This is likely the charity I have put the most thought and concern into. Considering that this is the month of Ramadan, I wanted a peace-related cause to feature. Choosing Seeds of Peace was difficult for two reasons:
1. Peace is difficult. Peace is really, really difficult and messy, and many well-intentioned peace operations don't have the impact they aim for (or at least the ones that do succeed frequently are given due credit because someone else is always ready to take credit for the successes). Even considering the rise in privatization of peace negotiations, it is hard to find an organization that stands apart from everything that I wish to fund.
Seeds of Peace sticks out to me for a few reasons. First, it is recognized (although not as much recently), and it does active work where it is needed, such as in the Middle East and South Asia. Second, it's not a "feel good" kind of peaceful way of bringing people together and wishing for peace. Rather, it takes youth from conflict-prone areas and provides training and workshops for future leaders in addition to providing friendships from group they previously held prejudices toward. They don't just hand them a diploma and congratulate them on finishing the program and get ready to welcome the next group--they provide a network of support and regular updates to their graduates. The purpose is to build consistent leaders for peace within the affected communities, not to try to bring peace in from outside. This is why I really like them.
2. The second reason this was a difficult decision was because I'm taking a risk on this one and breaking my own rule for only supporting financially sound organizations. Sadly (and startlingly), Seeds of Peace has a zero-star rating on Charity Navigator. I spotted this several months ago, but I have been following the organization since then to see if they would make any changes.
Sure enough, they have. They've hired a new head of development, which is a good sign because one of the major strikes against them was that they hadn't been growing for a few years. I've watched them add new ways to give (which I'll get to) to make sure they stay connected and relevant. They've also posted an official response to the Charity Navigator rating which addressed everything they were rated poorly on, and how it has been addressed and has been improving since that information was collected in a year of restructuring. It was the response I had been waiting for that answered all of my own questions about the course the organization is taking.
Charitable organizations, like any other kind of organization, can make mistakes, hit low points, and find it necessary to restructure themselves. I've seen it happen to companies who still remained good companies at their core, but did take some time to recover. In light of the state of the world economy, it's still happening to plenty right now. I believe enough in the work of Seeds of Peace and the angle it takes to want to support now while it is in need, but shows many signs of taking action to fix its problems.
Payment Procedures
Of course, I'm doing my $10 directly on the Make a Donation page, but this is where it gets interesting!
As you see here, they have arranged five ways for you to shop, set up wedding registries and do general internet searches like you would anywhere else, only using those particular sites will pay the organization of your choice! I highly suggest checking out those links even if Seeds of Peace is not your organization of choice. Though it's hard to break the search engine habits I already have, I am committed to using GoodSearch throughout the month of August for all my personal searching needs.
1.7.11
July's Showcase: Surfing the Nations
It's the height of summer now, and so what could be better to do that help support a humanitarian cause? Well, surfing, of course. Of the wet variety, not the net variety. Now wouldn't it be great if you could combine surfing and humanitarian causes?
It's already been done in Hawaii, Bangladesh, Israel, Egypt, Sri Lanka and Indonesia through Surfing the Nations. Their purpose is not to protect the world's beaches by beating off sharks (I wouldn't advocate an organization that functions at another group's expense!), but to spread a love of surfing to socially serve at-risk youth and families. This organization was started by a couple who loved to surf and do humanitarian work, and it is considerably smaller than many other organizations I've been advocating, but reaching out to someone who is lonely does not require large numbers of people, but passionate people. Sadly, I'm not a surfer, and I don't know I share that level of passion, but I can at least financially support those who do.
Based in Honolulu, they run a soup kitchen there and run programs for at-risk youth in surrounding areas, and when they do their missions abroad, they not only spread the love of surfing but bring along clothing, supplies and toys for their host communities. They've established a satellite center in Indonesia to continue serving the community there by reaching out to the most ostracized of society.
So... that's totally sweet, dude.
Payment Procedures
Donations are handled through Egiving's secure systems, and you can select how you would like your money to support them--building upkeep, community impact, etc--and pay with a credit card here.
They are currently running a capital campaign to renovate their food kitchen and community center, take a look at their plans!
