All People Making a Difference
- Kenyan teenager's simple device could stop elephant poaching
19-year-old Mercy Sigey has developed a device that notifies park officials when poachers cross into animal reserves.
- How one woman turned two acres into a profitable business
After receiving financing and training from the nonprofit One Acre Fund, Viola Nsengiyumva nearly doubled her harvest, bought three goats, and began raising chickens.
- Difference MakerEx-Marine Jake Harriman helps people who've had only bad choices find a better life
Nuru International fights extreme poverty by handing its projects off to local groups. If Nuru is still around in 30 years, Harriman says, it has failed.
- Emma Watson's plea for equality wins men's support
The actress, who rose to fame as Hermione in the Harry Potter movies and who now serves as a UN Women's Goodwill Ambassador, launches HeForShe, a campaign to unite men and women for gender equality.
- Climate-smart farmers get tech savvy to save India's breadbasket
Using machines to sow rice directly, devices to inform when to irrigate, and phone messages warning of infestations, farmers are learning to adapt to climate change.
- Adam Green puts wind in the sails of inner-city students
Rocking the Boat works with young people challenged by economic, educational, and social conditions, helping them develop self-confidence and the skills needed to achieve their ambitions.
- Beyond the bookmobile: a farmers market on wheels
A rolling solution to the limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables is revving up in North Carolina.
- Margaret Butler puts girls on track to succeed
Komera supports education for girls in Rwanda, where few can afford secondary school.
- Difference MakerPeggy Stevens brings kids from three religions together
Kids4Peace Boston teaches communication and understanding to 12-year-old Jewish, Christian, and Muslim children from the US, Israel, and the Palestinian territories.
- Pretty faces draw eyes to animal abuse
Models Against Puppy Mills, a campaign created by the Companion Animal Protection Society, uses pretty models to draw attention to ugly 'puppy mills.'
- After dodging life in a brothel, Thai woman fights for those without a country
Srinuan Saokhamnuan lacked Thai citizenship but managed to earn a college degree in the US and now speaks out for other stateless people.
- Matt Severson funds students in need one by one
The School Fund, founded by college student Matt Severson in 2010, allows a donor to provide financial assistance to a worthy student anywhere in the world.
- Investments in clean energy pay off
US energy companies have steadily increased investments in energy efficiency over the past five years – $7.2 billion in 2013 alone. They return $3 to $4 for every dollar spent.
- How global brands are (finally) investing in factory workers
The HERproject reaches factory workers in developing countries through peer mentoring. The training includes health and preventive care and instruction on how to create a savings account and a family budget.
- Percy Hayles saw boys struggling and said ‘I gotta do something’
His Young Men’s Success Series engages vulnerable young men from some of Boston’s toughest neighborhoods teaching money management skills and offering academic advising, summer job placement services, and educational field trips.
- Difference MakerReshma Saujani created Girls Who Code to help girls get computer savvy
Growing up, Reshma Saujani was terrified of math and science. Now she makes sure other girls don't miss out on opportunities because of similar fears.
- 13 Israeli and Palestinian groups building peace
Below are just some of the organizations and initiatives working to create a lasting peace based on dignity, security, equality, and respect for the human rights of all Palestinians and Israelis.
- Jennifer Galvin links science to ordinary people's lives
Her multimedia company, reelblue LLC, tells stories about health and the environment, such as how pulp mill worker Dick Goin helped return wild salmon to the Elwha River.
- House of One: a mosque, synagogue, and church under one roof
In Berlin, plans are under way to build a new house of worship that will host three religions: 'We want to show that faith doesn't divide Jews, Christians, and Muslims, but instead reconciles them,' says a Christian bishop.
- Bottomless Closet opens wide to disadvantaged job seekers
The New York City nonprofit group provides appropriate clothing and interview skills training to disadvantaged women seeking jobs.