The issues that face our world today are enormous—so it might surprise you to see that some of the most amazing work to combat them is being done by organizations so small, most of us have never heard of them. They’re community-based grassroots groups working tirelessly to make a change—and they often have no way of reaching people outside their own countries or communities for support.
GlobalGiving is an online platform trying to change that. GlobalGiving highlights over 1,000 grassroots projects throughout the world on its site and makes it easy for anyone to learn about and donate to their causes.
Over the next three weeks, we’ll be highlighting some of the incredible projects featured on GlobalGiving that are doing important work to empower women. Best of all, we’ll tell you how you can help out, too. You can give on your own—or, share this article on Twitter along with the organization that’s closest to your heart, and we’ll make a donation of our own to the one that receives the most votes. Read on to learn about five great organizations, and how you can vote your support for them!
The Cause: Helping Women Out of Poverty
If you’ve ever thought about starting your own business, you know that there’s more support, resources, and opportunities out there for new entrepreneurs than ever before.
But in communities in the developing world, it’s not so easy. Starting a business is a great way for women to provide for their families and communities, but many women lack access to training, resources, and funding that would help them get started. Check out these five organizations that are helping open the doors that women need, whether by teaching them business skills, giving them microloans, or just providing necessary support.
The Organizations
Lumana: Help Women in Ghana Start Businesses
We’ve all heard about the power of microfinance for empowering women, but Lumana takes it one step further: Along with granting microloans, the organization provides tools and training to help women in Ghana become successful business owners and community leaders. In turn, these entrepreneurs can expand their businesses, and hire and employ even more women.
For $10: Create a loan for a woman to buy a bowl of shrimp, which she can dry and sell for a profit.
For $25: Employ a local student to interview potential borrowers.
For $50: Provide business training to 25 female Ghanaian entrepreneurs.
To Vote: #dailymuseGhana
Ñepi Behña: Build Women’s Fair Trade Businesses in Hidalgo
There are many talented artisans and craftswomen in the communities of Hidalgo, Mexico, but without access to money, resources, and modern technologies, their reach (and therefore their incomes) are limited. Local organization Ñepi Behña wants to help these women expand their market, increase their sales, and bring home more money to their families, through the creation of a recognized fair trade brand, Corazón Verde.
For $30: Teach one woman how to produce natural beauty projects to sell.
For $50: Create a webpage as part of the Corazón Verde fair trade brand, which will increase the sales of goods for 463 women.
To Vote: #dailymuseHidalgo
Women Awareness Center: Support Credit Cooperatives in Nepal
As the old adage goes, three women are better than one (that’s it, right?). With that in mind, the Women Awareness Center in Nepal brings women together to help them help themselves, and then help other women in their community. This project helps build cooperatives of women who can save money together, give each other loans, and, most importantly, share critical skills and knowledge.
For $25: Allow one woman in Nepal to join a cooperative and learn about saving money and starting an income-generating project.
For $50: Support two women in Nepal to be trained in sustainable farming methods, skills that will allow them to improve their businesses and share with others.
To Vote: #dailymuseNepal
Afghan Institute of Learning: Give Women in Afghanistan Small Business Skills
Many women in Afghanistan would like to bring their families out of poverty, but don’t feel they have a marketable skill to start a business. The Afghan Institute of Learning combats this by teaching nearly 700 women per month tailoring skills that they can use to start small businesses from their homes. Meanwhile, the women also learn lessons about budgeting, health, and women’s rights.
For $10: Supply one woman with cloth and tools so she can take a six-month tailoring course.
For $50: Supply five women with the cloth and tools they need for the tailoring course.
To Vote: #dailymuseAfghanistan
Onura Beekeeping Project: Help Women in South Sudan Fight Malnutrition
Bees may seem like an odd way to help bring women out of poverty and combat malnutrition amongst their children, but for single mothers in South Sudan, it’s a great one. For relatively little cost, women can start and run a beekeeping business, selling the honey and beeswax to support their families. Hope Ofiriha's Onura Beekeeping Project provides microloans along with training and support on beekeeping to help these women feed their families.
For $10: Buy two hive tools to operate two beekeeping organizations.
For $25: But the initial bee colonies to operate 10 beehives.
For $50: Buy the initial bee colonies to operate 20 beehives.
To Vote: #dailymuseSudan
Share this article and the organization that’s closest to your heart on Twitter, and we at The Daily Muse will donate $50 to the one with the most votes. Voting will take place May 14–20.