essential HELP: a weblog
international and community development in Vietnam

What Will It Take to End Poverty?

September 26th, 2012

As the new president of the World Bank, Dr. Jim Yong Kim has been asking, “What will it take?”

That is, what will it take to end poverty when 1.3 billion people are living on less than $1.25/day. As Dr. Kim notes in this new video released by the World Bank, that’s 1 our of every 5 people in this world barely scraping by.

Vietnam fares slightly better with 17% percent of the population (a little under 1 in every 5 people) living at $1.25/day, according to the latest World Bank figures available. But when you inch that number up to $2/day, the proportion of the population living in poverty is nearly half at 43%.

So we’re just as curious as Dr. Kim. What do you think it takes to end poverty? Will it be in collective action and people combining resources for a common good? Will it be private sector growth and new job openings? Is it a world where everyone is an entrepreneur? How does the environment fit into the equation? Is it a combination of everything?

Watch Dr. Kim’s video below after the jump.

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Fundraising Update: OneVietnam Challenge Met

September 18th, 2012

We’re ecstatic and grateful: thanks to our supporters, we met our OneVietnam challenge–and then some. With your donations, VNHELP is now one of the top three fundraisers on OneVietnam Network. These numbers and rankings change almost daily, so we don’t know how long we’ll be there, but we’ll enjoy it while it lasts. Will we ever get to the top spot? Who knows! But more important than an ranking is the fact that we have new funds to support our humanitarian and development projects in Vietnam. From money to connect poor households to clean water sources to scholarships for university students, you make it possible. Thank you!

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News Roundup, Week of September 9

September 17th, 2012

Here are a few news articles worth taking note of for the week of September 9th.

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Four Ways to Improve Your Diaspora Organization’s Fundraising Strategy

September 12th, 2012

We published an article on the blog of the International Diaspora Engagement Alliance (IdEA) about diaspora philanthropy and fundraising! Check it out. Here’s a little snippet:

Philanthropic culture evolved in different ways in the East and West. The giving instinct for many Asians, particularly those from East Asia and parts of Southeast Asia, is often rooted in emotional ties to their homeland, Confucian values (duty to family and community) or religious traditions (compassion and generosity). For these reasons, many Asians aren’t compelled to institutionalize their giving as is done in the Western world.

Read the full article on the IdEA’s website.

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VNHELP is Now on OneVietnam Network!

September 11th, 2012

VNHELP is now on OneVietnam Network, a new crowfunding platform that enables you to easily donate to your favorite causes and receive timely updates on the projects you’ve helped support. Please check out our page at www.onevietnam.org/vnhelp! OneVietnam has challenged to reach 50 donations in one month–we’re currently almost half there at 21. Please help bring us to 50 and earn us a permanent spot on the network! We really appreciate your support, and the money we raise through OneVietnam will go directly into our projects to help the poor in Vietnam.

Thanks friends!