FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS a week when my kids were little, I spent one-on-one time at their school with children who had reading difficulties. The reward for volunteers like me was the kids' growing confidence and delight as words on the page started to make sense.
Fortunately for non-profit organizations, the feel-good reward of helping others is universal. Nearly a quarter of all adults worldwide volunteer and about 35 per cent of people donate to charities, according to the World Giving Index, which includes data for 119 countries. It also reports that since 2021, the rate of giving has increased among the wealthiest nations.
That's a good thing because in today's cost-of-living crisis, the demand on charities is greater than ever. Here are a dozen innovative ways people around the world are giving back.
RICE BUCKET CHALLENGE, INDIA
Heard of the Ice Bucket Challenge? The social media initiative started in the United States and spread around the world, raising $115 million dollars for ALS (or Lou Gehrig's disease) research. You take a video of yourself dumping a bucket of ice water over your head, then nominate three more people to do the same. In some versions, the participant donates $100 if they don't complete the challenge.
"I thought it was an amazing way to garner awareness of ALS and raise funds," recalls Manju Kalanidhi, a journalist in Hyderabad, India. But it didn't make sense in her country, where water is too precious to waste, even for a good cause. Then in 2014, it hit her: Why not make it a Rice Bucket Challenge to fight hunger?
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
BOOKS
Books review
STUDIO - Off Lamington Road by Gieve Patel
Oil on Canvas, 54 x 88 in
NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF MEDICINE
FOODS THAT FIGHT DEMENTIA
TO HELL AND BACK
The Darvaza crater in Turkmenistan is known as the Gates of Hell. I stood on its edge - and lived to tell the tale
THE SNAKE CHARMERS
Invasive Burmese pythons are squeezing the life out of Florida's vast Everglades. An unlikely sisterhood is taking them on
Sisterhood to Last a Lifetime
These college pals teach a master class in how to maintain a friendship for 50-plus years
...TO DIE ON A HOCKEY RINK
ONE MINUTE I WAS PLAYING IN MY BEER LEAGUE, THE NEXT I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL
Just Sit Tight
Broken, battered and trapped in a ravine for days, I desperate driver wonders, \"Will anyone find me?\"
Allow Me to Mansplain...
If there's one thing we know, it's this: We're a nation of know-it-alls
THE BITTER TRUTH ABOUT SUGAR (AND SUGAR SUBSTITUTES!)
It's no secret that we have a serious addiction. Here's how to cut back on the sweet stuff, once and for all.