GivologyOur creative philantropy project The Temporary Tattoo Project hits Groupon Gives for the NYC area! Help them provide a safe haven to a child in need! Find out more here: http://gr.pn/I4Fhn3
2 April 2012
A bad thing:
Developing countries in Africa received less in overseas aid last year than they paid for oil imports.
Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/01/overseas-aid-africa-oil-imports-costs
Givology will be in Battery Park THIS SATURDAY, promoting awareness. We want to share our amazing cause with you, and are also curious to hear the impact education has in your life.
Not to mention, we’ll be giving out free candy and having a great time! We encourage everyone to come out and be a part of Givology’s cause!
About Givology: Launched in March 2008 by students at the University of Pennsylvania, we are an Internet online giving marketplace for education that leverages small dollar donations to support grassroots projects and student scholarships in the developing world. As a P2P community at the forefront of the internet microphilanthropy revolution, Givology partners with NGOs and schools throughout the world and connects internet donors to grassroots causes. Learn more here: Givology.
Givology volunteers spend hours translating letters from students so that our donors can connect with them, understand their plight, and know that every dollar they give is worth it. When translating these letters, we volunteers can’t help feeling more connected to the cause and wanting to give more of our time. Read thoughts from our President, Jennifer Chen, on how translating letters keeps her grounded and gives her perspective to appreciate the little things we tend to take for granted.
The Washington, DC-based More than Me Foundation carries out a very powerful mission: to get as many Liberian girls off the streets and into school. But as Stephanie Hood, More than Me’s executive director, explains, the organization strives to achieve an even larger mission. In this interview, Stephanie recounts her recent trip to Liberia to set up the school year for the Foundation’s girls, shares the progress on the ground, and highlights what’s up ahead for More than Me.
Interview by Genna Weiss 
(Stephanie Hood, center)
Briefly tell us about More than Me and its mission.
More than Me is a small non-profit whose mission is to get girls into school, and our vision is to provide girls with access to education. We work in West Point, a slum of Monrovia, Liberia, and have assured long-term educational access to over 100 girls. We have two Liberian part-time staff, but the rest of our staff is made up of a global network of volunteers. We like to say that our larger mission is giving people all over the world an opportunity to live “More than Me,” for a cause greater than themselves.
How did you get involved with More than Me? What is your role within the organization?
I became involved with More than Me Foundation when the ink was still wet on the 501(c)3 paperwork back in 2009. Katie, the founder of More than Me, had posted on Couchsurfing.org that she wanted to start a project to help girls in Liberia. I answered her post, we met, we recognized our complete opposite personalities could make a dream a reality, and we hit the ground running.
The title we tell people I have, when people ask for titles, is Executive Director. Really, my job is to do what needs to be done, and because of my skill set that usually means coordinating the administrative side of More than Me. One of the things I like the most about our organization is we try to create an environment where we find an outlet for all skills, and we find people then naturally fall into and excel in roles where they naturally are inclined. Have lots of friends? Invite them to a fundraiser. Love taking photos? Take photos at our events. Are you organized and like to manage projects (me)? Become the Executive Director of our organization.
You recently traveled to Liberia to see the girls. What were you aiming to accomplish on this particular visit? 
This will be More than Me’s third school year and we had the largest number of girls to enroll yet—100! Enrollment is a lot of work. The logistics behind getting 100 girls identified, getting all the things purchased they need to get in school (uniforms and shoes for 100 girls of various ages and sizes), as well as organizing their bios, data, paying school fee was huge and a big part of what I was doing in Liberia. Also, we met with NGOs, school principals, a local cook, hired two-part time staff members, took over a weekly neighborhood recreation program, and made plans for expansion for a girls’ neighborhood study club. We were constantly running around (or actually riding around, on motorbikes) and the trip was a whirlwind.
What progress on the ground have you seen compared to your last visit (if you’ve actually been there before)? What were the major highlights of the trip?
We now have two paid More than Me employees and 100 girls in school! More than Me has been operating for three years on volunteer efforts both in Liberia and in the US. We now have two part-time local Liberian staff members…that is huge for us! We also have 100 girls, up from 33 last year. These are all huge changes!
Do you have any interesting or exciting updates about the girls?
We had three children out of 33 who were ranked first in their class last year. We gave them a special award and lots of congrats/attention for a job well done! I feel like a proud mother. The other day, someone asked me if I was thinking about having kids. I told them I already have 100 girls, and that is enough for me for right now!
What are still some of the current challenges that the girls and their families face that you were able to see firsthand?
