Who are Americans?

The Batey Relief Alliance (BRA), founded in 1997, is a nonprofit organization (Brooklyn, New York) that provides health care, development and humanitarian programs for people severely affected by poverty, disease and hunger in the Caribbean.

Batey unites grassroot groups, faith-based organizations, government agencies and international organizations in strategic partnerships. In 2003, the government of the Dominican Republic donated land and buildings to BRA projects.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Dominican-born former U.S. major league baseball player and coach, Tony Pena, are supporters of BRA.

In 2000, a regional branch office, BRA Dominicana, was opened in the Dominican Republic to work on projects in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican operations include two modern medical facilities and more than a dozen health and development projects focusing on areas such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, nutrition, water, sanitation, health and eye care and micro-credit loans.

More than 75% of the HIV/AIDS cases in the Caribbean come from Haiti and the Dominican Republic. In June 2008, Batey Relief Alliance organized brought together top health officials  from Haiti and the Dominican Republic to gather their support for programs focusing on healthcare and HIV/AIDS, especially in poverty stricken and isolated communities.

In the USA, Batey Relief Alliance raises public awareness on humanitarian issues such as inequity, racial intolerance, human rights and HIV/AIDS through international conferences and educational programs.

The Batey Relief Alliance is a member of the Global Health Alliance and is associated with the Department of Public Health Information - NGO of the United Nations.

In 2007, USAID awarded BRA $545,600 in grant money to distribute more food to more than 10,000 people, including those living with HIV/AIDS, vulnerable and orphaned children, pregnant women and the elderly in the bateyes, urban slums and rural communities.

More information on donation opportunties or program details can be found on their website.

Harvard is the top ranked national university in U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 ranking of American colleges.

The rankings are based on surveys of college officials, graduation rates, retention rates, financial resources, student selectivity, educational resources and other factors. The top national schools in this survery are listed below:

1. Harvard
2. Princeton
3. Yale Read the rest »

The Anti-Poverty Initiative (API) works to reduce poverty for women in Senegal (West Africa) through micro-enterprise training, micro-loans and savings initiatives that empower women and promote self-reliance. Future plans include expanding the programs to other African countries.

API, founded in 2004, is a nonprofit organization that has an office in Indianapolis, Indiana and another office in Dakar, Senegal. The program is in line with the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goal of eradicating poverty amongst women in vulnerable situations. Read the rest »

Places of Hope (POH) is an American nonprofit (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida) that was founded after Senior Pastor Tom and Donna Mullins led a Christ Fellowship Church trip to Romanian orphanages in 1993.

Soon after Place of Hope USA was formed as a faith-based community organization to provide residential care in the USA for children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect or abandonment. With the success of the USA operation, Place of Hope International was formed to work together with international organizations to transform the lives of abandoned and abused children.

In addition to the USA, Place of Hope assists international programs for children in Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, India, Mexico, Peru, and Romania.

Programs involve childcare, health care, education, ministry outreach, economic development and training local leaders to bring positive change in their communities. Read the rest »

Shoe4Africa has a unique program for collecting gently used running shoes for its missions of empowerment through sports and education, creating unique health initiatives and promoting AIDS awareness in Africa.

The nonprofit volunteer organization was founded in 1995 by Toby Tanser, a top Icelandic runner, who currently lives in New York city.  Actor Anthony Edwards (Doctor on television show ER), best friend of Toby Tanser, is Chairman of the organization. Many African running stars have teamed with Shoes4Africa to reach communities with running programs and HIV/AIDS initiatives.

Individuals can ship their donated used shoes directly to Shoe4Africa’s Kenya office. Donated shoes should have at least 100 miles worth of wear left in them. Running shirts, new socks, and running shorts are also welcome. Read the rest »

Voices of Women (VOW) is an American (based in California) nonprofit organization that raises awareness and takes action on global issues, and advances the cause of non-military solutions to global conflicts. VOW, founded in 2001, also helps organizations around the world that help women and children in difficult conditions.

Projects include documentary films, panel discussions, dramatic theater productions, contacting Congressional representatives, signing petitions, writing letters to editors of publications, and other activities to raise awareness.

One specific program is the Afghanistan Project that assists the Afghan Women’s Education Center which provides health, education, peace education and socio-economic projects to assist the women and children in Afghanistan. Funds donated by Voices for Women in Afghanistan have been used for literacy programs and for two children’s centers for working street children. Read the rest »

Zangala is a California-based nonprofit that works to preserve, validate and honor the unique culture of the Dagara people of Burkina Faso in Sub-Saharan Africa.The traditions and culture of the Dagara are slowly being eroded in recent times, and Zangala has a focus to not only preserve their culture, but to provide material aid as appropriate.

Mack Bockley, who leads Zangala, has spent 10 years working closely with the Dagara through the Peace Corps and other humanitarian organizations.

Projects of Zangala include: Read the rest »

“Minorities, now roughly one-third of the U.S. population, are expected to become the majority in 2042″, says the U.S. Census Bureau in a report issued in August, 2008.

If you look at only children, more than 50% of children of the children in the USA will be minorities by the year 2023, and 62% of the nation’s children will be minorities by the year 2050.

By the year 2050, the single-race whites (non-Hispanic) will number 203.3 million.
By the year 2050, the minority population will number 235.7 million. Read the rest »