Today is Christmas Day, the new year is almost here, and Hanukkah celebrations are complete. But, if you are like Amanda and I here at SalaamGarage, you are only now deciding which charities to make donations to. I know I have until March 2011 technically but I still like to make my donations at the holidays since I do so in the names of all my friends, family, and colleagues. Making a donation in the name of a friend or loved one is a seriously meaningful gift that helps so many in one simple series of clicks. Imagine a gift that saves lives vs. socks.
My favorite suggested giving list is from Nicholas Kristof at the New York Times. He is an incredible resource for NGOs that are working to solve our world’s biggest problems since his reporting often shares a way you can help.
This Year’s list “The Gifts of Hope” and last year’s “A Most Meaningful Gift” are must reads.
As for SalaamGarage… Here is a list of the NGOs we have worked with this year and will be working with in the future. These organizations are making a big difference in areas we care about deeply. We have been there, seen the work, reported on their work, and totally vouch that these organizations are worthy of your support!
The Children’s Aid Society Next Generation Center in the Bronx, NYC.
Helping: New York City youth as they age out of the foster care system and transition out of the juvenile justice system.
“The Next Generation Center (NGC) is a one-stop center designed to meet the needs of young people transitioning to adulthood and self-sufficiency. The mission of NGC is to provide support, guidance, training and opportunities to young people, ages 14 to 24, in the Bronx — with a special focus on youth in foster care and those who have aged out of foster care.”
Donate to Next Generation Center here.
Hamlin Fistula International in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Helping: Women with Childbirth injuries called obstetric fistula. Also working in prevention through outreach, mini hospitals and midwife training.
“The Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital provides care for women obstetric fistulas ‐ the most devastating of all childbirth injuries. The Hospital has a success/cure rate of over 90%. We aim to be the world leader in Training and Research for the treatment, care & prevention of obstetric fistula.” This year the Hamlin Fistula Foundation graduated the first class of midwives from the new Midwifery College. Those midwives were dispatched to the countryside little more than a month ago. These midwives and the college are a huge step towards eradicating fistula in Ethiopia. It is possible, but they need donations to keep it going.
Donate to the Hamlin Fistula Foundation here.
Peacetrees Vietnam in Quang Tri Provence Vietnam.
Helping: Clears landmines leftover from the Vietnam War in the most heavily bombed region the world has ever seen.
“PeaceTrees Vietnam was founded in 1995 to renew relationships with the people of Vietnam and promote a safe, healthy future for its families & children. We sponsor de-mining and mine risk education, survivor assistance, citizen diplomacy trips and community building projects in partnership with the people of Quang Tri Province.”
Donate to Peacetrees Vietnam here.
Agros International working in Central America and Mexico.
Helping: Indigenous Mayan farmers and families through sustainable farming and land ownership.
“Agros International is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty for rural families in Central America and Mexico by enabling landless communities to achieve land ownership and economic stability. We have learned that the root causes of poverty extend across communities and are passed down from generation to generation, and so the Agros development model is holistic, sustainable, and focused on long term results. This commitment to the long-term sustainability of a whole community serves to break the cycle of poverty in all its forms.”
Gift a purchase at the Agros International One Seed Catalog
or Donate to Agros International here.
And finally our favorite little NGO that is constantly blowing us away with the great deeds they accomplish…
Vatsalya in Jaipur, India
Helping: Street children, orphans, neglected, abandoned and abused children. Also helping the poorest women learn to make a living. Job training for the cities uneducated youth. HIV prevention for long distance truck drivers and sex workers. Health care for commercial sex workers. Well the list goes on..
Vatsalya was founded in 2000 to provide a better life for children and rural women in Rajasthan India. Vatsalya runs a home for children, women’s self help groups, HIV/AIDS clinics for truck drivers, a health clinic for female sex workers, and outreach programs for slum kids. Vatsalya’s largest mission is the rescue of homeless, abandoned, and abused children. Udayan is a campus style home in the countryside, away from the city, that provides education, mental and physical support, internships, and practical vocational training. 100% Indian run and founded, Vatsalya was SalaamGarage’s first partner, in 2007.
Donate to Vatsalya from the USA through the NICF (Namaste India Children’s Fund).
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