This is the first in a series of posts about how you can make a difference from anywhere with an internet connection or in person, if you wish. You can read more at our Are you MaD? page here at G-lish.
But we start with what we believe is the most important element in development: education.
Education is a non-negotiable building block for development; no nation can truly advance if its populace is not educated to a reasonable standard. Why is this so? It’s quite complicated, but an important factor is the ability to question the status quo. For example, if you haven’t learned that you can question authority, or if you don’t know your rights (which is almost impossible if you haven’t learned to read or don’t have access to information), you’re more likely to be subject to oppressive, abusive or simply unfair practices.
Then there’s access to information. If you’re in the developed world you most likely take for granted that you know what breast cancer is, or about how to improve soil fertility, for instance. And if you don’t know, you can find out with the click of a button or going to the local library or buying a magazine at the local store.
Imagine living in a world without magazines. No access to all those self-help articles that give you the basics on all manner of life issues—this does not exist. Imagine living in a world without informative television documentaries and “how to” programmes. Imagine living in a world where your major source of information comes from radio programmes in which the major focus is news. Imagine living in a world without a science lab at senior high school in which chemistry is compulsory. Or attending a school in which there is no library.
These are just some of the realities of the developing world (and I believe, sadly, some parts of developed countries). With this in mind, we have reviewed three organisations that are doing their part to bring education to far-flung communities. You might like to support their efforts in some way.
Feed the Minds: This UK-based charitable organisation provides small grants and acts as a partner to organisations in developing countries or war zones to operate projects between 1,000 and 25,000 pounds over 1-3 years. You can provide small donations which contribute towards funding their projects and, if you’re an NGO in an education related field, you can apply for a grant to develop new or existing projects.
ISABT: This is a fledgling US-Ghana based NGO that focuses on enabling primary and high school students to develop literacy, creative and computer skills. They have been heavily involved in creating “books” written by children, for children, that have an online community component so they can connect with children in other countries. They also have a programme in which you may be able to contribute your time in the US or in Ghana, if you so wish.
Room to Read: One of our passions is enabling children to access the written word. This very vision hit Ex-Microsoft employee NAME when he was traveling through Asia. The result is a now world-wide organisation that builds libraries for children in developing communities from Cambodia to South Africa. Basically, they need books and financial support. You can have a deeper look at their site and get involved by….
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