Search Nonprofits

Empowering children/young girls through books, education and skills for a better tomorrow and enhance the capabilities understanding and powers of innovation in children/young girls with the aim to provide safe and secure learning environment. Our vision To enhance the understanding and creative abilities of our nation's children so that they can reach their maximum potential and stand shoulder to shoulder with children from all corners of the globe. Our Mission To empower children to think critically and creatively, to empathize and build bridges, to befriend books and learn skills. To provide access to quality books to improve reading proficiency of students in schools and communities to build a strong foundation of education for subsequent phases of learning To promote widespread reading culture among both the teachers and the students. To design innovative solutions partnerships to enhance the quality of education in Government schools to prepare our young girls to meet the challenges of today's world and grasp its opportunities. To stimulate and develop cognitive thinking in young minds and encourage students to explore and experiment with basic materials existing in their environment and understand the underlying scientific principles Brief overview Alif Laila Book Bus Society (ALBBS) traces its origin from the time when in 1978 an American couple - Dr. Nita Backer and Dr. Richard Baker - working at the American School in Lahore, came up with the idea to harness the reading potential in children and create a sense of affection for books. To make the whole concept attractive and child friendly, the society requested the Pakistan Road Transport Board to donate a Double Decker bus in which a library could be set up. Books were donated and soon afterwards the first Book Bus Library became functional. The idea proved to be a roaring success. Consequently to ensure provision of maximum benefit to the most vulnerable focus was placed on children enrolled in Government schools, whereas to widen the ambit of work the number of libraries was increased over time. Of these, the first set up in the double decker bus is a Stationed Bus Library, the second a Reference Library set up in a building, and the 2 Mobile Libraries and 3 rickshaw libraries for facilitating those children who cannot visit either of the above. From the time of its registration under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 in January 1979 till date, Alif Laila has focused on bringing books and children closer through setting up libraries small and big, in communities and in schools as well as its mobile library program. However, at the same time the organization has added interventions its portfolio that are congruent to its overall mission and vision. We focus on 6 main areas: 1) Access to quality children books; 2) Hands on learning 3) Teacher development; 4) Youth and women empowerment; 5) Public-private partnership; 6) Advocacy and 7) Development of ECE materials and children's books Scope of Work 1. Access To Quality Children Books Alif Laila is committed to targeting early literacy as the foundation of all other learning as an urgent priority. It has developed Pakistan's only comprehensive program to help our youngest citizens access quality children books. Alif Laila also believes in opening minds of our young ones through reading, a trait essential for any society to progress and have peace. In Lahore the unique library complex hosts Pakistan's pioneer children library and first mobile library. The mobile library program consists of 2 custom made small vehicles and a rickshaw. These mobile libraries serve low income communities as well as government schools. Rickshaw library is used for narrow streets. With the help of sponsors and donors we establish libraries of all sizes and shapes all over Pakistan, in schools and in communities. We focus on Pakistan's remote areas as well as communities in Gilgit-Baltistan. 2. Writing, printing and publishing children's books and Issue based books/posters 1. Bablo Bhai and Bhalo Mian 2. Bablo Bhai Ka Basta/ Babloo Bhais Bag (bilingual) 3. Kahani aik Jungle ki 4. Meri Dadi Amman aur Main/ My friend my dadi amaan (bilingual) 5. Dadi Amman aur Bachoon K Hoqooq 6. Dunya ki Kahani Chunti Ki Zubani 7. Meray Dadda Abba Aur Main 8. Childrens Voices 9. Babloo Bhai ki Choti Behan 10. Darkht Hamary Dost/ Trees are our friends (bilingual) 11. Aman/ Peace (bilingual) 12. Kazanay ki Talaash / Treasure Hunt (Bilingual) 13. Babloo Bhai aur Bahloo mian bagh mein 14. Bari si kitaab aur buhat se khuwaab / The book of little stories and big dreams (Bilingual) 15. Dada aur Dadi Amaan ke saath 16. Chachi giru and sita raam 17. Muskurahatein 18. Irgit Girgat 19. Khaniya rangon mein 20. Phool hotay hein surkh sada 21. Urdu Qaida 22. The girl who took things 23. Ahmed's Bicycle Eleven Books from these are National Book Foundation award winners. Mere Dada Abba aur Main' won the first prize in national book foundation's write and win contest. Poems on the environment and a rag picking girl's plea on posters Designed and printed posters on child rights the environment schools worthy of children and Alif Bay Pay Qaida 3. Hands-On Learning Program Under this program we offer free hands on learning classes in computers, art, craft and electronics to girls in government schools as well children from low income communities. It has 2 components; i) The Mobile Resource Centre. The mobile resource center carries a team of 4 instructors and the education kits . The team offers 2 hour long training to girls in classes of 6 and 7and ii) The Hobby Club Resource Centers located at the Alif Laila building serve children from low income communities. 