nonprofit organizations, intergovernmental organizations and governments around the world, extreme poverty has gone down by 50 percent since 1990. Here is a list of influential organizations that are working to better the lives of the world’s poor. This list is not exhaustive, and is merely a sample of some of the exemplary organizations doing work in problem areas such as global health, water, sanitation, food, housing and education.

Oxfam

Oxfam is currently fighting poverty in developing countries by taking on issues of inequality, discrimination and unequal access to resources. It provides assistance during humanitarian crises. Also, it is very involved in educating the world’s poor about human rights and civic engagement to change the root causes of poverty at the political level.

United Nations Development Program (UNDP)

Founded on the belief that all people should have a chance to live with dignity, opportunity and safety. The UNDP helps countries develop policies that lead to sustainable development, democratic governance, peace building, climate and disaster resilience. The UNDP is a giant agency that delegates country-specific activities and programs through its Resident Coordinator System (RCS) that has offices in 130 countries. The organization’s highest goal is to implement the Sustainable Development Goals in all countries of operation.

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

UNICEF fights for children’s rights and welfare by strengthening legislation and social services. Initiatives include early childhood development, nutrition, immunization, WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene), children with disabilities and education.

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA)

UNOCHA is responsible for coordinating humanitarian relief efforts during natural disasters and conflict. In addition, UNOCHA raises awareness and encourages involvement among U.N. member states of humanitarian crises.

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (U.N. DESA)

The U.N. DESA creates and analyzes data pertaining to the economic and social aspects of sustainable development. U.N. member states draw from these when creating U.N. resolutions as well as drafting local policy plans in their home countries. The U.N. DESA’s in-depth policy analysis has helped to resolve many of the world’s most pressing socioeconomic issues.

The Borgen Project

The Borgen Project is an influential U.S. nonprofit fighting poverty in developing countries through civic engagement and education. The organization believes that developed countries have a moral obligation to help the world’s poor. The organization advocates on Capitol Hill for poverty reduction legislation, increasing the international affairs budget and making poverty reduction a primary focus of U.S. foreign policy.

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

USAID facilitates development abroad by allocating the U.S. international aid budget towards projects that increase agricultural productivity, lower child mortality rates and deadly diseases, provide humanitarian assistance during natural disasters and prolonged conflict and promote democracy, economic growth, environmental resilience and women’s empowerment.

Overseas Development Institute (ODI)

ODI is an independent think tank that researches a myriad of topics from climate and energy to poverty and inequality. The Institute’s goal is to facilitate international development by providing policy advice, consultancy services and training programs to fight poverty.

Concern Worldwide

Concern Worldwide is a phenomenal non-government organization that is fighting poverty in developing countries by providing lifesaving humanitarian aid. This aid is primarily focused on elevating world hunger, increasing world health and responding to emergencies and natural disasters.

The Hunger Project

The Hunger Project recognizes that poverty is sexist. Two-thirds of the world’s illiterate population are female and 60 percent of HIV/AIDS cases today affect women. The Hunger Project believes that empowering women is essential to ending world hunger and poverty. It fights for clean drinking water, nutrition and sanitation as well as economic growth.

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)

The BMGF has been instrumental in saving the lives of 122 million children since 1990 largely through its efforts to increase access to health care and vaccinations, which have all but eradicated polio and halved rates of malaria and tuberculosis around the world.

World Bank Group

The World Bank Group funds development projects around the world through traditional loans, interest-free credits and grants. The World Bank Group also produces some of the world’s leading research and publications concerning development policies and programs. It offers policy advice, analysis and technical assistance to developing countries throughout the project application process as well.

The Earth Institute

The Earth Institute, directed by Jeffrey Sachs, is part of New York University. The institute is comprised of two dozen research facilities in the fields of Earth and climate science, public health, economics, law, business and public policy all focused on the future sustainability of our planet. It applies its research to developing policies and solutions to the world’s problems, especially sustainable development and the alleviation of poverty.

Red Cross

The Red Cross in an international NGO that provides urgent assistance to those affected by disaster through vaccination campaigns, disaster preparedness, reconnecting families separated by conflict and natural disasters.

Engineers Without Borders (EWB)

EWB is fighting poverty in developing countries by providing real-world engineering solutions to tough problems all over the world. Whether that be through increasing access to clean drinking water in rural communities or building roads and dams, EWB is committed to community-driven development by working alongside community members throughout the project.

There are thousands of other organizations that are also working to do their part on local to international scales. They are all working to end poverty and increase standards of living in developing countries.

– Josh Ward

Photo: Flickr

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Three Organizations Working for Global Women’s Rights


The pursuit of global women’s rights and equality still has a long way to go. Millions of women across the world have their own unique problems and needs. Here are three organizations working for global women’s rights across the world.

Three Organizations Working for Global Women’s Rights

  1. Global Fund For Women: The Global Fund for Women is an organization that is fighting for women to have basic human rights, including the right to live free from violence, slavery and discrimination, the right to be educated, the right to own property, the right to vote and to earn a fair and equal wage. Not only focused on human rights, the Global Fund for Women also directs their attention towards rights for women’s equality. Through grant making and advocacy, the organization supports local groups that focus on women’s rights.
     
  2. WEDO – Women’s Environment and Development Organization: WEDO is a global advocacy organization based out of New York City that partners with women’s groups across the map. Looking specifically at the intersection of women and the environment, WEDO seeks to bring systemic changes and create sustainability for the future. The organization’s programs are constantly evolving with the importance of different issues. Their current programs include Mobilizing Women for Climate Change and Gender-Responsive Climate Policy and Women’s Leadership: The Women Delegates Fund. Each program includes advocates from local communities.
  3. International Alliance of Women: IAW is a nonprofit which brings together 41 different member organizations to fight for women’s rights and empowerment globally. IAW’s work looks at the connections between women and climate change, economics, human rights and reproductive health. IAW has been around since 1902 and has been recognized and accredited by the U.N.

Through a variety of goals and tactics, these three organizations working for global women’s rights are bringing change to the communities they serve around the world.

– Shannon Elder

Photo: Flickr