Since NEED featured Modest Needs last year, the organization has taken off. To find out about its recent progress, I spoke with founder Keith Taylor. Read the interview below to learn about Modest Needs’ new developments. Read the rest of this entry »

Providing rescue from Nepal’s sex trade, the Peace Rehabilitation Center in Kathmandu is an oasis of hope for many young women needing refuge. Leading this faith-based organization is Shanta Sapkota, a Nepali woman who has dedicated herself to caring for victims of sex trafficking. Many of the young women and girls that the center cares for were lured into domestic prostitution or international trafficking by false promises of marriage or employment. Most suffer from abuse, illness, abandonment, harsh brothel conditions and/or the effects of STDs and HIV/AIDS. It is under these circumstances that the center seeks to create a better life for these young women. Through care programs and advocacy, the center seeks to prevent sex trafficking and to rehabilitate its victims.

Peace Rehabilitation Center volunteer Carmen Gronewold with director Shanta Sapkota and staff member Min Sapkota.

Carmen Gronewold, a volunteer for the Peace Rehabilitation Center, shared her experience with us: Read the rest of this entry »

A ferris wheel brought in for the May Day celebration Glowing trucks, mutated animals, black rain, and the ghost town “Pripyat.” Such haunting images are etched into the memories of Ukrainians who survived the 1986 nuclear explosion at the Chornobyl Atomic Energy Station. Residents were exposed to an unprecedented amount of radioactive contamination that posed serious consequences. Affecting individual health, the environment, the economy and political relationships, daily life for these people has been assaulted on multiple fronts. While some of the immediate dangers have transitioned into painful memories, many residents continue to live on contaminated land. Due to a lack of reliable information, many young families are defenseless against the invisible dangers of radioactive contamination. It seems the well-being of Ukraine’s future generations largely depends upon the initiatives of nongovernmental organizations and voluntary research. Read the rest of this entry »

I had the pleasure of writing a story for NEED last year profiling an amazing organization by the name of Wings of Hope (WOH). As a part of that process, I met and interviewed their director of operations, Doug Clements. The following is an excerpt from that interview:

Bronson (B)- So what is Wings of Hope all about?

Doug (D)- Well now, that is a very complicated question. WOH is the largest volunteer charity in the Midwest. We have around 550 volunteers in St. Louis alone, and a couple thousand more spread out around the world, so you can imagine it would be hard to sum up exactly what we do.

A plane specially equipped as an air ambulance and donated by Wings of Hope flying over Tanzania. Photo | MACIEJ DAKOWICZ
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Children view the city from the riverbank.Our last issue introduced the world of street children. With activist and photographer Paul Corbit Brown’s haunting imagery and journal entries, readers gained insight into the lives of children who live on the streets in Rwanda. In preparation for an upcoming collaborative feature about Indonesian street children, I met Paul. His southern drawl pulled me in as I listened to him talk about his work. I was struck by his selfless dedication to the people he met in his travels. He acts to change the world with little hesitation and no thought of personal consequences. As I listened, I wondered if making change might not take a huge effort.

Paul explains that all street children face the problem of how others see them. Vilified for conditions they did not create, these “invisible children” are outcast and dismissed for having problems that seem too great to solve. Paul insists that changing the way we view these children will eventually transform their plight. Facing our misconceptions is not easy. We all retreat from the unknown – fearing that other people’s problems may leak into our own. Read the rest of this entry »

Paul Rusesabagina fields questions from NEED magazine staff members.

“Genocide Awareness: How Will History Judge US?” was the focus of this year’s student-led diversity conference at Gustavus Adolphus College. As a recent Gustavus graduate, I was eager to involve NEED magazine in this humanitarian geared event. Staff members Liz Werner, Meghan Garrity and I attended the conference, where we distributed copies of NEED magazine. We walked away with an unforgettable confirmation of the power of words.

Paul Rusesabagina, the hotel manager responsible for saving 1,268 Tutsi and moderate Hutu refugees in Hotel Milles Collines during the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, spoke of his experience in the keynote address. Speaking from his heart, he said, “The best weapon in life is just words.” He shared his story in hopes that we continue this dialogue: remember, reconcile, and never close the lines of communication. Mr. Rusesabagina founded the Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation (HRRF) in 2005. The foundation provides support, care and assistance to children orphaned by, and to women abused during, the genocide in Rwanda.

NEED staff writers Erin Luhmann, Liz Werner and Meghan Garrity pose with Paul Rusesabagina.

After his public presentation, we were able to meet with Mr. Rusesabagina for a brief interview session. Caught up in the anticipation of meeting this real life hero, I almost lost my words. However, his genuine nature set a friendly tone and he welcomed all of our questions. You can listen to this exclusive conversation here:Download link