News
Two tornadoes struck Alabama on January 23rd, 2012, killing at least two people, injuring a hundred, and leaving hundreds of homes destroyed. The governor of Alabama has declared a state of emergency across the state. UniversalGiving's partner NGO, Team Rubicon, is getting on the ground to help.
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In 1983, southern Sudan erupted in violence led by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and its armed wing, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). With more the 1.5 million people dead and over 4 million people displaced, the conflict in south Sudan finally ended in 2005 with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. During the outbreak of fighting in southern Sudan, many people, like John Dau, left their home villages seeking refuge. It took John four years to reach Kukuma refugee camp in 1992 and finally resettled 14 years later in Syracuse, New York in 2001. A documentary, highlighting his arduous journey with thousands of other Sudanese called “God Grew Tired of Us”, prompted UniversalGiving’s CEO, Pamela Hawley, to reach out to John’s new organization, the John Dau Foundation.
With the astounding and volatile history in South Sudan, John Dau Foundation’s clinic in Duk County stands out as a luscious reprieve from the trying conditions the South Sudanese have endured. Standing alone as the only clinic within 100 miles, the Duk Lost Boys Clinic opened in May 2007 and now serves 400-500 people a week. Not only does the clinic treat patients, but more than 100 Sudanese have been trained by clinic staff, including traditional birth attendants and community health workers. This clinic has transformed into one of the few clinics that reach all government standards in Sudan. John Dau and Executive Director, Tom Dannan, aspire to build a wing for surgeries to take place, given the immense need for doctors to perform Caesarean sections.
The Duk Lost Boys Clinic offers a variety of medical services including maternal child health, community health worker trainings, immunization, deworming, and Vitamin A campaigns, and nutrition. The clinic can only receive supplies via flights, which are chartered through another non-profit at a deep discount. A donation of $39.75 can cover the cost of 15 lb. worth of space, enough medicine to treat dozens of people! Act now to facilitate resources to sustain this outstanding clinic in South Sudan!
Photo courtesy of John Dau Foundation
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Millions of people around the world are affected by domestic violence & human trafficking, but silence around these issues is still pervasive. Are you aware that, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States alone over 4.8 million women experienced intimate partner-related physical assaults, while less than 20 percent of those women sought professional medical care for their injuries? Did you know that over 300,000 children are forced into child prostitution?
Please join UniversalGiving's NGO partners working to bring awareness to an end this detrimental epidemic. Support their efforts to raise awareness, and provide support & comprehensive resources to victims of domestic violence and human trafficking by donating today!
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On July 20, 2011, the United Nations declared a famine in Somalia for the first time since 1992.
Currently, over 10 million people in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti are threatened by the drought. With the worst and most ill equipped conditions in southern Somalia, the UN and Somali government estimate more than 3.5 million Somalis may starve to death. Over 10,000 families have traveled to Mogadishu and have dispersed to several displacement camps, sometimes walking for three weeks in an attempt to reach humanitarian relief. Every day counts for the people in this famine-affected region, with over 500,000 children facing imminent threats to survival and lifelong consequences to physical and mental development.
Act now and help prevent the deaths of children and people living in East Africa by donating to one of our top-quality partner organizations committed to urgently responding and bringing awareness to this humanitarian crisis. All NGOs featured on UniversalGiving are thoroughly vetted, assuring that they all meet the highest standards of quality, transparency, and trust. 100% of donations made through UniversalGiving go directly to your chosen cause.
Direct Drought & Famine Aid:
Photo courtesy of AFP
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Celebrate Earth Day... Every Day!
This year, Earth Day will embark on its 41st year of bringing awareness and appreciation for our natural environment. The theme for Earth Day 2011 is A Billion Acts of Green. It's a people powered campaign to generate a billion acts of environmental service and advocacy.
Earth Day began, in 1970, as an environmental teach-in and is now being celebrated by billions of people worldwide. This is a great way to think about how we as individuals can have a positive impact on the environment. Whether it's driving less often, recycling, or reducing your carbon footprint, there are many ways to make a difference.
