LS&Co. Unzipped
Sep 17 2013
Why Does Women's Equality Matter?
In my line of work, I often get the question: “Why does equality for women and girls matter?”To me, a world without equality for women and girls is like flying a plane with only one wing. To solve any of the issues of our day – from poverty alleviation to defending everyone’s human rights – we need to include all potential agents for change.Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights (UAF), the organization I lead, is the only fund of its kind to provide time-urgent funding specifically for women’s human rights activists.
Posted By: Kate Kroeger, Executive Director, Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights |
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Sep 10 2013
For Youth, From Poverty to Prosperity
After a day of school, Adriana would head over to San Francisco's AT&T Park, excited to grab her black visor, strap on her vending bag and hit the stands, hawking ice cream and hot chocolate to the sold-out baseball crowds. (Given San Francisco's unpredictable summers, hot chocolate can be a big seller.)For Adriana, each shift at work meant increased savings towards her college education. Now that she’s attending San Francisco State University to become a therapist, she knows her hard work paid off.
Posted By: Marc Spencer, Chief Executive Officer, Juma Ventures |
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Aug 19 2013
Supporting People Affected by HIV/AIDS in Brazil
Staff members from Grupo Incentivo a Vida and the Levi Strauss Foundation. Author Kim Almeida is in the back row, third from the left. In a recent trip to Sao Paulo, I met Fernanda, a pro-bono lawyer who works with Grupo Incentivo a Vida, or GIV.GIV is supported by the Levi Strauss Foundation to offer free legal aid to people affected by HIV/AIDS, with a focus on low-income lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
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Jun 13 2013
Dream Starters
Childhood friends Susan Claes and Julie Janssens shared a dream of starting their own business and a passion for healthy food. They set their sights on starting a soup-and-salad bar in the heart of Brussels— a new concept in the local food scene.But as youth entrepreneurs with little formal training and no personal savings, Susan and Julie had a hard time accessing credit through traditional banks. They also knew that marketing, financial management and business planning skills would be critical to growing their business.
Posted By: Brandee Butler, Levi Strauss Foundation Program Manager, Europe, Middle East and Africa |
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Apr 24 2013
Red Ribbons of Hope
Last year, while undergoing routine medical tests prior to breast cancer surgery, Mrs. Zeng found out that she was HIV-positive.
The diagnosis was not only devastating news, but it also meant a disruption to her breast cancer treatment at a public hospital in Taishan, Guangdong.
Posted By: Thomas Cai, Founder, AIDS Care China |
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Apr 07 2013
Lasting Impact for All
As a community organizer for 15 years, I've worked with low-income people to influence public policies that affect their lives. I have also witnessed first-hand what an incredible difference it makes when nonprofit foundations believe in and invest in grassroots organizations and their communities.
Posted By: Aaron Dorfman, Executive Director, National Committee for Responsible Philanthropy |
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Apr 02 2013
Tapping Potential for Community Prosperity
Five years ago, Veronica was living in San Francisco’s Mission neighborhood and dreamed of owning a restaurant to serve her Mexico City favorites: gorditas, huaraches, and pozole. But without access to mainstream loans, starting and growing a business was virtually impossible.That’s where Mission Asset Fund (MAF) enters the scene.
Posted By: Jose Quiñonez, Mission Asset Fund |
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Mar 20 2013
Isabel
“I’m thankful that I found Mercado Global and can provide a better life for my family.”That's what Isabel Chiroy Pixtay said, following a recent, long day at work.Isabel, pictured above, is the oldest of twelve siblings. She cradled the dream of getting an education, but her parents could not afford to send her to school beyond the sixth grade.
Posted By: Kimberly Almeida, Program Manager, Americas, Levi Strauss Foundation |
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Feb 01 2013
Breaking the Silence
In order to help end HIV/AIDS among women, we also have to break the silence about violence against women. This is Christine’s philosophy, and it’s what drives this activist to organize group meetings for women affected by HIV/AIDS in her country of Zambia.All around the world, but particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, violent norms and practices against women put them at a higher risk of contracting HIV. In addition, fear of further abuse or the social stigma surrounding the virus often dissuades women from learning their HIV status — or from sharing it with partners and families.
Posted By: Zoe Blumenfeld, Communications Manager, Global Fund for Women |
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Dec 19 2012
Justice Can't Wait
Too often, in every corner of the globe, suspects are treated as convicts the minute they enter the criminal justice system. Whether detainees are tortured and coerced to “confess,” or find themselves unjustly excluded from legal representation — they are, in essence, “guilty until proven innocent.”To help preserve human dignity in these settings, the Levi Strauss Foundation and International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) are supporting pioneering legal advocates from all over the world through the JusticeMakers annual competition.
Posted By: Maurice van der Spek, Coordinator, JusticeMakers 2012 HIV/AIDS Global Competition |
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2013
