All People Making a Difference
- This man brings hope to Arab youth, one Wikipedia page at a time
In the Middle East, where access to Arabic-language content is limited, translations of web content offer ideas and empowerment.
- Difference MakerFashion – not disability – defines this young entrepreneur’s future
Tie designer Will Howell joins other Americans with disabilities finding independence through self-employment.
- ‘Defense ninja’: One Muslim woman’s journey to empowerment
Feeling powerless in the face of harassment, Fauzia Lala vowed to study self-defense. Now she helps others do the same in her school, Defense Ninjas.
- Difference MakerFrom logger to tree-hugger: One man’s fight for the Amazon
After going through his own transformation from logging company owner to conservation advocate, Mark Baker aims to pay it forward with nature tours.
- She survived an atomic bomb. Now she campaigns against them.
Setsuko Thurlow survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Now, she devotes her life to advocating for nuclear disarmament.
- ‘The backbone of this economy’: Fighting for housekeepers' rights in South Africa
South Africa’s domestic workers are as exploitable as they are invisible. Activist Pinky Mashiane is on a mission to help secure their rights.
- Difference MakerSight unseen: This teacher brings science to life for blind students
Carla Curran is working to ensure that visually impaired people have an opportunity to make contributions in science.
- Difference MakerHow do you feed an island? Try World Central Kitchen.
Two months after Hurricane Dorian, meals are still a challenge in the Bahamas. World Central Kitchen is cooking, and trying to rebuild resilience.
- Difference MakerIn one of Mexico’s most dangerous places for women, his students push back
Ecatepec, Mexico, is a hot spot for violence against women. Manuel Amador is helping students push back against the idea that’s the way it has to be.
- Difference MakerRich in spirit: How Rev. Robin Hood fights for housing justice
Meet Robin Hood, Chicago’s activist minister helping shield African American seniors from mortgage fraud.
- Difference MakerThe soft power of mothers: Fighting extremism begins at home
A program that has taught mothers in 16 countries was created by Edit Schlaffer to help women whose children are being recruited by extremists.
- Difference Maker‘A place of refuge’: Bird-watching takes flight on Chicago’s South Side
When she created the first “Afrobirding” group 15 years ago, Sherry Williams helped broaden and diversify a pastime known for its narrow demographics.
- Difference MakerUganda’s forests are disappearing. He’s fighting back.
Environmental activist William Amanzuru’s network, Friends of Zoka, is determined to push back against illegal logging and deforestation in Uganda.
- Cover StoryMelinda Gates: What she’s learned
How her approach to philanthropy, and her own life, has changed after $50 billion of giving.
- Difference MakerThese dogs get second chances. Just like their inmate caretakers.
Pennsylvania nonprofit pairs dogs with inmates. The goal is to help participants land a full-time job within 90 days of their release.
- Difference MakerBlack history in plain sight: One woman’s quest to topple stereotypes
A New Hampshire civil rights advocate resurfaces hidden stories of African Americans. Her work helps dispel the myth that slavery didn't exist in the North.
- Difference MakerThe woman who’s appeared for 700-plus exams – to help disabled students
Pushpa Nagaraj has volunteered as a scribe for hundreds of students with visual impairments in India, helping them navigate an exam-based system.
- Difference MakerHow Seattle cafe’s ‘radical hospitality’ serves recovery community
A cafe in Seattle doubles as a refuge for those in recovery from addiction. It’s part of a nationwide network serving around 1,500 people a month.
- Difference MakerJob training that puts people – and their community – back on track
Marvin DeJear’s Evelyn K. Davis Center shows that social service organizations can strengthen whole communities – one person at a time.
- Difference MakerTo save rare ponies, one couple gives up almost everything
Amanda Simpson and Stathis Katsarelias have given up almost everything to care for Skyrian horses on the island of Skíros.