UniversalGiving is making it easy for you to celebrate Earth Day every day by matching you with Earth-friendly Projects and Volunteer Opportunities featured by our partners. All NGOs featured on UniversalGiving are thoroughly vetted, assuring that they all meet the highest standards of quality, transparency, and trust. 100% of donations made through UniversalGiving go directly to your chosen cause.
Please join us in celebrating our wonderful planet by donating or volunteering with these earth friendly organizations:
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The rising cost of living in Uganda has led people to take to the streets in protest in recent days. Thursday, an intended solidarity “walk to work” day, turned violent as authorities reportedly used disproportionate amounts of force resulting in many of the peaceful protesters being taken to the hospital or to prison. In an attempt to halt the spread of these protests, many opposition political leaders have been arrested, including Kizza Besigye, the runner up in the recent presidential elections. As police continue to assault protesters with beatings, tear gas, rubber bullets, and in some reported instances live ammunition, civilians continue to pour in to local hospitals.
UniversalGiving’s partner Groundwork Opportunities is working tirelessly in Uganda to report the truth on the recent uprising and to provide support to the victims of police violence. GO’s team is currently working directly with the civilian victims of the demonstrations and have made direct contact with a local hospital in Kampala to help these innocent bystanders.
Media Sources: New York Times, BBC News, Groundwork Opportunities
How can you help Ugandans caught in the violence?
Support Groundwork Opportunities efforts by donating to their Stop the Violence in Uganda campaign. 100% of donations made through UniversalGiving will go directly to Groundwork Opportunities, and in turn they are sending 100% of donations to the Mulago Hospital in order to help them care for the victims of violence.
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UniversalGiving was one of 15 organizations to win the Opportunity Knocks Fourth Annual Best Nonprofits to Work For Award after being nominated by a UniversalGiving employee. Opportunity Knocks, an online resource for those searching for jobs in the nonprofit sector, based their selection on essays submitted by employees and considered factors such as value of work/life balance, employee camaraderie, adherence to mission and more. While the award surprises no one at UniversalGiving, it is a great honor.
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On October 27th a 7.7 magnitude earthquake caused a tsunami to lash out against the remote Mentawai Islands of Indonesia. The tsunami produced waves as high as 10 feet that reached up to 2,000 feet inland. By the end of Wednesday, 282 people have been reported dead and 411 missing with tens of thousands of people displaced from villages that have been decimated.
In what has been called a tragic coincidence, Mount Merapi, Indonesia’s most active volcano, erupted within hours of the tsunami. At least 35 people have been killed, despite evacuation warnings in the days leading up to the eruption. The Red Cross estimates that 36,000 people have been evacuated from the slopes of the volcano. The volcano erupted again Friday, but many experts worry that the eruptions are not done and the volcano will soon produce more violent activity.
Media Sources: The New York Times, The Guardian, ABC News
What can you do to help the victims of these disasters?
UniversalGiving has many donation and volunteer opportunities that allow you to help the people of the Indonesia. We thoroughly vet all of the NGOs featured on our site, assuring they all meet the highest standards of quality, transparency and trust. 100% of donations made through UniversalGiving go directly to these NGOs.
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Typhoon Megi, locally called “Juan”, hit the northern provinces of the Philippines on October 18th 2010 causing massive destruction. Early preparations for the storm helped minimize casualties, though 11 people have been reported dead and 200,000 homeless. The typhoon was a category 5 storm, the highest possible rating, and the worst storm to hit anywhere in the world this year. In addition to destroying infrastructure such as communication and transportation lines, Megi is estimated to have destroyed nearly 247,000 acres of crops. This will have not only devastating consequences for farmers in the area, but also a significant impact on rice and corn prices around the world. The storm is currently traveling across the South China Sea regaining strength and possibly preparing to hit other parts of Asia.
Media Sources: BBC news, The Telegraph, NPR
What can you do to help the victims of Typhoon Megi?
UniversalGiving has many donation and volunteer opportunities that allow you to help the people of the Philippines. We thoroughly vet all of the NGOs featured on our site, assuring they all meet the highest standards of quality, transparency and trust. 100% of donations made through UniversalGiving go directly to these NGOs.
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The UniversalGiving Newsletter
Each month, we write about current issues in the international giving and nonprofit community.
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