The projects we support represent creative solutions to long-standing local challenges. And they contribute to a more functional global society. Some projects are the work of inspired individuals; others are the work of seasoned organizations. All promise big impact, sustainable growth and the potential for replication. Here are some projects we’ve recently supported.
Force Foundation
Malawi 2008 ~ €11.500
4% of Malawi’s 13 million impoverished residents are blind or suffer from severe vision impairment and lack access to appropriate educational material. The Force Foundation appealed to StartFund to help remedy this situation. StartFund monies will be used to establish a recording studio in Malawi and produce and distribute DAISY talking books to participating educational institutions on cassette tapes and compact discs. Learn more about the Force Foundation.
Home Plan
Mexico 2009 ~ €12.000
Home Plan strives to build communities predicated on civic engagement, democratic process and collaboration between neighbors and local service providers. Home Plan approached StartFund for help expanding its programs in Coyotepec, Mexico, in partnership with Un Techo Para Mi Pais. As a result, 25 new families entered into Home Plan’s civic empowerment programs. Find out more about Home Plan. Find out more about Home Plan.
Sathsathai Foundation
Nepal 2009 ~ €12.975
The Sathsathai Foundation is providing residents in rural Timal province the opportunity to build and use smoke-free ovens and toilets. Through an innovative partnership with the Timal Rural Electrification Cooperative Association and the Himshikar Club, some 600 families have already gained improved facilities in their homes. As a result, health centers report an 80% reduction in diseases like diarrhea and eye and lung infections, along with reductions infant and child mortality rates and absenteeism at work. StartFund monies were used to establish this program. Check out the Sathsathai Foundation.
United Movement to End Child Soldiering
Uganda 2009 ~ €10.300
UMECS aims to build a culture of peace and prevent war in Uganda by supporting secondary school and higher education for children and youth affected by conflict, in addition to school-based peace education and counseling programs. StartFund monies will be used to launch the A-Factor Project, designed to transition secondary schools in northern Uganda away from donor dependence toward financial self-sufficiency through youth-led agricultural entrepreneurship. Find out more about UMECS.
Plakkies
South Africa 2008 ~ €15.000
Two students from Delft’s University of Technology appealed to StartFund for help establishing a flip-flop factory in South Africa’s Durban township. The flip-flops are made from 100% recycled materials by women infected with HIV, according to designs inspired by the drawings of orphaned South African children. The flip-flops are sold at leading retail outlets throughout the Netherlands, and all profits are re-invested in the Durban community via the KidsRights Foundation. Learn more about Plakkies.
Recent Projects
The projects we support represent creative solutions to long-standing local challenges. And they contribute to a more functional global society. Some projects are the work of inspired individuals; others are the work of seasoned organizations. All promise big impact, sustainable growth and the potential for replication. Here are some projects we’ve recently supported.
Malawi 2008 ~ €11.500
4% of Malawi’s 13 million impoverished residents are blind or suffer from severe vision impairment and lack access to appropriate educational material. The Force Foundation appealed to StartFund to help remedy this situation. StartFund monies will be used to establish a recording studio in Malawi and produce and distribute DAISY talking books to participating educational institutions on cassette tapes and compact discs. Learn more about the Force Foundation.
Mexico 2009 ~ €12.000
Home Plan strives to build communities predicated on civic engagement, democratic process and collaboration between neighbors and local service providers. Home Plan approached StartFund for help expanding its programs in Coyotepec, Mexico, in partnership with Un Techo Para Mi Pais. As a result, 25 new families entered into Home Plan’s civic empowerment programs. Find out more about Home Plan. Find out more about Home Plan.
Nepal 2009 ~ €12.975
The Sathsathai Foundation is providing residents in rural Timal province the opportunity to build and use smoke-free ovens and toilets. Through an innovative partnership with the Timal Rural Electrification Cooperative Association and the Himshikar Club, some 600 families have already gained improved facilities in their homes. As a result, health centers report an 80% reduction in diseases like diarrhea and eye and lung infections, along with reductions infant and child mortality rates and absenteeism at work. StartFund monies were used to establish this program. Check out the Sathsathai Foundation.
Uganda 2009 ~ €10.300
UMECS aims to build a culture of peace and prevent war in Uganda by supporting secondary school and higher education for children and youth affected by conflict, in addition to school-based peace education and counseling programs. StartFund monies will be used to launch the A-Factor Project, designed to transition secondary schools in northern Uganda away from donor dependence toward financial self-sufficiency through youth-led agricultural entrepreneurship. Find out more about UMECS.
South Africa 2008 ~ €15.000
Two students from Delft’s University of Technology appealed to StartFund for help establishing a flip-flop factory in South Africa’s Durban township. The flip-flops are made from 100% recycled materials by women infected with HIV, according to designs inspired by the drawings of orphaned South African children. The flip-flops are sold at leading retail outlets throughout the Netherlands, and all profits are re-invested in the Durban community via the KidsRights Foundation. Learn more about Plakkies.