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This tech is bringing water to Navajo Nation by pulling it out of the air

Kristin Toussaint

July 22, 2020 |

FastCompany |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Navajo Nation, Arizona

Zero Mass Water partnered with the Navajo Nation to bring water into the homes of rural residents who may not have easy access to a water source. Hydropanels that connect to a tap inside the home use sunlight to absorb enough water vapor to make at least 10 liters of water per day. While people at first were skeptical about the idea during a pilot test, the company and Navajo officials are hoping to scale the solution.

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Blockchain technology to boost power access in rural areas

Faustine Ngila

July 14, 2020 |

Nation Africa |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Kenya

A micro-grid system has been paired with blockchain technology to easily sell and buy affordable and clean energy in rural Kenya. Residents living in the countryside don't generally have access to reliable and affordable electricity but this new technology allows rural Kenyans to install solar panels on their homes and easily sell surplus electricity to neighbors. The pilot program is a result of a collaboration between an NGO and a local tech company.

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U.S. town creates local currency to boost coronavirus relief

Gregory Scruggs

July 09, 2020 |

Thomson Reuters Foundation |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Tenino, Washington

Facing the economic strain from the financial fallout caused by the coronavirus crisis, Tenino is printing its own money like it once did in the wake of the Great Depression. The small town in Washington has issued at least $2,500 worth of wooden bills to exclusively be used for small businesses on Main Street. Thirteen residents have applied for the funds and $150 have been spent by residents on necessities as of June. Other small towns across the country have already sent inquiries to the mayor of Tenino, seeking to imitate Tenino's effort.

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Minnesota Food Shelves Go Mobile To Fight Hunger

Gaby Galvin

June 29, 2020 |

U.S. News & World Report |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Sleepy Eye, Minnesota

Food banks and relief groups in Minnesota are delivering food to rural and suburban communities as food insecurity rises across the state. Suburban poverty presents unique challenges because communities are spread out and lack public transportation as well as social services, underscoring the importance of mobile food deliveries. Food pantries have been overburdened since March as more and more people experience food insecurity for the first time. One group reported a drastic increase in the number of people served, with 68 percent using the pantry service for the very first time.

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A Portland foundation's infusion of talent and money helps set small Maine town back on its feet

Ernie Clark

June 21, 2020 |

Bangor Daily News |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Monson, Maine

A Portland-based foundation has revitalized a small town in Maine with the establishment of an arts colony, reconstruction of old buildings in downtown, and a full health center - a rarity for small towns. A declining population and the shuttering of major businesses contributed to the decline of Monson. The Libra Foundation's philanthropic efforts have spurred enthusiasm within the town well known for being the last stop along the Appalachian Trail.

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For Indigenous Zapotec Families, Spinning Becomes a Lifeline

Tracy Barnett

June 17, 2020 |

Yes! Magazine |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Mexico, Oaxaca

Mark Brown has brought Ghandian economic principles of economic justice and local autonomy to the Mexican countryside to form a farm-to-garment textile business that employs villagers who once made woolen textiles until the industrial clothing era started producing cheap synthetic clothing and rendered their craft unprofitable. Khadi Oaxaca aims to regenerate the village way of life in a sustainable way and employs several hundred villagers who grow the cotton, spin the thread, design the clothing and bring it to market for tourists - bringing a previously economically depressed village out of poverty.

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Solar Power Fills Gaps in Underserviced Rural Argentina

Daniel Gutman

June 10, 2020 |

Inter Press Service News Agency |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Argentina, Entre Rios

Solar energy has provided an affordable and efficient source of energy to rural farmers in Argentina, who live too far off the electrical grid and have traditionally relied on powerful diesel-fueled water pumps. Solar panels have reduced carbon emissions, eliminated the need for expensive diesel fuel, as well as the hassle of transporting it to the countryside - often over rough roads. The initial investment in solar panels is recouped in a short amount of time and has resulted in a drastic reduction in water consumption.

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Churches are an unlikely ally in solving the rural internet access puzzle

Liora Engel-Smith

May 21, 2020 |

North Carolina Health News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Robbinsville, North Carolina

With the help of a program that enables churches to assess the needs of their community and create solutions, one reverend in North Carolina was able to provide a lifeline: internet access. Rural communities like his in North Carolina struggle with internet access and are unable to schedule vital telehealth visits, complete school work or work from home. The funds paid for internet as well as several old computers and 14 hotspots.

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This rag-tag group of DIYers has an answer for rural PA's internet problem

Min Xian

March 03, 2020 |

WHYY |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania

The Rural Broadband Cooperative took matters into its own hands after local and state politicians failed to provide high-speed internet for their rural Pennsylvania county. Telecommunications companies did not consider Huntingdon County a priority so community members who include carpenters, welders, and crane operators all came together to find a solution for a problem that affected everyone from children to business owners and realized all they needed was a radio tower on a mountaintop. The group built and installed it themselves, spending only $50,000 and providing internet for 1,000 locals.

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Has one of the Valley's poorest districts figured out how to keep kids in school?

Manuela Tobias

February 19, 2020 |

The Fresno Bee |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Fresno, California

A school attendance campaign in a rural California district relies on buy-in from a variety of community partners. For instance, administrators supported the construction of a new health clinic next to the school, concentrating multiple key resources on one block and making it easier for parents to access health care for their children.

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