Generally, relates to economic development of an area. This can be income generation, farm coops that are community owned even microcredit whereby the people are given very small loans within support structures to ensure success to start or expand a business. The ramification of more income means children can go to school instead of having to work, health care becomes accessible, as does a better standard of living.

Millennium Development Goal 2 makes provision for all boys and girls to complete a full course of free primary schooling. Around 72 million children do not go to primary school - 57 percent of them are girls. Significant gaps in school enrollment still exist between children in urban and rural areas, and between boys and girls.

Additionally, 781 million adults (approximately one in five), lack minimum literacy skills. Two-thirds are women. Literacy rates remain low in South and West Asia (59%), sub-Saharan Africa (61%), the Arab States (66%) and the Caribbean (70%). Two-thirds of the world's illiterate population are women, clearly indicating that issues surrounding extreme poverty and education are closely linked to issues relating to gender equality.

There are 21 active projects on uend.org that deal directly with helping create equal opportunity for children and adults to receive a quality education. If this is something you'd be interested in supporting, visit this presorted list of education projects on our website.

Project Snapshot

Total Cost: $5,084

Lives Affected: 109

Dollars Raised: $3,629   

Dollars Needed: $1,455

  Our partners at 'True Vision Ghana' are heading a project in Wa, Upper-West Region, Ghana, to assist those caregivers who must take care of at least one AIDS orphan, aside from their family.

Northern Ghana is the most impoverished region in Ghana, and one of the most poverty-stricken areas in Africa. Most of the caregivers have multiple jobs already and do not have big enough profit margins to receive a loan from the bank.

True Vision Ghana hopes to engage these caregivers in the Economic Empowerment Program by giving them small 200 GHS (approximately 126 CDN) loans for a 1-year term with the purpose of starting or expanding a small business to generate income.

To learn more about this project, click here.

Project Snapshot:

Project Cost: $ 5,500

Lives Affected: 5,000

Dollars Raised: $ 125

Dollars Needed: $ 5,375

  Change for Children is teaming up with their partner organization, KIHEFO (Kigezi Healthcare Foundation), by assisting families/entrepreneurs in Kabale, Uganda, who have been affected by civil strife and HIV/AIDS.

This project was initiated as a response to the growing need for financial assistance required by extended family members having to take in orphaned children.

Many families living in the area simply need a helping hand in the form of a small investment for increasing agricultural production or enhancing entrepreneurial skills and abilities. 

To learn more about this project, click here…

Carla White is doing such a great job cycling from Cairo to Cape Town in the Tour d’Afrique in her bike to end energy poverty in Africa, encountering 100+KM/day rides, extreme heat, sleeping in tents, being whipped by nasty children with sticks, and a daily 5am wake up call. Yikes! (it’s not ALL that bad, read her blog to hear about her other amazing stories)

BUT, she’s also raising money to give 10 solar lanterns to needy schools, orphanages and on-the-ground organizations.

Just the other day we got a glimpse of boxed up solar lanterns ready to ship to Africa. Hopefully they’ll get there safely!

Oh and the latest funding numbers for this project is $3,719 still to go! Click here to see the project page>>

UEnd was graciously invited to attend and have a presence at The SEED Event, held in Calgary on Sunday February 19th. UEnd Founder and Executive Director, Jay Baydala also had a chance to speak to a captive audience of 1200 people.

So many thank you’s need to be given to SEED Event for donating proceeds of the event to UEnd and for allowing us to set up information tables, have a silent auction and have a handful of UEnd volunteers to roam and chat with attendees.

Also, a massive “thank you” goes out to Original Joe’s pub on 8th Avenue, who donated 10% of every bill if patrons had a SEED Event ticket. Fabulous!

In total, UEnd raised over $1,800 in donations for our designated project – The Eco Stove Solution, and over $2,000 from the silent auction for our organization. Thank you!

Lastly, we’d like to give a HUGE shout out to our amazing volunteers who pour their hearts and souls into helping UEnd raise awareness and raise funds for projects and the organization. Thank you!

Project Snapshot

Lives affected: 80

Project cost: $12,447

Dollars raised: $55

Dollars needed: $12,392

Project Description:Classes are offered in family planning, pre/post natal care, exclusive breastfeeding, menopause, nutrition and first aid, as well as financial planning, budgeting, and saving. Students have the opportunity to save money while enrolled in classes. Once they graduate, these savings are matched one to one for up to $100 per student. This money is applied toward a project or item benefiting families or community.

Lives changed Sierra Leone: Of 89 women participating in the Koinadugu district,Mary stands out. Through this program, she learned about household sanitation and new ways to care for the health of her children. Through the savings match program, she saved money to invest in her palm oil business. She has seven children and a small business to run, but still finds energy to be involved in rebuilding the village’s water system by restoring the dilapidated dam and pipelines.

Guatemala: Cleofa Tomas Perez lives with her husband and ten children in Tulilen,the poorest municipality of Guatemala. Cleofa’s participation in classes has not only affected her life and given her hope, but has uplifted the lives of those around her. “When I go home, I share what I learn in class with my whole family and my neighbours. I don’t want to just listen, I want to do it.”

What you can do? Check out this project's Page on our website to learn more about it. You can also give a gift card to someone on behalf of this project (say, for Valentine's Day?) or you can give directly.