Where to begin? Many of the girls are at very high risk for exploitation. There are examples of domestic abuse, many are orphaned, internal displacement. There are hunger issues, no quiet places for the girls to study in their community, and girls are not aware of community resources nor do they have access to these resources. Their parents or guardians are illiterate. There is no running water and no toilets in the community so open spaces are used as toilets, which means disease transmission as well as the standing fetid water leads to malaria. Our girls have so many challenges, and our vision is educational access. We are accessing what issues are most hindering our girls’ access to education, and then [we will] problem solve how we can help clear a path for them.
What future initiatives may be up ahead for More than Me?
Our next focus is a girls club. Girls in the community need a space where they can go, have lights where they can study, resources they can access about their community, and mentors and role models available they can speak to. More than Me is growing more and more to not be just a scholarship program, but also to be a holistic program that is able to help girls with a variety of hurdles affecting their path to education.
For more information about this organization, and to donate to its students: More than Me
We made it to the last day in the Givology countdown to the unofficial end of summer! With your support, we’ve been able to fund the education fees of many of these featured students!
Student: Yessica Alejandra
Yessica Alejandra is 11 years old and lives in southern Bogota with her parents and her older sister. The family’s income comes from her father, who works in an auto repair shop. Her mother has not been able to find a job, so she stays at home and takes care of the family and the house.
Not having enough money to pay expenses and afford a safe and comfortable place to live is the greatest challenge for Yessica Alejandra’s family.
Yessica Alejandra is in sixth grade and her favorite subjects are science and physical education. She aspires to become a veterinarian and to study English. 
Helping Yessica
To learn more about how you can help support Yessica Alejandra’s education, click here.
To learn more about the Givology partner supporting Yessica Alejandra’s education, the Emmaus Road Foundation , click here.
Only 2 days left in the Givology countdown until the unofficial end of summer! With your donation of any size, you can help us reach our goal of fully funding these students before the school year starts!
Student: Akiiki Hajara Peace
Akiiki Hajara Peace is a 16-year-old girl from Uganda. Her decision to join the Social Entrepreneurship and Leadership course through Givology partner Educate! is inspired by her drive to help empower her community. Akiiki strongly cares about the orphaned and those affected by HIV/AIDS.
Akiiki aspires to become a fashion designer, as she intends to use fashion to celebrate her heritage and culture. 
Helping Akiiki
To learn more about how you can help support Akiiki’s education, click here.
To learn more about the Givology partner supporting Akiiki’s education, Educate!, click here.
Only 3 days left in the Givology countdown until the unofficial end of summer! With your donation of any size, you can help us reach our goal of fully funding these students before the school year starts!
Student: Guangen Shen
Guangen Shen, 20, was born in a small remote village in China, nestled in the mountains. The only source of income in his family is the money earned by his father. To pay for his and his sister’s school tuition fees, his father had to find a second job. Like many other poor families who have children attending school, his family is heavily in debt.
Guangen enjoys reading physics books and aspires to become a scientist. He strong believes that gaining knowledge through his studies can help change his destiny. 
Helping Guangen
To learn more about how you can help support Guangen’s education, click here.
To learn more about the Givology partner supporting Guangen’s education, the Peach Foundation, click here.
Only 4 days left in the Givology countdown until the unofficial end of summer! With your donation of any size, you can help us reach our goal of fully funding these students before the school year starts!
Student: Cristian David
Cristian David is a 22-year-old young man from Bogota, Colombia, who lives with his mother, father and older sister. Before he learned how to walk and talk, Cristian was diagnosed with autism.
Even though medical doctors and health care professionals told Cristian’s family that he wouldn’t be able to read and write, he did. Cristian currently attends a school where he receives special education.
For this year, Cristian is looking for financial support from donors to help his family pay for his school supplies, textbooks and transportation costs. 
Helping Cristian
To learn more about how you can help support Cristian’s education, click here.
To learn more about the Givology partner supporting Cristian’s education, the Emmaus Road Foundation, click here.
Only 5 days left in the Givology countdown until the unofficial end of summer! With your donation of any size, you can help us reach our goal of fully funding these students before the school year starts!
Student: Akwero Harriet
Akwero Harriet is a 14-year-old girl from the northern part of Uganda and is the youngest of seven children. She lost her father when she was 3 years old.
She would like to become a nurse in order to help pregnant women in her country, but currently no one in her family can afford to keep her in school. 
Helping Akwero
To learn more about how you can help support Akwero’s education, click here.
To learn more about the Givology partner supporting Akwero’s education, Keframa College, click here.
