Charities Blog » Women

The Fistula Foundation

Merve — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 05:53:35 +0000

Fistula is a non-profit organization that aims to help women who have been abandoned by their husbands after suffering the dreadful birth complication. Fistula is an injury that results from prolonged labor which cuts off blood supply to the tissues of vagina and bladder. This results in the tissues death leaving a hole through which urine and feces pass through uncontrollably. This problem exists in countries where proper health care and practices are out of reach resulting in many women without husbands left to fend for themselves. With 100,000 new cases each year in the developing world, only a fraction of these women get the help they need. A total of 2 million women are affected by fistula worldwide and from that figure, only 6,500 get the medical treatment and attention they need to continue living a normal life. The birth complication has long been eliminated with the advent of cesarean sections which is not only costly but out of reach of most developing countries. Along with incontinence, nerve damage can also result in paralysis leaving the lower extremities useless taking away their ability to contribute as productive members of society.
The organization was put up by people who saw the debilitating effects of the childbirth condition when they were on volunteer work in developing countries as members of the Peace Corps. The organization was officially put up in the year 2000 and it has brought the plight of these helpless women to the media and many charitable organizations the world over. Relying on the efforts of private citizens’ doctors and other large organizations who regularly donate supplies and equipment, the organization has managed to help many women in the affected regions of Ethiopia. The foundation currently does most of its work there but that doesn’t mean that the complications do not affect other parts of the world. Countries where health care is still a luxury, there are higher cases and they work purely to educate the public about the dangers and debilitating effects of the birth complication that is Fistula.

Wacky Charities – Keep-a-Breast.Org

Merve — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 03:30:38 +0000

Breast cancer kills millions all over the world and like most killer diseases, early detection is the key. New treatments and diagnostic procedures aim to cut off the disease as early as possible to allow the best approach and combination of treatments that may result in reduction or prevention of the disease taking hold in the first place. The Keep-a-Breast Organization aims to raise awareness of the disease through one of the most innovative and wacky methods I’ve ever seen in quite sometime, taking plaster casts of breasts (the whole torso actually) and having prominent artists working with them, turning them into works of art for all to enjoy.

With tie-ups in media and other organizations, they hope to bring the message of prevention and care to all women they come across through exhibitions of their art (torso casts) along with mini-versions they offer at events such as concerts and exhibits of their collection.
The life-casts are made, painted and auctioned off to fund other awareness programs they hope to reach more of the younger generation with. From tee’s to other items, they do auctions and sell merchandise for the benefit of breast cancer awareness. Breast cancer is considered to be the the sixth most lethal disease that afflicts women from all ages which makes the call for better diagnosis and treatment all the more urgent. Support Keep-a-breast.Org and help women become aware of the risks and methods by which they can stay healthy and safe for the rest of their lives.

“Friends” Get Together To Help Women In Congo

Merve — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:02:22 +0000

They were the best of friends in the long running TV show Friends, and they are really close friends in real life as well. I am sure you know the people I am talking about – Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox. These girls have taken their friendship to great lengths, and now, they are getting together to extend a helping hand to some women who need it the most.

The friends are currently busy with a project which is aimed at empowering women in Congo. More than giving their verbal and public support, Aniston and Cox are actually spending time to help the cause out. One activity they engaged in was to take part in a dinner which helped raised awareness for their charity. They were joined by Sheryl Crow. The friends are now working on catching the attention of Senator Hilary Clinton.

The organization is called OmiPeace, which is actually a humanitarian fashion brand, and is run by Mary Fanaro, another friend (not a TV “Friend,” as I am sure you know). Courtney Cox is really passionate about what they’re doing. It was quite touching to read what she said: “OmniPeace was created to give back. I can’t think of a better way to support my best friend and all the work that she and OmniPeace do to donate to causes supporting peace, education, human rights and the end of extreme poverty by 2025. Mary’s passion is so contagious and wonderful. It has taught me that anything is possible with enough perseverance and tenacity.”

To find out more about OmniPeace and how you can help, visit www.omnipeace.com/.

Colleges Benefit From Anonymous Donor

Merve — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 15:22:16 +0000

This is what I was talking about in my last post: people who give away what they have in order to help others who need it more. You have perhaps heard of this anonymous donor who has been giving away humongous sums of money to colleges all over the United States. I just saw it on FOX News last night, and boy, was I pleasantly surprised.

According to the New York Times, this is how the giving goes:

The call typically comes from a banker, bringing word of a fairy godmother. This is followed quickly by a check arriving in the mail — or two checks, the larger earmarked for scholarships for women and minority students, the smaller to be spent at the recipient’s discretion.

Take note of the gender – it is a woman who is giving away this money. While that should not really matter, it provides an interesting topic for conversation. Who could this woman be?