4. Teacher Development Teacher development program targets capacity building in Early Childhood Education (ECE) as well as improving the capacity and development of skills of teachers in primary and middle school. We encourage teachers to enrich their teaching methods by involving experimentation and embedding arts, culture and creative approaches. We offer free capacity building workshops in government schools and low-cost private schools. We also conduct ECE trainings at Directorate of Staff Development, the prime teacher training institute of Government of the Punjab.. 5. Youth And Women Empowerment Our youth and women empowerment program focuses on i. Workshops and trainings enhancing employability of youth especially women through resume writing and interview skills workshops ii. Entrepreneurship workshops iii. Coaching craft skills to earn from home iv. Kitchen Gardening workshops to address challenges of urban food insecurity 6. Public-Private Partnership Under public-private partnership we work with the provincial governments in the following areas I- Setting up library corners in Government Primary Schools and training teachers on the use of library in their teaching to enhance reading proficiency and enrich learning II- Early Childhood Education-ECE a. ECE training workshops for government school teachers b. Setting up ECE Model Centers c. Setting up ECE centers in government school III- School improvement program IV- Revamping children corners in public libraries and redefining the role of public libraries as crucial partners for youth empowerment program 7. Advocacy Through policy dialogues with policy makers and innovative campaigns Alif Laila engages in advocacy for the following, Environment and recycling Grade Level Reading Proficiency Matters-Providing access to books in primary schools for reading proficiency Kitchen Gardening for urban food security and nutrition 8. Development Of ECE Materials And Children Books Alif Laila is a brand name in the development of ECE materials and also develops award winning children's books. Alif Laila is a key consultant in setting up ECE centers in the government schools in Punjab

Our mission is to promote and provide high-quality, holistic education to the underprivileged young people of Sierra Leone. We believe that the education of young women and men is essential to: unlock human potential, overcome poverty, improve wellbeing, build democracy, and that it is the cornerstone of stable development. For the last 25 years EducAid has been working to restore and strengthen education during and in the aftermath of Sierra Leone's civil war (1991-2002). During the conflict, education was an early casualty with many teachers fleeing the country and thousands of children being denied access to education. The country is still struggling to rebuild schools, train teachers and reach vulnerable girls and boys who are yet to see the inside of a classroom. We believe in the power of education to eliminate poverty and the challenges standing in the way of a democratic, dignified and globally-engaged Sierra Leone. EducAid provides free, high quality education to some of the most vulnerable and underprivileged children in Sierra Leone. EducAid operates 7 free schools, serving 1,200 children (1 Primary, 4 Junior Secondary and 2 Senior Secondary). The effectiveness of EducAid's innovative, student-centred approach to education is demonstrated by the fact that, despite many of our students coming from turbulent backgrounds, they regularly achieve 85% pass rates in all national exams. EducAid also trains teachers at over 100 partner schools as part of our Quality Enhancement Programme (QEP) working closely with communities and local education officials to raise the standard of education for children across the Port Loko district and beyond. Furthermore, EducAid run a tertiary-level degree course with the University of Makeni. EducAid's success stems from its grassroots and Sierra Leonean-driven approach. Of our 120 staff, only 3 are UK based with only 3 expats in Sierra Leone. Most EducAid staff are former students, knowing first hand the vulnerability faced by children in Sierra Leone and the power of education to change this, they inform our work each day. EducAid has spent decades developing relationships and earning the trust of communities by working alongside them. This is evidenced by communities giving EducAid land for schools, attending school meetings, community elders working with EducAid to keep girls in school, and EducAid's work as a trusted, stable presence during Ebola. EducAid was one of the few organisations that stayed on the ground, converting schools to care centres and delivering remote learning via radio broadcasts and moped-delivered USB sticks. EducAid also opened doors to children, many of whom are girls, who had lost their families to Ebola, and more recently to the devastating mudslides. EducAid's programs and innovations work because they come from the staff, students and communities they serve.

