A great philanthropist once said: “It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved.” –Mother Teresa As years and decades pass by new troubles and problems continues to unfold all around the world. From hunger to war, climate change, gender inequality, female genital mutilation, poverty, deteriorating health care, insecurities and the list is endless. As such various international organisations and non-governmental organisations are continuously established and launched to help solve these problems for a better and peaceful world. However, what is more striking and inspiring are the individual responses and reactions through aids and supports channeled towards saving humanity from the various problems that they face daily. In Nepal Rita Thapa founded Tewa after returning from Beijing, where she spoke on a panel at the 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing. (The same conference where Hillary…

By Miracle Nwankwo “Meeting the hygiene needs of all adolescent girls is a fundamental issue of human rights, dignity, and public health,” says Sanjay Wijesekera, former UNICEF Chief of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. Menstrual hygiene seems to be a difficult experience for most women and young girls in rural areas of developing regions. Although the problem persists, we must not lose strength in our pursuit of promoting menstrual equity which is key to achieving women empowerment. As such, the world should work towards ending period poverty and guaranteeing access to portable water and sanitation for all by 2030. Period poverty is the lack of access to sanitary products, menstrual hygiene education, toilets, hand washing facilities, and, or, waste management. While enormous efforts are ongoing in different parts of the world to help women and young girls maintain a proper and hygienic menstrual lifestyle, Lolo Cynthia, a public health specialist and…

Pakistani-Canadian journalist Habiba Nosheen is a successful woman of color representing other women of color in the United States. She was born in Pakistan by her Arab parents in 1982, and spent the early years of her life in Lahore. Her family migrated to Canada when Habiba was nine years old. The family became refuges on their arrival in Canada, but things fell into place after they gained right to residency. Growing up in Toronto, Canada Habiba obtained a bachelor’s degree from University of Toronto and master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism as well as from York University, Toronto in Women’s Studies. Habiba articulates four different languages fluently─ English, Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi. She started her career in journalism as a reporter at the CBC Radio Pakistan where she was later nominated to report for the prestigious Kroc Fellowship, on-air for NPR ‘s Morning Edition and All…

Philanthropy in recent times can be seen in the light of a conscious act and an interventionist tool to fight discrimination of all forms. As an anti-discrimination system, philanthropy gives opportunity to the less privilege to measure up with the privileged folks. For example, giving a scholarship award to a poor individual to study at the Oxford University, providing comfortable homes for the homeless, providing funds for poor & sick people as well as providing food for the hungry all bear philanthropic leanings. These acts bridge the gaps in between the privileged few and the less privileged majority. In line with the sustainable development goal 2, which seeks sustainable solutions to end hunger in all its forms by 2030 and to achieve food security, the impact inspire story for this week is centered on Topaz Page-Green a philanthropist from South Africa who provides meals for school children in some parts…