It's already been done in Hawaii, Bangladesh, Israel, Egypt, Sri Lanka and Indonesia through Surfing the Nations. Their purpose is not to protect the world's beaches by beating off sharks (I wouldn't advocate an organization that functions at another group's expense!), but to spread a love of surfing to socially serve at-risk youth and families. This organization was started by a couple who loved to surf and do humanitarian work, and it is considerably smaller than many other organizations I've been advocating, but reaching out to someone who is lonely does not require large numbers of people, but passionate people. Sadly, I'm not a surfer, and I don't know I share that level of passion, but I can at least financially support those who do.
Based in Honolulu, they run a soup kitchen there and run programs for at-risk youth in surrounding areas, and when they do their missions abroad, they not only spread the love of surfing but bring along clothing, supplies and toys for their host communities. They've established a satellite center in Indonesia to continue serving the community there by reaching out to the most ostracized of society.
So... that's totally sweet, dude.
Payment Procedures
Donations are handled through Egiving's secure systems, and you can select how you would like your money to support them--building upkeep, community impact, etc--and pay with a credit card here.
They are currently running a capital campaign to renovate their food kitchen and community center, take a look at their plans!
1.6.11
June's Showcase: Water for People
With summer and gardening coming up fast, many of us here in the US have a common problem: the price of water is increasing, so it leaves us with little choice but to turn to xeriscaping and to take shorter showers, or just gripe and pay the extra costs. At least many of us have that option to ensure that we'll still have clean water.
This is the part where we feel guilty, because millions of people don't have such easy access to clean water, regardless of how much we might have to pay for it. Compared to how much more it's going to cost us to use as much water as usual, or considering how much money we'll save by letting our grassy lawns die, $10 to help less fortunate people around the world have a better shot at access to clean water isn't that difficult.
Out of all the water charities out there, I think Water for People is one of the best developed, accountable, innovative and most able to make an impact. They are a 4 (out of 4) star rated charity on Charity Navigator, and they oversee a number of different kinds of water projects in Africa, Asia, and South and Central America, including the project that first caught my attention, the PlayPump. In a nutshell: kids play on merry-go-round at local elementary school, this powers a pump to access clean ground water, the water goes up into a storage tank which has income-generating advertising space on the outside, and people pump clean water out through a tap, and the village has clean water. Ta da! See more about the business model for this project here.
Of course, as creative as many water projects sound, just like any development project, they don't run quite as planned in the original business model. That's why Water for People measures their success in terms how many people their projects at serving not only at the start of a project's completion, but 3, 6, and 10 years afterward to make sure that it's not only meeting original targets, but growing.
Payment Procedures
Go to the DONATE page, and fill in your contact and credit card information as usual. They ask for $25 amounts, but have the option to type in your own $10 amount if you so choose.
If you aren't comfortable giving on a credit card, you can also give with stock or by mail according to the instructions on the web site.
Happy giving, and here's a toast of H2O to you all.
This is the part where we feel guilty, because millions of people don't have such easy access to clean water, regardless of how much we might have to pay for it. Compared to how much more it's going to cost us to use as much water as usual, or considering how much money we'll save by letting our grassy lawns die, $10 to help less fortunate people around the world have a better shot at access to clean water isn't that difficult.
Out of all the water charities out there, I think Water for People is one of the best developed, accountable, innovative and most able to make an impact. They are a 4 (out of 4) star rated charity on Charity Navigator, and they oversee a number of different kinds of water projects in Africa, Asia, and South and Central America, including the project that first caught my attention, the PlayPump. In a nutshell: kids play on merry-go-round at local elementary school, this powers a pump to access clean ground water, the water goes up into a storage tank which has income-generating advertising space on the outside, and people pump clean water out through a tap, and the village has clean water. Ta da! See more about the business model for this project here.
Of course, as creative as many water projects sound, just like any development project, they don't run quite as planned in the original business model. That's why Water for People measures their success in terms how many people their projects at serving not only at the start of a project's completion, but 3, 6, and 10 years afterward to make sure that it's not only meeting original targets, but growing.
Payment Procedures
Go to the DONATE page, and fill in your contact and credit card information as usual. They ask for $25 amounts, but have the option to type in your own $10 amount if you so choose.
If you aren't comfortable giving on a credit card, you can also give with stock or by mail according to the instructions on the web site.
Happy giving, and here's a toast of H2O to you all.
1.5.11
May's Showcase: ORBIS
Imagine yourself at that dinner party where you really could care less about the bake sale at some kid's school or the marathon fundraisers you don't have the time or effort for. The conversation comes to you. Sure, you might be out-done, but at least you'll sound interesting when you answers, "Who, me? Well, I give to a flying optometry hospital."
