Trying to make my mark on the world.
I've always had an avid interest in human rights, and I've always wished I could do something other than read about issues around the world. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I can! Here are a few sites I find quite amazing:
www.freerice.org This project is ingenious and incredibly simple. Answer trivia questions to earn rice that is sent to hungry families. 10 grains for each question doesn't seem like much, but it adds up quickly. I've earned 6000 grains easily in an hour. So much fun, and doing so much good!
www.34millionfriends.org This project, which started as a grassroots attempt to make up for the $34million in funding cut from the UN human rights organization UNFPA, has grown and persisted to raise human rights awareness and funding for years. The best part? You can make a difference by simply mailing one dollar. I just mailed mine! Great for college and high school students.
www.kiva.org Kiva lets users make loans to borrowers around the world. Users can select by country and read about the people applying for loans, so you can see where your money is going. Loans are added up from several users, so you can provide as little or as much as you want; for example, students in my politics class all received $25 gift cards to make loans. It's pretty cool that you can see exactly who gets the money, and you eventually get paid back.
www.amnestyusa.org Amnesty International, one of the most universally known NGOs. There's so much on the website you can do, from volunteering to making donations to (if you're a broke college student like me) simply sending messages to policymakers. Totally inspiring, just watch out because all their stories are so moving it's difficult to say no.