Outreach Uganda is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Colorado and dedicated to helping empower Ugandans, especially women and children, to rise out of poverty. To do this, we work with village groups in Uganda to bring hope and improve lives, especially in the areas of education, women's empowerment, and self-sufficiency through job creation. Initially, our village groups help support themselves and their families through sales of paper beaded jewelry and other craft items. The beaders save money from their bead sales so they can then start own group or individual businesses to supplement their income and eventually we hope it will be their main source of income. Micro-credit loans from their group's internal revolving loan fund provides additional help for the ladies to either start businesses or further expand their existing businesses to a level that will help them rise above poverty. As an organization, we emphasize to both our donors and our clients that we believe in truly empowering those we help. In everything we do, we seek to be a partner with those we serve so that they do not become dependent on us, and so that we do not take away their spirit of wanting to help themselves. We believe that income-generation of the women, and education of the children is the way that families can truly become empowered. But it is essential to take a holistic approach and focus on multiple areas, all of which impact the woman's income-generation potential. For instance, a woman must be relatively healthy to be a successful business owner. Therefore, we must also help a woman address issues of health. For many of our women in northern Uganda, agriculture and the raising of cash crops will be key to their income generation potential. Therefore, agricultural issues, water issues and even land access and rights become important areas to address.

Gruppo Aleimar is a non-profit voluntary organization that deals with children and families in need both in Italy and abroad, through the Distance Support, projects of development and awareness-raising and human development activities on the Italian territory. The main areas of our development projects are: 1. Education: taking charge of children in family (natural or adoptive), in foster homes and shelters, schooling and vocational training. 2. Health and hygiene awareness: support to clinics and / or hospitals, funding of surgical operations, seminars for young mothers. 3. Women promotion: start-up of agriculture and livestock, creation of production cooperatives, micro-credit financing. 4. Rural villages' development: water well, kindergarten, solar energy for light and water pumps. 5. Women' refuge and social housing for families in temporary need. The Aleimar Group is active today in 12 countries (Benin, Brazil, Colombia, D.R. Congo, Eritrea, India, Italy, Malawi, Palestine, Kenya, Lebanon, Zambia) with more than 50 projects and takes care directly of 600 children (what we call distance support) and, indirectly, of other 2,500 children that we follow within our projects. The Group comprises Aleimar for overseas project; Tuendelee for Italian projects and Prema, a cooperative for mentally disabled youth. The Group hires five people and relays on the voluntary service of 140 people. Its annual turnover is abt.1,2 million euro and overhead cost is less than 10%. Its balance sheet is checked and approved by internal auditors. We have been granted a seal of quality "Donare con fiducia" by the Istituto Italiano Donazione. Its web sites are: www.aleimar.it and www.tuendelee.net. In 30 years of activity the Group has helped more than 10.000 children/families, has built more than 100 foster homes, orphanages, schools and water wells.