You don't even have to bluff. Won't you look smart when you can tell people about ORBIS? As part of their mission to save sight on three continents, they do indeed have a flying eye hospital, equip with sterile operating room and recovery room, laser treatment room, and classroom space to educate local people about how to save sight. This traveling hospital is staffed by volunteer doctors and primarily provides surgeries to children, people blind in both eyes, and people who otherwise would not be able to afford a surgery.
The ORBIS mission to save sight for the world isn't limited to their flying hospital. They have six regional offices around the world, and they fly doctors out to educate local optometrists, health officials and NGOs. Usually, their training programs will last three years, during which time they instruct them on method for diagnosing eye problems, treating them, and performing surgeries. This is part of their capacity building strategy, which maximizes their impact by letting local people take over and help themselves with the tools and training they are given. This is probably a large part of the reason why they have a 4 out of 4 star rating on Charity Navigator!
Here is what else they say about their capacity building program:
In the past 26 years, they've already provided over 900 of these programs! You can read some of their success stories here.
As you can see, they've assisted people losing their sight to cataracts, injuries, and a number of different causes, and yeah, it's great that they can see. It's something we all tend to take for granted until it's gone. Consider how one change--restoring someone's sight--can allow them to support themselves in the future. Poverty alleviation requires removing things standing between people and the ability to help themselves, and blindness is one of those things that can be treated.
Payment Procedures:
Go to the DONATE NOW page, and make your credit card payment from there. Or, if you're not from the United States, you can select from one of their other regional sites listed on that page.
You also have the option of donating frequent flier miles! I'm doing money for now, but I might see about doing something with my United Mileage Plus miles. Hmmmmm.
For those of you cool enough to be ophthalmology professionals and airplane pilots, you can also volunteer your services for ORBIS! The rest of us can still do fundraising and advocacy.
You don't even have to bluff. Won't you look smart when you can tell people about ORBIS? As part of their mission to save sight on three continents, they do indeed have a flying eye hospital, equip with sterile operating room and recovery room, laser treatment room, and classroom space to educate local people about how to save sight. This traveling hospital is staffed by volunteer doctors and primarily provides surgeries to children, people blind in both eyes, and people who otherwise would not be able to afford a surgery.
The ORBIS mission to save sight for the world isn't limited to their flying hospital. They have six regional offices around the world, and they fly doctors out to educate local optometrists, health officials and NGOs. Usually, their training programs will last three years, during which time they instruct them on method for diagnosing eye problems, treating them, and performing surgeries. This is part of their capacity building strategy, which maximizes their impact by letting local people take over and help themselves with the tools and training they are given. This is probably a large part of the reason why they have a 4 out of 4 star rating on Charity Navigator!
Here is what else they say about their capacity building program:
* Training eye care professionals in the prevention and treatment of eye diseases prevalent in their region and ensuring that these skills are effectively put into practice
* Strengthening the different types of eye care institutions, such as hospitals, medical schools and eye banks, so that they have the tools in place to continually deliver urgently needed eye care services
* Introducing health care financing systems, such as tiered payment plans, so that even the poorest of the poor can access sight-saving surgery
* Providing ophthalmic equipment, such as digital retinal cameras, indirect ophthalmoscopes and operating microscopes, and training staff to properly use and maintain this equipment
* Advocating on behalf of legislation promoting and supporting eye health on the national health care agenda
* Generating public awareness that some forms of blindness can be prevented or treated and don’t have to be accepted as fate
In the past 26 years, they've already provided over 900 of these programs! You can read some of their success stories here.
As you can see, they've assisted people losing their sight to cataracts, injuries, and a number of different causes, and yeah, it's great that they can see. It's something we all tend to take for granted until it's gone. Consider how one change--restoring someone's sight--can allow them to support themselves in the future. Poverty alleviation requires removing things standing between people and the ability to help themselves, and blindness is one of those things that can be treated.
Payment Procedures:
Go to the DONATE NOW page, and make your credit card payment from there. Or, if you're not from the United States, you can select from one of their other regional sites listed on that page.
You also have the option of donating frequent flier miles! I'm doing money for now, but I might see about doing something with my United Mileage Plus miles. Hmmmmm.
