100 Friends

Total Raised So Far...

$60,000

December 2009: Women for Afghan Women

In Afghanistan, a country that seems to have been at war for most of the past 40 years, there is an effort underway to provide education to girls. Currently, there is only a 12% literacy rate for girls and women, and we know that without education, women will be kept from making their full contribution as leaders within families, communities and the nation. The need for women’s engagement and participation is so critical to the country’s future, and yet schools for girls continue to be a source of tension and violence. We stand with all those who fight for the right of women and girls to get educated, and especially with the women and girls themselves.

 

After some research on different organizations, we have found a small but respected organization, a 501(c)(3), with a track record of building schools quickly and efficiently through partnerships with local communities. Women for Afghan Women has a fund focused on building schools, and supporting this effort with advocacy and awareness campaigns in the US and Afghanistan. Our support would be used specifically to aid in school construction; here is a recent update on their work.

June 2008: Burma

On May 3, 2008 Cyclone Nargis struck the southwest coast of Myanmar with up to 120-mile an hour winds and rain. Myanmar authorities declared five regions, with an estimated total population of 24 million, to be in a state of emergency. Throughout the Irrawaddy Delta region, many villages were devastated, with tens of thousands dead, their homes destroyed, and more than 3,000 schools damaged. The UN estimates that some 1.5 million to 2.5 million survivors are in need of food, water, shelter, and medical care. Save the Children is one of the few nongovernmental groups that currently operates programs in all five of the most affected regions with 260 staff working directly on the emergency response.

The Partner on this project was: Save the Children

100Friends Raised: $10,300

December 2007: Pakistan 

Literacy rates in Pakistan average 49% nationwide and in remote rural areas can be as low as 0.5% for women. It is one of the few countries where illiteracy is on the rise, and is ranked second in the world for having the most out-of-school children (6.5 million), according to a UNESCO report.

It takes $50 a year to educate a child. DIL is dedicated to providing quality education to disadvantaged children, especially girls, by establishing and operating schools in the underdeveloped regions of Pakistan, with a strong focus on gender equality and community participation. DIL establishes, adopts and operates primary and secondary schools in Pakistan for underprivileged children, particularly girls. DIL manages 149 schools in partnerships with seven non-governmental and non-profit organizations, and DIL directly operates 23 schools. All DIL accounts are audited annually by reputable accounting firms both in the United States and Pakistan.

 

The Partner on this project was: Developments In Literacy.

100Friends Raised: $10,570

May 2007: Rwanda 

Orphans of Rwanda, Inc. (ORI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping orphans and vulnerable children in Rwanda work toward university degrees and ultimately become leaders in their communities. ORI provides holistic support, including school fees, health care and housing, to ensure that students have everything they need to excel.

 

The Partner on this project was: Orphans of Rwanda, Inc.

100Friends Raised: $10,915

December 2006: Iraq
The war in Iraq is currently a source of tremendous political debate, but the challenges faced by local Iraqis whose country and lives have been marked by violence and instability is seldom discussed in the news. This project proposes a way to help local women build enterprises that could serve as the foundation for more stable and healthy communities.

Women in Iraq have survived war, sanctions and Saddam Hussein's oppressive regime. Now they are faced with an economic environment that offers few opportunities for them to earn a living. The overwhelming concern for women in urban Iraq is how to earn an income so they can support their families. Women for Women, Intl. (WWI's) program will focus on the most disenfranchised women in south central Iraq, to help them find ways to earn an income, and therefore to rebuild their lives and communities. With this project,100 women will receive small-business training in areas such as pricing and marketing, assistance in writing a business plan, and loans of equipment, raw materials or funds to launch their business. Providing loans to 100 Iraqi women benefits more than 540 family members, who can then eat, attend school and lead a better life. When women earn an income, they can also participate in the rebuilding of their country, creating a stronger future."

 

The partner on this project was Women for Women Intl., through GlobalGiving
100Friends Raised: $6,190 ($12,380 with matching funds)

 

January 2006: Pakistan Earthquake
The project for this round of 100 Friends is through an organization based in Lahore, Pakistan, called KASHF. KASHF is one of the most successful micro-finance organizations in Pakistan, and is managed by and serves predominantly women. KASHF is providing shelter to a village of 37 families. They are using a technology (wire netting) that will enable them to build short-term shelters which can then be easily transformed into long-term earthquake proof houses. They are using this first village as a pilot program and if it works, they'll have many additional projects to continue their work because of their preexisting network.

 

The partner on this project was KASHF
100Friends Raised: $3,475

January 2005: Tsunami
The tsunamis that swept across the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004 killed more than 150,000 people and left millions injured and homeless in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and elsewhere. The worst damage and loss of life was in Indonesias Aceh province, on the island of Sumatra, only 150 miles from the epicenter of the 9.0 quake (conservative estimates of over 100,000 dead.) A senior Indonesian official said 1,556 of Aceh province's 5,862 villages "were wiped out" and added that the loss of life among local police officers, teachers and town and village officials had been huge. Estimates are that more than 10% of Aceh's population has been killed, and over 20% are severely injured. The city of Meulaboh is 80% destroyed 3,000 houses have been reduced to rubble and tinder. Across the province, food stocks are depleted, water treatment is badly damaged, rice paddies are flooded with salt water and wells are contaminated. Both Kofi Annan and Colin Powell reported, after their visits, that the devastation in Aceh is the worst they have ever seen anywhere.
From the project report:

"After the tsunami, the number of women-headed households increased from 13% to 19% due to the high number of fishermen who lost their lives to the tsunami. However, due to political, social and cultural factors in Aceh, women do not have access to education and credit options, and they lack the opportunity to participate in income-generating activities. Thanks to the 100 Friends and the Tsunami Recovery Fund at Give2Asia, Nasyiatul Aisyiyah, a local women’s organization, was able to organize a women’s empowerment project to train women in the art of fragmented soybean cake (tempeh) and soymilk making. The project includes practical business, finance and marketing skills so that the beneficiaries can sell tempeh and soymilk as an income-generating activity and expand their small businesses. Furthermore, the project also benefits the entire community in Aceh. Tempeh and soymilk are made of soybeans, which are a high source of protein."

The partner on this project was Give2Asia
100Friends Raised: $6,550

October 2004: Darfur
The crisis that started all this is one of epic proportions. One that stands out for its sheer brutality and tragedy. One that we can do something about. The violence in Darfur, Sudan has baffled our politicians who are standing by despite the deepening crisis, unable to amass the will to act. The Janjaweed and Sudanese government have established a campaign of terror that has displaced over 1 million Sudanese refugees. Even if the violence stops, the extreme poverty and instability that these refugees face threatens to take the lives of tens of thousands.

The partner on this project was Mercy Corps 
100Friends Raised: $3,000