Our mission is to provide outstanding education and leadership opportunities to women and youth. Leymah Gbowee is best known as the extraordinary woman who launched a powerful movement of thousands of women-from 16 different ethnic groups, across religious divides-to end Liberia's bloody civil war. Back in 1999, when the country, after a brief period of calm, was thrown once again into chaos, when women and children faced unprecedented levels of cruelty and displacement, when a quarter of a million people died and many more fled, and when the economic, political and educational systems threatened to completely collapse, the network of Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace took matters into their own hands. Boldly, the women marched in the streets; clamored for the deployment of foreign peacekeepers; demanded a ceasefire; spoke passionately in public forums; held pray-ins, sit-ins and a sex strike; demanded the resumption of peace talks when they stalled; and blockaded the peace talks with their bodies, forcing warlords to negotiate. With those actions, the women achieved the impossible without a single shot. They ended Liberia's civil war, deposing the nation's notorious leader Charles Taylor, ushering in a hopeful new period of democratic self-governance, and paving the way for the election of Liberia-and Africa's-first female president. But that was not the end of the story; in fact, it was the beginning. As history attests, peace is not a moment; it is a process. Building a lasting peace demands recognizing the importance of the empowerment and participation of women; that, in turn, demands ensuring that women and girls have access to education for life and leadership. It has been and remains the dream of Leymah Gbowee- awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 for her work in ending Liberia's civil war-to see women and girls empowered in Liberia, throughout West Africa, and worldwide to realize their own dreams and work confidently towards humanity's shared dream of peace and security. She believes that journey to sustainable peace must begin with girls' education. A major step towards achieving that goal came in 2012 when Gbowee founded the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa in Liberia. With offices in the capital city, Monrovia, GPFA is Liberia's leading grassroots, community-based organization dedicated to building sustainable peace in that country and throughout West Africa. It is focused on girls' education, women's empowerment, sustaining the peace, and ensuring security that goes beyond freedom from violence and war to encompass all aspects of human security-for food, health, environmental, personal, political and community security. In the short years since Leymah Gbowee founded the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa in Liberia, we have seen how eager Liberia's girls are to take advantage of the opportunity to follow their own dreams and help to make the dreams of their families and their communities come true. Today, GPFA is the leading grassroots, community-based organization in Liberia dedicated to building sustainable peace, increasing access to education for women and girls and supporting their full and active participation in the economic, social and political life of the country. GPFA achieves its goals through a comprehensive program of scholarships, mentoring, internships, leadership development and community-building activities.

Girl Determined is a leadership project designed to assist girls ages 12-17 to avoid the pitfalls of trafficking, dangerous labor and other forms of violence, by facilitating girls' recognition of their personal and group potential. Because of our belief in girls as potential change-agents in their households, communities and nations, our program aims to increase girls' ability to make strategic life-decisions, generate choices and exercise bargaining power. This real empowerment creates opportunities for girls to better cope with their difficulties, envision alternatives and take leadership into their own hands. The underlying premise of Girl Determined work is that educating, connecting, supporting and fostering the development of personal and group voice amongst marginalized adolescent girls will derail cycles of abuse, poverty and neglect. Not only is adolescence a period when girls are gaining abstract thinking skills and sexual awareness, it is a time when they are all too quickly being pressured to take on adult responsibility and this is particularly for girls, resulting in lost growth and development opportunities. The rights of girls in Burma is often regarded as being equal to that of boys and girls rights, in general, is not thought of as a serious issue in the country, despite the fact that the sexual exploitation and the trafficking of young girls to China for forced marriage, for example, continues to increase, or that the so-called "un-wrapping" of girls (selling young, virgin girls into prostitution) continues to take place on the outskirts of Burma's most prosperous cities-Rangoon and Mandalay. This apathy, social acceptance and tolerance of rights violations against girls smacks of an underlying gender discrimination: a discrimination which forces more girls to drop out of school so their male siblings can continue; compels girls