In any case, it does not seem that we are going to find out anytime soon. Even the recipients of the moneys are not allowed to find out who the donor is; not the school board, not the president, no one!

So which schools have been blessed with these donations? Binghamton University in New York, Montclair State University in New Jersey, the University of Southern Mississippi, and Michigan State University to name a few. And just in case you have no idea about the sums involved, reports say that the donor has given away a total of $70 million to date.

Colleges Benefit From Anonymous Donor

Merve — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 15:22:16 +0000

According to the New York Times, this is how the giving goes:

The call typically comes from a banker, bringing word of a fairy godmother. This is followed quickly by a check arriving in the mail — or two checks, the larger earmarked for scholarships for women and minority students, the smaller to be spent at the recipient’s discretion.

Take note of the gender – it is a woman who is giving away this money. While that should not really matter, it provides an interesting topic for conversation. Who could this woman be?

Colleges Benefit From Anonymous Donor

Merve — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 15:22:16 +0000

According to the New York Times, this is how the giving goes:

The call typically comes from a banker, bringing word of a fairy godmother. This is followed quickly by a check arriving in the mail — or two checks, the larger earmarked for scholarships for women and minority students, the smaller to be spent at the recipient’s discretion.

Take note of the gender – it is a woman who is giving away this money. While that should not really matter, it provides an interesting topic for conversation. Who could this woman be?

Miss Australia Offers herself to Charity

Merve — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 23:00:28 +0000

People will do crazy things and this is perhaps what many are thinking when Miss Universe Australia, Laura Dundovic, offered herself for a date with the highest bidder via a website. The website is located at http://eswap.co.au. The bidding starts at $1 dollar which commences on August 14 and will run for 10 days. The winning bidder will be having dinner with Ms. Australia at an exclusive restaurant.

Many may call it nothing new although the first thing that we would associate such a move would be in the movies. But today, it is a reality and all for charity. It is not about the distinction of being able to date Miss Australia but about helping for a charitable cause. The proceeds from the auction will be handed over to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

“It’’s a bit exciting to be auctioned off as a date but it’’s been three years since I last went on one, so I have high expectations and am expecting to get swept off my feet,” The Daily Telegraph quoted Dundovic, as saying.

Source

Nicole Richie Holds Children’s Charity

Merve — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:51:50 +0000

The best way to understand parenthood is perhaps to contribute towards helping others. This is the belief that Nicole Richie instilled upon herself, choosing to assist struggling mothers rather than give gifts to her baby daughter. Giving to people who are not as fortunate as her in terms of income and stature is something commendable and for her efforts, she has joined the ranks of elite celebrities giving to the needy alongside with her boyfriend, Joel Madden.

A source tells the New York Daily News, “She’s hired some pretty high-powered consultants to advise her and put it all together. The website will be a registry, like for a bridal or shower registry, where low-income women list things they need for their babies. More well-off people will then go on and buy stuff for the children.”

Source

Let us face it. In this world today, there are people who can afford to give their siblings everything that they want. But listening to the struggling community on what they need and apparently wanting to get some form of help close to a miracle for some is something you don’t see everyday.

Through this website that Richie is launching, it is an innovative way of furrhter identifying just what unfortunate mothers and children need to live close to normal these days. Surely this will go a long way and if all goes well, many other people can look forward to doing the same in the near future.

The Value of Battered Women

Merve — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 18:23:17 +0000

It is a known fact that in the minds of many people, the easily most abused person in the household or in marriages would usually be the wife. Either they are beaten up or physically and mentally abused is the typical feedback that people around would hear. Foundations and movements have been done to help fight off the said abuse for these valued women and support in any way is something that they will surely need.

Their fate would usually depend on their nature of selecting their partners. There are some who would unfortunately land masked men who would show their true colors upon marriage. While marriage is something that would top off all successful relationships, it is also a transition stage where couples would have to adjust their lifestyle and manner of living.

Pressure is something that would usually ignite quarrels and physical harm in most cases which in turn would lead towards ending up in court battles to seek protective custody in most cases for the abused. Such a resort would be normal considering they want to avoid any further encounters which could lead to worst situations.

Technorati Tags: abused, battered, women, wives

Taking Time Out to Spend Quality Time with Charity Institutions

Merve — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 17:19:28 +0000

Time is gold and money for most. But time and attention is important as well to people who are left in institutions that house most of the abandoned children and elders today. The attention that they seek is the attention that they lost from the day that they were left out in the cold for people who simply cannot face responsibility in the way that it should be.

Attention and time for these people do not need to be in the form of cash and goods. It is more on providing care and a crying shoulder for most since all their problems and woes are totally kept within them. Storing all of these and not being able to let out emotions is as hard as it gets. But people just don�t seem to care much for others since they obviously have not matured enough to take on responsibilities that people should be always aware of.

Technorati Tags: charity, institutions, foundations, attention