For those of you cool enough to be ophthalmology professionals and airplane pilots, you can also volunteer your services for ORBIS! The rest of us can still do fundraising and advocacy.
1.4.11
April's Showcase: Cross International
We all know there are starving orphans out there and disaster-stricken poor communities out there, and we all know there are a bunch of organizations asking for money to help take care of them. It's such a daunting issue that it's very hard to fathom which organization could possibly be more worthy than all the others.
So what would make Cross International special?
Besides the breadth of their experience and needs that they discover and find ways to meet, what is most impressive is that according to Charity Navigator, 98.3% of their funds go to project expenses.
That means that for every dollar you give, 98 cents goes into action, while only 1 or 2 cents will go to administrative and fundraiser costs. This is pretty significant; out of all the noteworthy charities I've looked into, I haven't seen any other with administrative cuts kept quite so low. It takes a very dedicated, selfless group of people to accomplish the work this organization does without much compensation.
Before the earthquake in Haiti in early 2010, Cross International had already been very active there, including housing, feeding, and educating orphaned youth--a very far off notion to most of our minds, as those of us without experience have trouble imaging the amount resources necessary to care for 82 orphans, while paying 175 teachers and helping 18 other schools in the city provide education to 6,600 other impoverished children. This is only a sample of their operations in Port-Au-Prince alone, not to mention their other projects in that city and in the rest of the world!
When the earthquake hit last year, my parents and I discovered Cross International while doing a thorough comparison of other organizations responding to the disaster, and felt that our dollars would be use most directly with Cross. This isn't meant to demerit all of the other organizations who responded, but choices must be made, and I think this was a trustworthy choice.
Certainly, many people are interested in contributing to countries hit by more recent disasters, such as Japan (see previous post for more on that) and Burma. Let's not forget how much other communities still need attention, even after their time in the headlines has passed. Furthermore, let's not be rash with sympathy-driven given. Do always take the time to investigate where your funds are going and how experienced any given organization is in a given area!
While I am making an effort to choice organizations that anyone can be comfortable with contributing to, it is easy to recognize right away that this is a Christian organization--not that that changes the good work they are doing, I would still be happy to support them if they were atheist or Jewish or Muslim. Nevertheless, they are Christian and do what they do because of a religious calling, and frankly, many of the other most productive organizations with this focus are also Christian in nature (World Vision is another favorite of mine for their youth-oriented advocacy and fundraising approaches). Let's not let faith or creed be divisive.
Part of the reason they are able to keep costs so low is because many of their spokespeople are retired pastors who travel and make appeals on behalf of the organization, usually at regular church services, so must of their donations come from other Christians. On that note, I was already looking into Cross more for this blog project when a priest came to give a homily about it, so I asked him afterward if there is any time of year when they are most of in need of donations. Of course, they're in need all year round, but he suggested to feature Cross for Holy Week.
So, Christian-readers, you know what is this month! Palm Sunday is April 17th, and Easter is April 24th, putting Good Friday on April 22nd. Not only would that be a good week for you to consider something bigger than the usual $10 I ask for you all to consider, but to suggest it to your families and fellow parishioners.
As for my equally amiable other readers, I still encourage you to maximize your gifts' effect by giving to Cross because so much of it goes directly to the people it serves. When you tell your friends and challenge them to give, consider it a boost to your esteem that shows you're open-minded.
Payment procedures:
Go to their donation page.
They have a number of options, whether you would like to find a specific project to support (there is a variety of approaches in a variety of locations), or there are options if you want to donate tangible goods, such as jewelry or timeshares, or if you want to make them a Facebook cause, or donate via PayPal or the mail or over the phone.
Or, if you want to do it on a credit card and don't have a preference which project it goes to, you can just choose their single gift option, plug in your information, and then just wait for your receipt to hold onto for your tax deduction!
So what would make Cross International special?
Besides the breadth of their experience and needs that they discover and find ways to meet, what is most impressive is that according to Charity Navigator, 98.3% of their funds go to project expenses.
That means that for every dollar you give, 98 cents goes into action, while only 1 or 2 cents will go to administrative and fundraiser costs. This is pretty significant; out of all the noteworthy charities I've looked into, I haven't seen any other with administrative cuts kept quite so low. It takes a very dedicated, selfless group of people to accomplish the work this organization does without much compensation.