to engage in child labour, to support their families income or, more accurately, the short, often paltry economic interests of their parents/household at the expense of the best interest of the child. Girl Determined's work empowers girls to achieve that which is in their own best interest while working structurally to establish mechanisms for greater awareness of the specific needs of adolescent girls, their protection and increasing their life-opportunities. Girl Determined employs a three-pronged strategic approach: 1. Individual transformation - Adolescent girls will go through some form of personal transformation lending to a change in a girl's understanding of personal power and rights. Shifts will include reduction of shame and fear regarding violence, ability to identify and express situations of discrimination, value of self and education, motivation and skill to actively make decisions about ones future. 2. Network mobilization - Girls will develop a sense of connectedness with girls from across the country through their shared experiences and complex differences. By bringing girls together across space, through 'by-girls, for-girls' media projects, Girls' Forum and our Girls Advisory Board, girls will mobilize as defenders and actors. This wide network also creates a structure through which other programs could potentially be realized. 3. Research and Advocacy - Evidence-based research will assist Girl Determined in bringing increased attention to the plight and power of the girl child in Burma. We will focus research and related advocacy domestically, pushing governmental and non-governmental agencies to recognize the specific needs of girls in their programming.

Village Health Partnership (VHP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that works for safer motherhood in rural Ethiopia. VHP's mission is to prevent maternal and neonatal death in childbirth, and to treat and prevent gynecologic complications of childbirth. To achieve this mission, programs are focused on healthcare, capacity building, and education and training. To demonstrate how VHP works to accomplish its mission, our three-prong approach to maternal health needs in Ethiopia is discussed below. Healthcare: Encouraging women to seek treatment is vital to overcoming barriers to safer motherhood. In rural Ethiopia 78% of women do not seek medical care during pregnancy or for delivery because of local customs, fear of the outside world, and challenges faced when traveling to reach medical facilities. Unfortunately, when women in Ethiopia do not receive proper medical care during pregnancy and childbirth, they have a 50% chance of developing a debilitating and sometimes deadly complication. The Screen, Transport and Treat (STT) Program aims to reduce or remove all three barriers to maternal health that involve the decision to seek medical care, the ability to reach medical facilities, and the ability to receive adequate treatment.Through the STT Program, our partners travel to rural communities where they identify women suffering from these complications and arrange for transportation to the nearest health facility where they undergo surgical treatment. Capacity Building: As VHP's treatment efforts grow, further expansion of the Screen, Transport, and Treat Program is challenged by the marginal capacity to treat in the health facilities in which we work. In general, medical facilities in rural communities have limited infrastructure, resources, and ability to provide basic maternal health care. VHP works with rural health facilities and district hospitals to increase capacity with the following: - Access to reliable, consistent sources of water - Concrete pit latrines - Hand washing stations and soap - Fenced biohazard areas with placenta pit and incinerator - Maternity waiting areas that include: - Kitchen - Pit latrine/shower - Tap - Light in labor and delivery - Implementation of the Clean and Safe Healthcare Initiative (CASH) Education and Training As the demand for maternal healthcare rises, so too does the need for trained professionals. In Ethiopia, there is only one physician trained in obstetrics and gynecology for every 1.8 million people. In remote health centers and hospitals, nurses, nurse-midwives, and health officers deliver babies. These medical providers are also in short supply and often inadequately trained. In 2016 VHP beta tested a model for educating all health center providers in neonatal resuscitation and obstetric care. With permission from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), VHP is the first and only organization to translate the Helping Babies Breathe curriculum into Amharic, the Ethiopian national language. We then trained 78 rural healthcare providers in this program. VHP has since expanded the education and training programs to include: 1. Skill building for rural health care providers 2. Basic Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care training for nurse-midwives practicing in the field 3. Scholarship program for village women who wish to become nurse-midwives VHP training programs aim to build a strong and confident rural work force that is fully equipped to provide skilled assistance at the time of delivery. Further, VHP focuses on training students to become trainers themselves to make this effort more sustainable.

