In Pakistan, we're a team on a mission...To get one million out of school kids back in the classroom, and on with their education. This is a lofty goal. But we also know that even the biggest goals are reached one step at a time. Getting - and keeping - kids in the classrooms is about more than just the kids. It's also about families, teachers, and their classrooms, too. Teachers need the right resources and materials to get their kids the education they need to thrive, and to keep them coming back. One of the teachers we work with has so many students who love to draw. But they only have access to paper and pencils. She yearns for her students to be able to expand their creative expression through more colorful, art-sy ways. We had just the thing. We led an art class where kids could decorate their own star-shaped poster, outlining their hands in the star, adding their names, and adding flourishes with markers. Stickers, stencils, and art supplies abounded. Then, … [Read more...] about You’re a Star!

Around the world, people spend a lot of time in offices – even humanitarians. There needs to be an administrative hub that organizes the work we day in every country. For our team in Islamabad, Pakistan, there was one thing at the office that was making that time more of a hassle – the bathrooms. The women’s bathroom was of particular concern. “There is poor management of this building,” said Habib from the team, “which means that that structural and hygienic upkeep sometimes just doesn’t happen, especially in the women’s room.” We saw an immediate opportunity to make a difference for our female teammates in the country, who deserve a clean, updated, and comfortable place to use the bathroom. So Day 38 was a no brainer – we got to work fixing that space! We fixed and painted the doors, renovated the tiles on the walls, put in a new floor, roof, and ceiling, and installed a new sink. Now, the bathroom is like new. Sometimes, doing the doable starts with the things that … [Read more...] about A Brand New Space

We all have our ups and downs. But our teams around the world – who so often live in areas of conflict – can sometimes face emergencies that they have a hard time coping with. So our teammates in Pakistan had an idea. The team noticed that when their colleagues faced personal emergency situations, they would struggle with ways to cover the costs. Sometimes they would resort to borrowing support from others. But this put people in a risky situation - it was hard to get out from under that financial burden. Their solution? A revolving emergency staff fund – with the help of some Changemaking friends. “Staff members get small loans so they can address their emergencies,” said Habib from the team. “And then they can return the loan in 4-6 easy installments when they’re able.” Friends have each other’s backs. And teammates should, too. On Day 37, Team Pakistan proved that with just a little extra thought, they could be the family their friends need – anytime they need it. … [Read more...] about Got Your Back