Before the earthquake in Haiti in early 2010, Cross International had already been very active there, including housing, feeding, and educating orphaned youth--a very far off notion to most of our minds, as those of us without experience have trouble imaging the amount resources necessary to care for 82 orphans, while paying 175 teachers and helping 18 other schools in the city provide education to 6,600 other impoverished children. This is only a sample of their operations in Port-Au-Prince alone, not to mention their other projects in that city and in the rest of the world!
When the earthquake hit last year, my parents and I discovered Cross International while doing a thorough comparison of other organizations responding to the disaster, and felt that our dollars would be use most directly with Cross. This isn't meant to demerit all of the other organizations who responded, but choices must be made, and I think this was a trustworthy choice.
Certainly, many people are interested in contributing to countries hit by more recent disasters, such as Japan (see previous post for more on that) and Burma. Let's not forget how much other communities still need attention, even after their time in the headlines has passed. Furthermore, let's not be rash with sympathy-driven given. Do always take the time to investigate where your funds are going and how experienced any given organization is in a given area!
While I am making an effort to choice organizations that anyone can be comfortable with contributing to, it is easy to recognize right away that this is a Christian organization--not that that changes the good work they are doing, I would still be happy to support them if they were atheist or Jewish or Muslim. Nevertheless, they are Christian and do what they do because of a religious calling, and frankly, many of the other most productive organizations with this focus are also Christian in nature (World Vision is another favorite of mine for their youth-oriented advocacy and fundraising approaches). Let's not let faith or creed be divisive.
Part of the reason they are able to keep costs so low is because many of their spokespeople are retired pastors who travel and make appeals on behalf of the organization, usually at regular church services, so must of their donations come from other Christians. On that note, I was already looking into Cross more for this blog project when a priest came to give a homily about it, so I asked him afterward if there is any time of year when they are most of in need of donations. Of course, they're in need all year round, but he suggested to feature Cross for Holy Week.
So, Christian-readers, you know what is this month! Palm Sunday is April 17th, and Easter is April 24th, putting Good Friday on April 22nd. Not only would that be a good week for you to consider something bigger than the usual $10 I ask for you all to consider, but to suggest it to your families and fellow parishioners.
As for my equally amiable other readers, I still encourage you to maximize your gifts' effect by giving to Cross because so much of it goes directly to the people it serves. When you tell your friends and challenge them to give, consider it a boost to your esteem that shows you're open-minded.
Payment procedures:
Go to their donation page.
They have a number of options, whether you would like to find a specific project to support (there is a variety of approaches in a variety of locations), or there are options if you want to donate tangible goods, such as jewelry or timeshares, or if you want to make them a Facebook cause, or donate via PayPal or the mail or over the phone.
Or, if you want to do it on a credit card and don't have a preference which project it goes to, you can just choose their single gift option, plug in your information, and then just wait for your receipt to hold onto for your tax deduction!
12.3.11
Japan Earthquake/Tsunami: Brief suggestions
Not all giving is planned, but disasters do merit it. This isn't a full entry, but rather my executive summary of everything I've just looked into:
AmeriCares: Already has extensive experience with Japanese earthquake relief, 99% of the donation will go to program expenses (as opposed to administrative or fundraising expenses). 4 out of 4 star rating on Charity Navigator. Although we can designate it to disaster relief, there is no place on the donation page online to designate it specifically to Japan.Give here.
Convoy of Hope: A "first responder" disaster-relief oriented organization, active in other recent quakes and provides funding to like-minded organizations as well. Also a 4 out of 4 star rating, 92% goes to program expenses. There is a place for comments on the donation page so I assume you can use that to designate it specifically to Japan. Give here.
Global Giving: They are not doing any action themselves, as they primarily raise funds to give to organizations they deem appropriate. I don't know what these organizations are and can only trust that they're worth it. Nevertheless, they are running a campaign specifically for Japan, and this might be appropriate for a general fundraiser. It seems somewhat popular. Give here.
Although I've done research outside of Charity Navigator to try to get more complete pictures of organizations, they still know what they're talking about and they have very practical advice for how to respond. Please read this page before you decide where/how to give: See here.
EDIT: We have already raised over $3,200 here for our Japanese club/ Valparaiso University fundraiser, and we have decided to split funds between the Red Cross and Lutheran World Relief. My biggest concern is that because of lot of red tape, not every organization that wants to help in Japan will be allowed in. We included LWR because we are a Lutheran school and for many of the people we were aiming the fundraiser at we figured they would appreciate that choice, but I at least feel somewhat confident that the Red Cross will be able to do something in person.
