Project OVERVIEWS

 

SOLE INSTITUTE

Investing in education, women and families in South Africa

SOLE Institute promotes African art and culture by sponsoring schools to help children finish their studies and attain good results. It serves young women by providing mentoring sessions to university students, as well as outreach opportunities that train them to be change-makers. In addition, SOLE Institute provides university scholarships and mentoring to young women who excel academically and play active roles in their communities. The third focus of SOLE Institute is families. Many South African families struggle to stay intact and in order to support families, SOLE promotes programs that help young people understand their sexuality so they are prepared for their future roles when starting a family.


LOS ROSALES

Transforming the lives of children and families in Casavalle, Uruguay

For over 30 years, Los Rosales has been transforming the lives of children and families in Casavalle, providing K-12 education, after school programs and job training for adults. Los Rosales receives 700 families each day. It offers a personalized education for all its students, helping each one reach his or her potential and develop the skills and character they will need to grow as a person.


ASOCIACION SENDAS

Improving the lives of women and families in underserved areas of Bolivia

Asociación Sendas works in La Paz, Bolivia to address the situation of young Aymara women who migrate from rural areas to the city, where many end up living in precarious conditions while working in the informal economy, often underpaid and in unsafe situations. It has worked for 30 years to successfully improve the lives of women through its technical school that offers various entrepreneurship programs.


SALUD Y FAMILIA

Providing health care to vulnerable communities in Venezuela

For nearly 25 years, Salud Y Familia has been providing health care to vulnerable communities in Venezuela. With a particular focus on the wellbeing of women and children, the Salud Y Familia outpatient clinics offer physical health services, mental health services, family counseling and nutrition and health education.


IMPAKTEMOS

Promoting human development in Venezuela through access to education

Impaktemos is a non-profit organization focused on the promotion of human development through access to education. It also provides support for food, health care and other essential resources, supplying basic human needs to disadvantaged communities in Venezuela.

Impaktemos empowers people so they can empower others. Started in 1983, it has 7 active projects in 7 states of Venezuela today.


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KOMATI Foundation Women’s Development

Empowering women in South Africa

KOMATI Foundation Women’s Development promotes cultural, social and professional programs for South African women. Its mission is to support women as they become effective leaders of positive change at all levels of society: at work, in their families and in their communities.


Suri Educational Project

Serving a vulnerable community in San Jose, Costa Rica 

Suri Educational Project’s goal is to break the poverty cycle and improve the human and socio-economic conditions of women and families in Pavas, San Jose. Suri runs two programs: a job training center for women, which educates over 500 students, and a high school. The high school prepares young women to go to college, if they wish to do so, or to enter the professional world. All of Suri’s students receive full or partial scholarships.


Port Bell Academy

Teaching digital skills to women in Cameroon

Port Bell Academy offers professional education and training for girls and women in Douala, Cameroon. Since 2018, its programs have included supplementary education for high school students, continuous skills training for working professionals of all ages and an outreach program for those who have limited resources.

Through these programs, Port Bell Academy opens up the digital landscape and its unprecedented opportunities to hundreds of women every year.  The “Two in One” training program also offers a professional and philosophical formation program, which includes training in ethics and the importance of human virtues in work.


CITALÁ SCHOOL

Ensuring that students in El Salvador can complete high school

Citalá School is a private, independent school which offers classes from 7th to 11th grade. Since 2011, Citalá has provided the opportunity to finish high school to over 300 students. These students are then prepared to continue their academic studies in college. 

Citalá School also has a collaborative agreement with several charitable partners. One of the most important is Lamatepec School, a private boys’ high school. Lamatepec allows Citalá students to use its facilities without restriction during afternoon hours.


Uzommiri Study Centre

Providing mentorship and personal formation for girls in Nigeria

Uzommiri Study Centre provides undergraduate students with holistic formation to complement their fields of study in university. Most of the students at the Centre come from underfunded public secondary schools or underperforming private schools. The Centre offers programs that develop each student’s talents, character and spirit of service, preparing her to be an agent of change in her community. Uzommiri strengthens each student through individual coaching, mentoring and leadership training.


Wavecrest College of HospitalitY

Empowering women in Nigeria with technical skills

Wavecrest College of Hospitality is the premier private monotechnic in Nigeria. While its primarily goal is to teach hospitality industry skills to its students, the curriculum encourages skills specialization, entrepreneurship, commitment to work on sustainable projects and high ethical standards.

Young women from underprivileged backgrounds who are interested in carving a career in hospitality have a chance to do so as enrollees of the college. Graduates often find employment in the growing field of hospitality at operative or supervisory levels.


Wavecrest Study Center

Enriching the lives of young women in Nigeria through academics

Wavecrest Study Centre helps young women develop skills to excel in school. The Center aims to help them achieve their academic potential, enrich their personality and build their self-confidence. Wavecrest’s various clubs offer classes in study techniques, public speaking, effective writing, home management, cooking, music and crafts. Its students also have the opportunity to grow personally and professionally through mentorship programs.


Lantana College

Innovative training for young Nigerian professionals in hospitality

Lantana College provides comprehensive training for young women to empower them with the skills to work as professionals in the field of hospitality. Students at the college come from very poor families in the villages of the Enugu State. The majority of them are from families of farmers and traders.

The cost of each student’s education at Latana College is financed primarily through donations for scholarships and proceeds from sales of baked items, which are made by the students as part of their basic occupational training.