Kenya Keys unlocks the potential of students in impoverished Kenyan communities, raising awareness and bridging cultures to provide education, mentorship, leadership development and girl empowerment opportunities. In the rural Kinango District of Kenya there are many obstacles to education, but there is one organization working hard to remove those barriers for as many young Kenyans as possible. That group is Kenya Keys and its purpose is to unlock the enormous potential of young people in Kenya. Kenya Keys is a vibrant demonstration that one person really can make a big difference. In June 2005, Rinda Hayes and her daughter traveled to the remote village of Bahakwenu in the impoverished Kinango District in Kenya. Rinda was stunned by the extreme poverty she found in Bahakwenu. She was also inspired by the tenacity of the children in the village, who longed to get an education. She had never observed such a single-minded desire to learn. Perhaps no Kenyan impressed Rinda more than Joseph Mwengea, the Headmaster of Bahakwenu Primary School. Joseph is an intelligent and driven man and a determined advocate for his students. As he and Rinda met together during her first visit to his village, he pleaded with her to help him help the students of Bahakwenu. He watched bright and capable students leave primary school with little or no hope of attending secondary school due to their inability to pay the required fees. After her visit, Rinda was determined to share her stories of this community and the people who had so impressed her with her friends in the United States. She believed she could find caring American individuals and families that would be able to provide financial support for top Kenyan students, enabling these students to complete a secondary education. The Kenya Keys sponsorship program began with 14 students. Five years later it became the nonprofit organization of Kenya Keys. Kenya Keys has supported hundreds of students - to secondary school and now into college and university. And that's not all. Kenya Keys' work has expanded to include multiple worthwhile related programs. Kenya Keys works with local communities to improve educational infrastructure and resources, such as libraries, dormitories, classrooms, desks, and more. The Kenya Keys Boards of Directors (one in the U.S. and one in Kenya) also provide financial and other support to grassroots organizations run by local Kenyan community leaders and councils. Each of these components of Kenya Keys' efforts in rural Kenya is described more fully in the following section. Everything Kenya Keys does is guided by its founding principles: First, education is the primary key to unlocking potential, both for the individual and for the community. Second, cultural awareness and exchange is vital and enriching for all participants. We live in an increasingly connected world, and exposure to new cultures and ideas is key to creating understanding and appreciation for one's own culture and for the cultures of others. Third, opportunities, not handouts, are what make a lasting difference. There should be no giving of things that run out or wear out. Giving such things only increases dependency, invites discontent, and isolates the givers from the receivers. Instead, giving should empower the receiver and provide an enduring benefit. Fourth: volunteerism is fundamental to the success of an organization. Nonprofit groups run by volunteers remain strong and dynamic. Volunteerism also connects global citizens in a meaningful way. Fifth, education provides the best defense against the ranges of poverty and hopelessness, and is the greatest catalyst for change and growth. Sixth, all critical decisions should be made by local leaders and councils. Local leaders and community members know their own needs and circumstances far better than any outsider, however well-intentioned. Allowing local people to make key decisions gives them vital ownership and accountability. It also provides the opportunity for these individuals to develop crucial leadership skills. Kenyans will always find the best solutions to the deep-seated challenges in their communities. Finally, education and the development of leadership skills in today's youth is critical to building the future leaders of Kenya.