AmeriCares: Already has extensive experience with Japanese earthquake relief, 99% of the donation will go to program expenses (as opposed to administrative or fundraising expenses). 4 out of 4 star rating on Charity Navigator. Although we can designate it to disaster relief, there is no place on the donation page online to designate it specifically to Japan.Give here.
Convoy of Hope: A "first responder" disaster-relief oriented organization, active in other recent quakes and provides funding to like-minded organizations as well. Also a 4 out of 4 star rating, 92% goes to program expenses. There is a place for comments on the donation page so I assume you can use that to designate it specifically to Japan. Give here.
Global Giving: They are not doing any action themselves, as they primarily raise funds to give to organizations they deem appropriate. I don't know what these organizations are and can only trust that they're worth it. Nevertheless, they are running a campaign specifically for Japan, and this might be appropriate for a general fundraiser. It seems somewhat popular. Give here.
Although I've done research outside of Charity Navigator to try to get more complete pictures of organizations, they still know what they're talking about and they have very practical advice for how to respond. Please read this page before you decide where/how to give: See here.
EDIT: We have already raised over $3,200 here for our Japanese club/ Valparaiso University fundraiser, and we have decided to split funds between the Red Cross and Lutheran World Relief. My biggest concern is that because of lot of red tape, not every organization that wants to help in Japan will be allowed in. We included LWR because we are a Lutheran school and for many of the people we were aiming the fundraiser at we figured they would appreciate that choice, but I at least feel somewhat confident that the Red Cross will be able to do something in person.
1.3.11
March's Showcase: HeroRAT
Yes, you read that correctly. Rats that are heroes.
Allow me to introduce you all to the rat I am sponsoring:
His name is Chosen One, he is a Giant African pouched rat, he was trained in Tanzania, and now works for peanuts in Mozambique. So it's a little different from when I used to have pet rats, but none of my fancy rats could sniff out landmines. Can you say that you have a landmine-sniffing rat?
Good news: You can! Or you can least say that you sponsor one. Because Apopo, the organization which runs HeroRAT, is based in based in Europe, they can accept direct monthly and/or yearly contributions in Euro, but for those of us in American, we can go through their partner to give in US dollars and receive a tax deduction (more payment details later). To sponsor the rat of your choice for a year, it costs roughly $6.70 per month, or one payment of $80. Because this is one of my favorite organizations I have encountered, I have committed to the extra cost instead of just $10.
Being a sponsor comes with perks, too! Thanks to the help of his organization, Chosen One sends me thank-you letters and progress reports through out the year to let me know his own and his colleagues' successes, complete with his paw print as a signature.
So what does Chosen One actually do?
Because of their heightened sense of smell and intelligence, as well as their sociability, rats can be trained to locate buried landmines that have been left over in abandoned war fields. They alert their trainers, who then dig up and deactivate them. Once they have cleared an area, it's safe for people--and business development!--to return without fear of losing limbs and lives in surprise blasts.
But isn't that dangerous!?
That's another advantage of using rats: they aren't heavy enough to set the landmines off! To date, they have not had any rats accidentally set off any landmines. Both on and off the field, the rats are treated very humanely, and are even introduced to the villagers in the localities where they work, shifting perceptions of people who only thought of them as pests.
Some other advantages: while rats can bond with and trust humans in general very well, their bonds aren't quite like that of a dog, so it is easy to have them switch trainers if necessary. Furthermore, they use a local species of rat. Because they are native to the area, they are also well adjusted to the dry heat and diseases in the area, making them a better fit that animals trained elsewhere and brought in.
But that's not all!
In additional to training rats to sniffing out explosives (they've already cleared 796,178 square meters of land, including 861 landmines, 374 unexploded ordinance and 6,216 small firearms), they also train rats to detect tuberculosis (TB). In Sub-Saharan Africa, 50% of TB cases go undetected, but in 2010, the HeroRats found 594 TB-positive cases which were initially missed by traditional diagnostic methods. According to World Health Organization projections, they've helped prevent at least 5,940 new cases of TB.
