Assignment Archives - Page 2 of 10

Assignment

Making Childhood Sweeter

January 12, 2016

I recently spent a week in the Philippines with a few of the 160+ million children across the world who are involved in child labor. Much of my time was spent telling the story of children who have successfully exited work in the sugar cane fields. The situation I found on the island of Negros was different than you might have imagined. Poverty, more so than the sugar industry, is the villain here. The children I encountered who were missing school were doing so willingly, usually with their parents’ permission, preferring the temporary gratification of a small paycheck over hitting the books. The work is grueling nonetheless, and the effects of missing out on an education are almost irreversible. ChildFund’s LEAP (Livelihoods, Education, Advocacy, Protection) program, which I have been documenting, is responsible for the near-eradication of child labor in this area of the Philippines. My objective was to show what a child laborer’s[…]

Investing in Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire

November 20, 2015

Want to make some extra cash while giving a boost to markets in the developing world? Shared Interest lends capital to fair trade buyer and producer organizations in areas of the world that have limited access to finance. Because they only invest in Fair Trade businesses, that means living wages, better working conditions, and often benefits for workers like health care and education for their children. For many of us in the West, starting a business without the help of a bank would be impossible. Those in the developing world face this challenge and more when beginning a new venture. Yet developing economies will never improve without the expansion of the free market; this can only happen through improving the environment in which business can operate and gain access to capital. This makes the work of companies like Shared Interest all the more crucial. Microfinance this is not; Shared Interest[…]

The American Road

August 14, 2015

Everybody has to travel from Romania to Russia from time to time, right? When you do, don’t bypass one of the best roads in the region. The Millennium Challenge Corporation is leading the way by constructing the first world-class standard road in the Eastern European country of Moldova. Drones and GoPros obligatory.

Nepal: Three Months Later

July 25, 2015

Three months to the day into the emergency, Caritas, Internationalis, a global confederation of Roman Catholic relief and development service organizations which includes USA’s Catholic Relief Services, reflects on the collective response made in Nepal. Working together, the confederation has helped more than 300,000 people so far recover from the quake. However, with the imminent onset of the heavy monsoon season, urgent needs remain. Over three separate journeys varied in scope, my family and I have spent a great deal of time in Nepal so far this year, and thus I nurture a tremendous love for the country and its people. The experiences we’ve had there, both before, during, and after the quakes, have given us a renewed joy of life and taught us to cherish and capitalize on each moment that we have.

Cash is King

July 17, 2015

Catholic Relief Services uses dynamic and creative approaches for its on-the-ground emergency relief efforts. Find out why cash distributions are the best solution for some families in the wake of the destructive Nepal earthquakes.

Via Sydney

July 2, 2015

As one of fifteen siblings growing up in a refugee camp during Uganda’s civil war, Raphael credits much of his success to his Australian sponsor, Michael. After retracing him years later, Raphael makes the journey of a lifetime.

Magic in the Water

June 8, 2015

You won’t believe your eyes! Many families in rural Africa must resort to collecting water from open, dangerous sources which are often shared with domestic livestock. A solution has been found, however, to bring clean and safe water to families in otherwise desperate need using a new purifying process by American consumer products company, P&G. Here, 9-year-old Johnan, of Uganda, instructs us on the proper steps to take to perform this transformative, life giving, magic trick.

Give Me Shelter

May 26, 2015

I wasn’t just documenting broken lives and devastated villages during my assignments this month in Nepal. Here are a couple of short videos I produced of the earthquake response for Catholic Relief Services and ChildFund. Much-needed shelter and food distributions are still taking place in the wake of the two massive quakes that struck earlier this month.

Nepal: A Moment to Grieve

May 2, 2015

Parts of Nepal are devastated. I say parts because I expected my plane to land in a rubble-piled waste land; it didn’t. There was a runway, an immigration officer, and a functioning baggage carousel. Kathmandu’s ancient temples, however, are in ruins. Many multi-storied buildings have toppled down. But the capital city, still in shock, manages to keep pace at least somewhat. I still have the bandwidth to make this blog post, after all. Upon exiting the Kathmandu valley, things become steadily worse. Driving north-east into Sindhupalchowk District, paradoxically away from the epicenter of the earthquake, homes are flattened and people sit in uncertainty on the side of the highway, while others comb through the wreckage of their former dwellings, searching for food or possessions. I begin to experience a sense that I never have before – an eerie sixth sense that comes from gaping at mountain grandeur and pristine rivers, blanketed by piles of debris and the[…]

Lift up Nepal

April 27, 2015

I’m headed to Nepal today. Prayers are needed for those still trapped in rubble and snow. Catholic Relief Services has relief supplies and teams deploying now from nearby India. Please give what you can to the effort.