Iroto School

Improving lives through hospitality training in Nigeria

Iroto School of Hotel and Catering offers hospitality training to young women from the rural community of Iroto, Nigeria. This education enables them to obtain employment and drastically improve their living conditions. The school has recently started expanding its programs to meet the skyrocketing demand for admission.  

Apart from their academic work, Iroto students actively engage in community development outreach, enhancing the social impact of the school in surrounding villages.


THE punlaan School

A technical education in the Philippines

In the Philippines, poverty and the lack of education make it difficult for families to sustain themselves. For the past 40 years, The Punlaan School has been transforming lives through technical vocational education in Hospitality and Culinary Arts. Punlaan is compelled by its proven success and desire to support more women who want to kickstart their careers. 


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A Bridge to the Holy Land 

Empowering marginalized children and students in Israel and Palestine

Poor children and young students in Israel and Palestine often have limited access to education. Learning is key to developing an atmosphere of peace, understanding and mutual respect in a land overwhelmed with conflict. A Bridge to the Holy Land works with underfunded schools and centers throughout the country, providing financial aid to those students who lack the necessary resources to attend high school and college.


ANDECU

Training Nicaragua’s rising female entrepreneurs

ANDECU offers business training for women in underserved areas of Nicaragua's Pacific Coast. This training enables them to take on skilled jobs and earn higher salaries.

ANDECU also helps women start or improve small businesses, commercialize their products and take advantage of micro-finance opportunities. 

Since its inception in 1999, ANDECU has helped over 725 women start or expand small businesses.


KAMALINI

Improving the lives of women in India

Female illiteracy in India stands at 45%, and many young Indian women drop out of school and migrate to cities in search of jobs that will help them support their families. Due to lack of adequate marketable skills, these women often have no choice but to take up unregulated work. Without laws to protect them, they are often grossly underpaid.

Since opening its doors in 2007, Kamalini Professional Training Center for Women has helped hundreds of underserved girls and women complete their education and receive specialized skill training. As a result, these women have access to better job opportunities and many have started their own businesses.


BOMOKO, united For Congo

Helping the Congolese unlock a better and brighter future

An estimated 80% of the population of the Democratic Republic of Congo lives below the poverty line. Life expectancy at birth as of 2017 was 59%, and the infant mortality rate was 74 out of 1000 live births. 

BOMOKO, United for Congo develops unique initiatives promoting equal access to high quality health, education and sustainable agriculture solutions. Working for decades in Democratic Republic of Congo, BOMOKO unlocks a brighter future with creative, innovative solutions driven by the Congolese for the Congolese.


SERRANÍA

Combating poverty and illiteracy in Jarabacoa

Although the Dominican Republic is one of the largest economies in the Caribbean, about 40% of the population still lives below the poverty line -primarily in rural areas. Overall participation in the job market in rural areas is 50%. Of that percentage of workers, only 29% are women.

To combat poverty, Serranía Technical School of Hospitality provides specialized skill training to women and girls from rural areas in the fields of Nutrition, Culinary Arts, Hospitality, Event Planning, Business and Entrepreneurship. With this training, they have access to higher paying jobs and can start their own businesses.


KUMBEL TRAINING CENTER

Improving the lives of women in rural Kazakhstan

Young women in rural areas of Kazakhstan have limited access to education and suffer serious gender discrimination. Some women migrate to urban areas in search of a better life, but their lack of formal education and training limit their job opportunities, sometimes forcing them into prostitution.

Kumbel Training Center is addressing these needs by providing education, skill training and personal development to women from rural areas and raising awareness, promoting a culture of solidarity among young women from urban areas.


SIRAMÁ

Enabling female entrepreneurship in El Salvador

Since 1970, Siramá Foundation has provided a response to the needs of Salvadoran women. Siramá supports women in their personal and professional development, providing them with tools to make a positive impact in their family and community environments. More than 45,000 women have benefited from its programs since its inception.

In response to El Salvador’s high and increasing rates of poverty, violence and inequality, the skills taught at Siramá focus on human, technical and entrepreneurial development.


MONTEMIRA

Access to education for women in El Salvador

Young women from rural areas have limited access to education, which leads to their exclusion from the labor market. To address these needs, Asociación de Fomento Cultural y Deportivo opened Montemira School in 1977. Since then, Montemira has helped thousands of girls complete secondary school, high school and certificates in various professional skills. Montemira gives these young women an opportunity to improve their quality of life, enter the skilled labor market after graduating or continue into higher education, and break away from the poverty cycle.


You ARE AYSE

Educating the future of Venzuela

Today AYSE schools in Venezuela have a challenge ahead of them: to continue offering an all-round quality education without increasing costs, which are a burden on low-income families. They can only continue forming young people thanks to the commitment and contribution of generous donors.


PHILIPPINE FOOD BANK

Serving marginalized populations through grassroots partners

The Philippine Food Bank Foundation, Inc. was established in 2017 to respond to Pope Francis’ exhortation to reflect on the “Culture of Waste” by identifying ways to approach this problem and to convey solidarity with the undernourished (who comprise 21 % of our Philippine population). Millions of pesos in food and household essentials have been distributed through a network of about 150 groups, reaching about three million people.


 

You can directly support the infrastructure and needs of American Initiatives.

American Initiatives for Social Development is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization registered in the state of New York. Contributions to American Initiatives are tax-deductible. American Initiatives offers donors a secure and transparent channel to support and strengthen local NGOs around the world.