10 Easy, Free, Online Steps You Can Take To End Poverty
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“Nobody is asking us to love others more than we love ourselves,” said the “poet president” of Tanzania Julius Nyerere. “But those of us who have been lucky enough to receive a good education have a duty also to help to improve the well being of the community to which we belong; is part of loving ourselves!”
Step 1: Click once a day at TheHungerSite.com.
You’ll fund the donation of 1.1 cups of food. While you’re there, take a look at their equally worthy sister sites.
Step 2: Play at FreeRice.com.
Study for the GRE, test your English abilities, or simply bone up on your vocabulary. While you do, your clicks will generate funding for donating free rice to the hungry. Better yet, share this online game with students you know.
Step 3: Sign the petition at HelpSweden.org.
This tongue-in-cheek organization turns our concepts of poverty around and asks for a renewed commitment to the Millennium Development Goals. Read more about what makes HelpSweden a good idea.
Step 4: Put some of your paycheck into Kiva.org.
You’ll get your money back and you’ll have helped somebody to build a business or a home.
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Step 5: Sign up and organize an event to end poverty at StandAgainstPoverty.org.
Read about other great events, get inspired, and then if you want, you can even host your own event and post an update about it on the website. I’ve organized similar events. They’re really not too difficult and in the end they’re a lot of fun.
Step 6: Buy Fair Trade foods and products.
OK, this one might cost a fraction more, but using your keen shopping sense can offset the difference. Everyone wants a fair deal. Show the world how it can be done by shopping ethically. Plus, shop online and save on transportation and time.
Step 7: Invest with Socially Responsible Investing in mind.
You’re responsible for what your money does. Your money can actually help the poor get richer while helping you get richer too. US-based Calvert and non-US-based Oiko credit are two examples of SRI investment.
Step 8: Instead of a bank, invest in a credit union.
Well, there’s at least one bank that’s doing a good thing. However, if you have your money in a faceless multinational bank, why not consider a cooperative credit union instead?
Step 9: Subscribe to a charity rewards credit card plan.
Charity credit card rewards plans are usually free of annual charges and they might actually make you feel good for a change about charging your purchases.
Step 10: Make Goodsearch.com your search engine.
Once you do, you can select the poverty-fighting organization of your choice as the target for the donations you’ll raise whilst surfing the web.
Read More About Poverty and Development Around the Globe
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