Overall women in Cambodia undergo a high number of abortions, and unplanned pregnancies are frequent. Many women die from unsafe abortions and those that continue with their pregnancy are often ostracised from their families and communities, and live in poverty. There are no social services existing within Cambodia to help these women. Many women in Cambodia come from extremely vulnerable situations, being that trafficking, sexual abuse, HIV and poverty are real issues today. Mother's Heart vision is to provide unconditional love to women facing crisis pregnancies and to see women empowered with choices, so that they can make the best decision for their future and the future of their babies. Vision and Mission The vision & mission of Mother's Heart is quite simple but it drives the work that we do every day. Our aim is to: Provide crisis pregnancy counseling in Cambodia Empower women with choices Support for every woman facing an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy What Makes Mother's Heart Special? We are the first crisis pregnancy counselling service in Cambodia We love unconditionally and respect each person we serve We respect and support a person's individual choice through giving them relevant, timely information We don't discriminate or judge but serve all in need We support (walk with) women and their families who face crisis pregnancies. The Start Mothers Heart was founded in 2010 by Katrina Gliddon and a small-dedicated team to respond to the lack of choice for women in Cambodia facing unplanned pregnancies. Research showed that abortion was a main form of contraception, sometimes resulting in maternal death. Cambodia did not have crisis pregnancy consulting services and there was no existing services providing women with viable alternatives to abortion. Built on a solid foundation of 25 years of Mother's Choice in Hong Kong, Mother's Heart was born, adapted to the unique Cambodian challenges and culture. What We Do Pregnant Woman's Services Mother's Heart believes that every young woman who faces crisis pregnancy has a right to know the options available to her. We offer non-judgmental support from social workers throughout the decision making process. We provide holistic and loving support for young pregnant women through their challenging decision, so they can make the best decision for their future and the future of their baby. Counselling Counselling is available for single pregnant girls and women, their boyfriends and families. Our on site counselling service includes guidance and support on making a plan for the baby, parenting and post abortion help. We support single girls and women when facing a crisis pregnancy, not only do we give them access to counselling; we also aim at helping them understand the choices ahead and the respective consequences. This process will enable them make critical decisions for themselves and their baby. Every single girl or woman in our program has a social worker and midwife assigned to their case, so they have on-going support every step of their journey. Accomodation Many women in our program are from poor and vulnerable backgrounds and require safe temporary housing during their pregnancies and postnatal period. We believe the best place for them is within their local community where their support networks have already been established. If they already have a small room we provide them with rental assistance and food allowance each month. Otherwise we provide them with a room, sometimes sharing with other young pregnant women within the local community. This helps women stay independent and to have some responsibility for their everyday living. With special cases (teenage pregnancies, rape etc.) that require a safe secure place to stay, we have referral agencies that partner with us to provide temporary Hostel accommodation until a permanency plan has been establish for the client. Health Care Mother's Heart finances antenatal, delivery, postnatal, all medical needs of the client and baby. The staff accompanies each women to their appointments and advocate for the best possible care. We use already existing government health care centre. We firmly believe in capacity building by utilizing local existing government and community healthcare services already available here in Cambodia. Therefore, women will learn how to access health care for themselves and their babies in the future. Ongoing referrals. Women also have access to health care for sexually transmitted diseases, HIV care for mother and baby, and contraception counselling and distribution. As part of our health care, all women have access to multivitamins during pregnancy and lactation, as over 75% of Cambodia population are micro nutrient deficient because of their diets. Preparing for Birth We offer antenatal training to the women we work with to help them prepare for the birth and the early days of parenthood. We also have on-going positive parenting training and child development training, so women can share their experiences and learn together. Longer Term Following the birth of a child it is important that foundations are established so that the women and their families can support the child in the future. Mother's Heart works with partners to support women to access appropriate vocational training and job opportunities. Fostering & Adoption We realise that for some girls and women keeping their child after the pregnancy is not an option. Every child deserves a family. According to the Government policies, Kinship care should be the first option then local adoption, permanent fostering, overseas adoption and the last resource being temporary orphanage placement until a family can be found. Mother's Heart works with specialist partner organisations and government services to provide foster care and adoption within the local community. Advocating Many of the girls and women that we work with have lost their voice with regard to what they deserve or how they should be treated. We advocate on their behalf for community care and better family support for every child. Very often the girls and women in our program need support and specialist care. We are able to work with many specialist partners that help the women access other services (legal, counselling for trafficking, rape, HIV, mental health). We have many wonderful partner agencies that work together with us to bring wholeness to each girl and woman in our program. Education We understand that unplanned pregnancies will always be a part of the world we live in, so we want to be more than just the solution to the problem. Mother's Heart seeks to educate communities around the issues of unplanned pregnancy.

