A Worthy Cause or Two

First one - just found out about the Smile Train today. It's a charity organization that the New York Times magazine called "one of the most productive charities,
dollar for deed, in the world.” The organization, helmed by Brian Mullaney, uses its funds to train and equip local doctors to perform cleft-repair surgery on poor children around the world, year-round. Performing this life-altering surgery on children with cleft lips or palates is relatively cheap and decidedly worthwhile, but Mullaney sometimes finds his organization trying to sell that idea to a reluctant government. Being the businessman that he is, Mullaney sells it by referring to the children as “nonperforming assets” who could soon be returned to the country's economic mainstream, if they had the surgery. What really caught my attention was the situation Smile Train found in Chennai, India, and what they did to ameliorate it. Midwives in Chennai were being paid off to smother baby girls born with cleft deformities, so Mullaney started offering the midwives as much as $10for each girl they brought safely to a hospital for surgery, rather than murdering the little ones.
Gotta' love Mullaney and his Smile Train.

Next one - a young lady just as worthy of admiration as the above mentioned philanthropist, one Saanya Hasan Ali. This enterprising 13-year-old global citizen makes greeting cards that she sells in order to raise funds for charities, like the Central Asia Institute, that help needy children. The CAI builds schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Says Saanya, "My goal is to inspire children to get involved in causes they care about. I want them to know they don't have to be old or have lots of money. They can start small."
Saanya started her fundraising efforts by making some cards and taking them to an uncle's wedding where she sold them for $600. There's been no turning back for Saanya. If she offers a little inspiration to you, visit the Central Asia Institute website, and take a look around. Their motto is "Peace and Hope Begin With Education: One Child At A Time" and their website will tell you that the CAI is a3 non-profit organization with the mission to promote and support community-based education, especially for girls, in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Certainly a worthy cause, the Central Asia Institute is one of Saanya's favourites. Maybe it will become one of yours.