This organization is one of my favorites because it's very effective and a little nontraditional (not to mention I've always been a big fan of rats). Their correspondence with me so far when I've had questions has been quick and friendly. While I will probably continuing sponsoring rats with them, I understand that this isn't for everyone. That's why I still encourage you (and your friends!) to contribute $10 to their overall costs.
Payment procedures:
Go to the tax deductible donation page.
For those of you in the US, scroll down to the bottom and follow their instructions for giving with their US partner, the King Baudouin Foundation United States (and yes, this will be tax deductible--save the receipt that will be sent to your e-mail inbox!).
From there, specify the amount you would like to give (and then tell all your friends so they do the same, of course).
If you would like to adopt a rat, see the selection.
Once you give according to the instructions above (you'll want to do $80 for the year), forward your receipt to herorats@herorat.org and tell them which rat you would like to sponsor. They will sent your certificate and updates from your rat to the e-mail address you provide to them. (You can also do this as a gift for someone else!)
For information about HeroRAT operations: See here.
For information about Apopo's work and research: See here.
Allow me to introduce you all to the rat I am sponsoring:
His name is Chosen One, he is a Giant African pouched rat, he was trained in Tanzania, and now works for peanuts in Mozambique. So it's a little different from when I used to have pet rats, but none of my fancy rats could sniff out landmines. Can you say that you have a landmine-sniffing rat?
Good news: You can! Or you can least say that you sponsor one. Because Apopo, the organization which runs HeroRAT, is based in based in Europe, they can accept direct monthly and/or yearly contributions in Euro, but for those of us in American, we can go through their partner to give in US dollars and receive a tax deduction (more payment details later). To sponsor the rat of your choice for a year, it costs roughly $6.70 per month, or one payment of $80. Because this is one of my favorite organizations I have encountered, I have committed to the extra cost instead of just $10.
Being a sponsor comes with perks, too! Thanks to the help of his organization, Chosen One sends me thank-you letters and progress reports through out the year to let me know his own and his colleagues' successes, complete with his paw print as a signature.
So what does Chosen One actually do?
Because of their heightened sense of smell and intelligence, as well as their sociability, rats can be trained to locate buried landmines that have been left over in abandoned war fields. They alert their trainers, who then dig up and deactivate them. Once they have cleared an area, it's safe for people--and business development!--to return without fear of losing limbs and lives in surprise blasts.
But isn't that dangerous!?
That's another advantage of using rats: they aren't heavy enough to set the landmines off! To date, they have not had any rats accidentally set off any landmines. Both on and off the field, the rats are treated very humanely, and are even introduced to the villagers in the localities where they work, shifting perceptions of people who only thought of them as pests.
Some other advantages: while rats can bond with and trust humans in general very well, their bonds aren't quite like that of a dog, so it is easy to have them switch trainers if necessary. Furthermore, they use a local species of rat. Because they are native to the area, they are also well adjusted to the dry heat and diseases in the area, making them a better fit that animals trained elsewhere and brought in.
But that's not all!
In additional to training rats to sniffing out explosives (they've already cleared 796,178 square meters of land, including 861 landmines, 374 unexploded ordinance and 6,216 small firearms), they also train rats to detect tuberculosis (TB). In Sub-Saharan Africa, 50% of TB cases go undetected, but in 2010, the HeroRats found 594 TB-positive cases which were initially missed by traditional diagnostic methods. According to World Health Organization projections, they've helped prevent at least 5,940 new cases of TB.
This organization is one of my favorites because it's very effective and a little nontraditional (not to mention I've always been a big fan of rats). Their correspondence with me so far when I've had questions has been quick and friendly. While I will probably continuing sponsoring rats with them, I understand that this isn't for everyone. That's why I still encourage you (and your friends!) to contribute $10 to their overall costs.
Payment procedures:
Go to the tax deductible donation page.
For those of you in the US, scroll down to the bottom and follow their instructions for giving with their US partner, the King Baudouin Foundation United States (and yes, this will be tax deductible--save the receipt that will be sent to your e-mail inbox!).
From there, specify the amount you would like to give (and then tell all your friends so they do the same, of course).
If you would like to adopt a rat, see the selection.
Once you give according to the instructions above (you'll want to do $80 for the year), forward your receipt to herorats@herorat.org and tell them which rat you would like to sponsor. They will sent your certificate and updates from your rat to the e-mail address you provide to them. (You can also do this as a gift for someone else!)
For information about HeroRAT operations: See here.
For information about Apopo's work and research: See here.
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