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Valentine's Day Flowers Don't Have to Be So Bad for the Earth After All

Claire Ballentine

January 28, 2020 |

Bloomberg |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

The supply chain for Valentine's Day flowers is incredibly toxic for the environment and produces mass amounts of waste. In response, a "floral gifting" service industry emerged in which flowers from special events can get repurposed or recycled. One such company, NYC-based Repeat Roses, has a special service that restyles the flowers into petite bouquets to donate to hospitals, nursing homes, and family shelters. Their efforts have diverted more than 98 tons of waste from landfills and delivered almost 53,000 floral arrangements to people in need.

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Nepal: Cafe with cause helps trafficking survivors

Deepak Adhikari

January 17, 2020 |

Anadolu Agency |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Nepal, Kathmandu

Nonprofits in Nepal have turned to social enterprise to provide a source of income for the people they typically serve through donations. The enterprise operations help them raise more funding for their projects and reduces their need to rely entirely on donor funding. Job training and employment also provide the beneficiaries with a sense of confidence due to their new-found independence.

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Honeycomb Credit expands to Philly to help small business owners get crowdsourced loans

Jessica Press

January 14, 2020 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Founded in Pittsburgh, Honeycomb Credit expands to Philadelphia as a way to offer small businesses help with microfinance challenges. The company hosts a platform that allows businesses to create fundraising profiles; community members can watch a video about the business and decide to invest and receive monthly payouts from their contribution.

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Microlending Sparks Hope and Renewal in Rochester, N.Y.

David Kidd

January 07, 2020 |

Governing |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Rochester, New York

In 2016, the city of Rochester, NY partnered with Kiva—a crowd-funded microlender—to serve aspiring or established small-business owners. Their partnership offers interest-free loans, and already 20 of the loans have been fully repaid. This article looks at six different case studies of residents who have benefitted from the program.

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No Sex For Fish: How Women In A Fishing Village Are Fighting For Power

Rebecca Davis

December 26, 2019 |

NPR |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Kenya, Nduru Beach

Along Kenya's Lake Victoria, the practice of jaboya - where fishermen guarantee that day's catch to a woman fish trader in exchange for sexual favors - is all too common, in part due to a lack of economic opportunity in small villages. Kenya's fishing communities also have rates of HIV prevalence between 30% and 40%. To combat these issues, local women and non-profits teamed up to start No Sex for Fish, an organization committed to providing women fish traders their own boats so they could catch the fish themselves. While initial results were promising, the initiative ultimately has not yet succeeded.

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This startup is using geo-tagging and blockchain to fight deforestation in Africa

Paul Adepoju

December 24, 2019 |

CNN |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Ethiopia, Addis Ababa

The My Roots in Africa Project is an initiative of a group called the Most Influential People of African Descent, which seeks to build connection between Africans in Africa and elsewhere around the world through the act of having trees planted in their honor to combat deforestation, especially in West and East Africa. The project will complement the mission of the Great Green Wall and the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative, both of which also aim to plant large numbers of trees across Africa.

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Are 'ableist' economies depriving themselves of the purple pound?

Mathilda Mallinson

December 20, 2019 |

Pioneers Post |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Indonesia, Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta

Although Indonesia is making efforts to improve disability rights, progress is slow. In the meantime, a group called Economic Empowerment for Entrepreneurs with Disability (EEED) was formed in partnership with the British Council’s DICE (Developing Inclusive Creative Economies) program. Participants in the program learn entrepreneurial skills by creating their own social enterprise, supplemented by lessons in things like marketing and management. This helps those in Indonesia with disabilities become socioeconomically independent and able to envision a develop a meaningful vision of the future.

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Digital platforms help to save traditional Nepalese homes

Deepak Adhikari

December 15, 2019 |

Nikkei Asia |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Nepal, Kathmandu

A Nepalese company called Traditional Homes was formed in order to restore traditional Newari homes to prevent them from being demolished. The houses are by the indigenous Newar people of the Kathmandu Valley and boast beautiful latticed windows and courtyards. These small restoration projects have taken off thanks to websites like TripAdvisor and Booking.com. Not only does the money go directly to the locals supporting the new bed-and-breakfasts, but tourists also receive an authentic and homey experience.

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Kenyan scientist builds with bottles to beat plastic pollution

Nita Bhalla

December 13, 2019 |

Thomson Reuters Foundation |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Kenya, Gilgil

Repurposing plastic waste into construction materials reduces pollution and lessens the carbon footprint of construction. Eco Blocks and Tiles, an environmentally-savvy company based in Gigil, Kenya, manufactures roof tiles from discarded plastic and glass. The value-added product is more durable and lighter than clay. The company has received support through crowd funding and grants, and has also attracted the attention of Kenya’s National Construction Authority (NCA).

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The Green Jobs That Could Help Save the Amazon

Esha Chhabra

December 12, 2019 |

Vice |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Brazil

Bia Saldanha works with community members in Brazil to tap trees in the Amazon for rubber as a way to create sustainable income and discourage other practices like cattle farming and logging that has led to deforestation. While the locals were hesitant at first, she worked with the shoe company Veja to pay them more than the market rate. Now, Veja uses about 340 tons of natural rubber annually and works with 10 rubber tapper groups in eight municipalities. "We are not just buying rubber," she says. "We are also paying for forest conservation."

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