Changemakers Impact Stories II

Being involved with Changemakers can mean a big boost to your goals. Participation often leads to further connections and opportunities that have a significant impact on the growth and reach of organizations working toward change. We keep you updated here, and congratulate the whole Changemakers community for supporting these projects.

$1 million for Three Finalists and a Winner

A winner and three finalists from the Changemakers/Global Water Challenge competition are sharing a $1 million gift from the Coca Cola Foundation. The grants will bring clean water and sanitation to people in developing nations, and according to Paul Faeth, President of Global Water Challenge, “will start a ripple effect in their communities and create scalable, replicable and sustainable models that can be applied around the world.”
 

The four organizations that have split the grant are: Nandi Foundation, Ecotact, Manna Energy Foundation, and Clean Shop. Congratulations to them and to the Changemakers community for supporting them and making a direct impact on providing clean water.

 

Two Winners Work Together to Scale and Advance Educational Innovation

Thanks to their participation in the Hewlett Champions of Quality Education in Africa competition, two winners have transformed what was once a casual business acquaintance into a strong partnership to further their goals.

In 2010, AfricAid will incorporate Educate!’s curriculum into the launch of its new girls’ leadership program in Tanzania. “This is good for AfricAid because we are able to use a tried-and-true curriculum, and will not need to reinvent the wheel,” says founder Ashley Shuyler. “This will be good for Educate! as well, because it will allow their curriculum to reach an even greater number of students, and will allow the curriculum to be tested in another East African country.”
 

Read more.

 

Winner will Find and Nurture Other “Champions” of Education

Another Hewlett competition winner, Teachers Without Borders in Nigeria (TWB), is arranging a "Champions of Quality Education in Nigeria Teaching Tour" to draw attention to the need for quality education there and to identify and recognize people who are making passionate efforts to advance innovative education in that country.
 

Government officials will formally honor TWB’s Changemakers win at a ceremony in October, according to coordinator Raphael Ogar Oko, when the new initiative will launch in the glare of national media attention.

 

Changemakers’ Collaboration with National Geographic has Profound Impact

With our second National Geographic competition complete and the winners announced, our community’s collaboration with this storied organization has done much to advance “tourism done right.”
 

Says Keith Bellows, vice president of the National Geographic Society and Editor in Chief of National Geographic Traveler, "At my magazine, we spend enormous time and effort unearthing innovative approaches to providing consumers great travel programs, while preserving the power of the places themselves.  I was stunned by the quality of the applications. They showcased great innovation that can be exported to other countries, terrific successes against long odds, and a far-reaching global distribution of projects."  


 

Competition Winner has Big Plans for Prize Money

NatureAir, a winner of the 2009 Geotourism Challenge, will use its prize money to buy 10 hectares of land in Costa Rica where it operates the world’s only fully carbon-neutral airline. It will also use the money to fund 10% of its new initiative, the Nature Kids Program, which advances environmental education in the rural communities the airline serves.


 

What Else is New?

Have news to share about how your involvement with Changemakers has helped you advance your goals? Please send them to us so we can give you a well-deserved shout-out!

To read other stories of Changemakers’ impact, click here.