Perched atop the buried pre-classic Maya city of Chocola, the village of Chocola on the back slopes of the volcanoes that form Lake Atitlan, is poverty stricken yet poised to become a model of cultural celebration and self-sufficiency. What it needs most is leadership training and technical support to develop its potential for diversified agriculture, archeological-tourism, health care for its families and education for its children. In its simplest terms, the mission of Seeds for a Future is to help this impoverished community plan and achieve prosperity based on balanced development principles that protect cultural tradition, the natural environment and preserve the Mayan and post-colonial history of the town. Seeds for a Future traces its roots to the period from 2003 through 2006 when many Earthwatch Institute volunteers came to Chocola to work on the archaeological site, which was then being excavated under license from the Guatemalan government. The volunteers embraced being associated with an important archaeological endeavor and learned about the vast pre-Classic Maya city that may hold keys to the early development of Mayan language, system of time and other fundamental cultural practices. At the same time, many of us fell in love with the community, its families and children and the fabulous, healthy mountain environment. As a result, groups of volunteers organized to help a community struggling with terrible poverty and deprivation to find a way to prosperity without destroying their way of life or the delicate balance of their natural environment. A vision emerged among a core of volunteers, Guatemalan visionaries and local leaders in which Chocola is seen as lifting itself into a more healthy and prosperous community based on its historic farming skills, adding value to its coffee, vegetable and cacao producers and through community cooperative action. In the future, there is great promise for the development of Chocola as a tourist destination based on archaeo-tourism; conservation of the natural resources in which the community is embedded and conservation of one of the first and greatest coffee processing plants (beneficios) established during the 1890s. But we also discovered in the early years that before Chocola could begin to realize its potential, the people needed training in identifying their own vision for the future, learning to work together and acquiring the technical skills needed for success. Overcoming 500 years of economic and social servitude is not easily done, but real progress is being made and our program has been recognized as ground-breaking, by the Guatemalan Ministry of Culture and others. Four operating principles guide the work we do: We provide information and technical assistance to the people of Chocola to help them evaluate new opportunities and to plan. We provide direct funding and other forms of support for community requests for assistance on specific projects. These requests must come through Chocola leadership and must demonstrate sustainability and a willingness and capability of the community to provide part of the needed resources. All programs must aim at achieving self-sufficiency. We will help with programs that governmental agencies believe may be of value, provided that they too meet the same test as is noted for the community above. All such requests must be consistent with our mission to help the people and do no harm to either the Maya archaeological site or to the 1890 Coffee Finca site. In all of our programs we try to ensure that the participants become more engaged in the social and civil fabric, that they gain self confidence in their ability to change their own future for the better, and that we provide knowledge and coaching for a sufficient period of time that their activities and new ideas become self-sustaining in the community.

The mission of Synergy Services, Inc is to strengthen the individual, family, and community through crisis intervention, shelter, counseling, advocacy, and education. Synergy provides a "lifeline for families and individuals in crisis."  Through an interconnected set of services, the agency provides individuals and families with prevention education, immediate respite from violence, and support to assist them in their ability to find and choose good options for safe and successful futures.

The mission of Jackson County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is to be a child's voice in court. We recruit, train, and support lay volunteers who act as advocates on behalf of the best interests of children who have experienced abuse or neglect.   We have two goals: To secure a safe, permanent home for each child. To advocate for appropriate medical, educational, and therapeutic resources while the child is under Court jurisdiction.