Multilevel strategy for the mentally handicapped  

Interrelated services in areas of poverty for the mentally handicapped and their mothers

Asia and Oceania > India > New Delhi

User enthusiasm drives real-world development

As the United States attempts to refine its foreign policy, more and more people are taking a personal stake in the well-being of those living overseas.  

Using DevelopmentSpace over the past month, private individuals have come together to support nearly 60 small-scale projects in the developing world.  

David Ellerman, an Economic Advisor to the Chief Economist at the World Bank, was among those to make a contribution over the holidays.  

"There is clearly a crisis building up in the relationship of the United States and many of the poor countries of the world. My work with the World Bank has taught me of the much greater need for our assistance abroad."
 

And as more and more people are looking to provide assistance overseas, DevelopmentSpace's streamlined approach to international philanthropy opens the door to a world of giving opportunities.

DevelopmentSpace recently introduced Gift Certificates - thereby putting a new spin on the tradition of giving to charity in somebody's name.  (See below for Washington Post article featuring DevelopmentSpace's Gift Certificates. )

Ellerman found the Certificates to be an appropriate and thoughtful gift for his family. 

"My 'kids' Derek and Mei-Ling--now grown up--have enough material blessings in this country. A gift certificate gets them not only more acquainted with DevelopmentSpace but helps them to become more knowledgeable about international projects."

Now using Paypal as an alternative means of payment, DevelopmentSpace is also working to make global giving as easy as making a contribution to a charity down the street.  

With our new features and your enthusiasm, users have been able to fully fund multiple projects - and bring hope to hundreds of people in the developing world.  

And before you check out the other features of this newsletter, we'd just like to thank all of you who made this incredible show of support possible.  From the entrepreneurs who have given us an incredibly diverse assortment of projects, to the people who spread the word about DevelopmentSpace, to the folks financing these great ideas - it was great working with you, and we look forward to making your dreams come true.      

Get a DevelopmentSpace Gift Certificate.
Help your mom support AIDS education in Ghana, your colleague build solar panels in Nepal, or your grandchildren empower women in Afghanistan. 

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For entrepreneurs, it is important to be reassured that their work is not going un-noticed, and that donors around the United States (and around the world!) appreciate their ideas.  To demonstrate this, we wanted to highlight two projects that recently met their funding needs.  Check back over time to watch the projects go into implementation.  

Human Waste Treatment in Bamako - Pilot Initiative

With the rapid recent growth of the city of Bamako, capital of Mali, the need for safe disposal of human waste is becoming a very serious one. Sema-Saniya is one of a number of companies which own pumping trucks that evacuate latrines and septic tanks that have filled with waste and then dump their contents just outside the city in agricultural fields. However, the company does not desire to continue this hazardous disposal of the waste, and has sought aid in designing and building a treatment facility which could be maintained at low cost and produce a marketable, safe compost. (Click Project title for more.)
 

Project Lifeline 

Project Lifeline aims to financially assist children for surgery to correct their congenital heart problems. Each surgery costs about $1,200, of which the prime minister and chief minister funds pay $1,150, the parents $50 and Project Lifeline $100. There are many children who could not be operated on and eventually died, for want of meeting this small $100 shortage. As of Oct 2002, about 20 surgeries have been performed. About 1000 children were screened in Sep 2002.  300 of these children need surgeries. (Click Project title for more.)
 
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The Washington Post | December 21, 2002
By Melanie Brooks

Silver Spring resident David Devlin-Foltz recently joined forces with his brother in Connecticut to buy their mother a $100 gift certificate from DevelopmentSpace, a Web site that sets up direct donations to any of dozens of projects worldwide, such as toilets and showers in a rural Indian community, a solar-power project in Bhutan or a summer camp in Colorado for inner-city youths.
 
Devlin-Foltz's mother is getting difficult to shop for, he said.
 
"It's not like she's got everything, but she's got everything that we can easily think of to give her," he said. "I thought this was an opportunity for her to allocate money that will make a big difference -- a lot of bang for the buck."

Continued...

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Ask Tim: your frequently asked questions

How do Gift Certificates Work?

To get a DS Gift Certificate for friend or family member:

1. Go to DevelopmentSpace and click on "Order Gift Certificates" in the top right hand corner.  

2. This will take you to a page where you enter the name and the email of the recipient, as well as the amount you want to give.  You also have the option of typing a personal note that will be sent to them along with the certificate.  

3.  You will be asked to sign in with you user name and password.  If you have not yet registered, you can do so without having to start the process over.  

4. You will be taken to a payment screen where you have the option to pay by credit card on Paypal or send us a check.  Your certificate will not be activated until receipt of payment.  

The recipient is given a temporary password in an email, and asked to register if he/she has not already done so.

At their leisure, the recipient can browse through the projects and use the money allocated to them to support a project of their choice.  He/she also has the opportunity to dedicate a portion of the certificate to multiple projects.

All in all, we hope it is a simple process that most of you will already be very familiar with. 

What methods of payment can I use to fund projects or buy gift certificates?

DevelopmentSpace now accepts Visa, American Express, Mastercard, and Discover in addition to personal check.  To use credit cards, you will be taken directly to Paypal from the DevelopmentSpace financing page.  Paypal is a secure site that allows us to protect your confidential information from theft.

DevelopmentSpace is also offering workplace giving programs for those looking to use payroll deductions as a means of funding international projects.  It is a perfect complement to traditional programs like the United Way, as it allows companies with a global focus to give back to their global community.  For more information about this service, please email Mari Kuraishi at mkuraishi@developmentspace.com 

If you have a question about DevelopmentSpace, email us and you might just see it featured in the next newsletter.  

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