All Change Agent
The man who stopped the desertFor decades Yacouba Sawadogo has been using a traditional method to replant trees and help stop the Sahara Desert from overtaking Burkina Faso.
'Solar Mamas': Barefoot College women turn on the lights in off-grid villagesBesides learned to install and repair solar equipment, rural women at India's Barefoot College can learn about clean water, health care, handicrafts, communication, and more.
A new approach to suicide prevention: promote happinessInstead of talking about death and depression, Samaritans, a Boston-based suicide-prevention group, is focusing on the opposite – life and happiness – in a publicity campaign.
'Jollywood' film school shines spotlight on HaitiFollowing the lead of 'Bollywood' in India and 'Nollywood' in Nigeria, 'Jollywood' hopes to become a center for filmmaking and film education in Haiti.
National Day of Service calls on Americans to help othersOn Saturday Jan. 19 in Washington, D.C., as well as around the United States, a National Day of Service will find Americans volunteering in myriad ways to serve others.
Using Hollywood to teach people about disaster givingMike Rea latched onto the release of a Hollywood film on the 2004 tsunamis in Asia to help spread his message about how to effectively support charities engaged in disaster relief.
Nonprofits respond to the Delhi gang-rape caseGroups are using blogs, Facebook, YouTube, and in-person events to marshal resources and stand up for women's rights.
In India, SELCO brings solar power to the peopleSELCO founder Harish Hande set out to dispel the myths that poor people can't afford or maintain solar technologies.
Reviving Europe’s biodiversity with exotic animalsScientists are bringing back long-lost species, such as water buffalo, to encourage the spread of native plants that fare poorly in Europe’s human-dominated landscape.
SOCCKET energy-generating soccer ball powers up poor villagesUncharted Play has designed a soccer ball called the SOCCKET, which generates electricity for an LED light. One minute of kicking produces around six minutes of light to read, do homework, or help illuminate a home.
Neighborhood initiative in D.C. wins federal backingThe D.C. Promise Neighborhood Initiative, which aims to lift children out of poverty, involves marshaling schools, nonprofits, and other community organizations to help children in troubled neighborhoods from 'cradle to college.'
In Kenya solar lamps reduce childbirth risksInstead of relying on moonlight or dangerous and smoky kerosene lamps, midwives now use solar-powered lamps to make childbirth safer in remote regions of Kenya that are off the electric grid.
The 'gift economy' offers a rule-breaking way to relate to othersWhat’s better than turning a profit by selling your work? Filmmakers, cafe owners, and even corporations like Panera Bread point to the satisfaction that comes with giving it away.
Healthy food carts for kids in Indonesia get a boostThe KeBAL street food concept is an innovative way of reaching young children in Indonesia with affordable, nutritious meals that help reduce malnutrition.
Encore Careers: It's never too late to help othersOlder Americans eager to fix nagging social problems do what anyone does: They tap their skills and networks to start their own initiatives or join established efforts like ReServe, the Executive Service Corps, the Peace Corps, or Teach for America, says the founder of Encore.org.
Former Islamist seeks to turn the tide of religious extremism in PakistanMaajid Nawaz has founded Khudi, the first social movement in Pakistan to challenge extremist religious ideas and instead promote democratic culture among youths.
Restoring US native prairies, acre by acre, yard by yardAcross the US Midwest, homeowners are restoring their yards and former farmland to the native prairie that existed in pre-settlement days. The benefits can be substantial — the need for less water and no fertilizer, and an ecosystem that supports wildlife.
13 resolutions to improve the world's food supply in 2013Nearly 1 billion people are still hungry and more than 1 billion others are overweight or obese. The need is for better access to better quality food.
Nonprofits' message: Keep firewood close to homeEnvironmental groups are sending out a warning that transporting firewood across state lines can spread insects and diseases, wiping out swaths of forest and causing economic and environmental damage.
How renewable energy is rescuing US schools from budget cutsEducators across the country are finding millions of dollars in savings through cheap and simple forms of renewable energy. Since 2003, one school district has cut more than $7 million in energy costs. That equates to 45 teaching positions.
