Author: Olivia Hayes

CONNECTICUT — Paul Newman, known for his successful movie career and line of delicious food products, has also been giving back to people around the world for 35 years. Newman’s company, Newman’s Own, was first launched in 1982 with the actor’s homemade salad dressing, declaring that all profits would be donated towards charity. Now, after over three decades of hard work, the company has put out over 300 products with all proceeds benefiting charities around the world. Newman’s Own’s Four Focus Areas Newman’s Own has four focus areas when it comes to its philanthropic work: encouraging philanthropy, children with life-limiting…

BOGOTA –Known for her award-winning music, Shakira is a global superstar. While many wouldn’t be surprised to know that she has sold more than 60 million records worldwide, some may be surprised to hear that she is also a highly recognized philanthropist. Arguably Shakira’s most impressive accomplishment is the organization she founded when she was only 18. The singer founded Pies Descalzos, or Barefoot, a group that supports children in vulnerability and displacement throughout Colombia. Pies Descalzos has been able to contribute to the improvement and construction of seven public schools throughout Colombia. This project has been able to positively affect…

SEATTLE — Nia Long is an American television actress known for her roles in popular television shows such as “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” and “Empire.” In addition to her on-screen job, Nia has set herself a personal goal to end the fight against malaria worldwide. Malaria is a disease transferred through the bite of an Anopheles mosquito. These bugs often come out at night and attack when people are asleep. Almost half of the world’s population is at risk for malaria, leading to hundreds of thousands of deaths per year, despite the fact that the disease is preventable.…

SEATTLE — Poverty in Australia seems to be a classic issue of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. In 2016, almost three million people were living below the poverty line, which the Australian Council of Social Service classifies as 50 percent of the median income. Additionally, 13.3 percent of Australians were living below the internationally accepted poverty line. The number of citizens living in poverty has slowly increased in the last 10 years. While the country’s economy continues to grow and prosper, the people themselves aren’t seeing much change. One of the main trends seen in Australia…

KINSHASA — In late July 2017, Kat Graham received the honorary title of Princess in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Princess Modupe Ozolua gave Graham, known for her role in The Vampire Diaries, this honor along with a certificate of merit for all of her humanitarianism within the country. Graham works with the country largely through Princess Modupe’s organization, Empower 54. Empower 54 is a nonprofit organization that provides help to those in need through health, hunger eradication, educational programs and empowerment programs. Before her work with the group, Graham spent several years with the U.N. Refugee Agency in…

BEIJING — For the Chinese people, education is everything. Most families put all of their money, resources and time into providing the best education possible for their children. While education is important around the world, the future of an individual in China rests on the quality of their schooling. Education in China, similarly to other countries around the world, is compulsory for nine years. After that, students have the option to attend a university if their test scores are high enough. Unique to education in China, test scores make or break an individual’s future. For most students in the country,…

SEATTLE — Coldplay, one of the most popular bands in the world, is known for their powerful alt-rock music. But, what many people don’t know is how the band has used its music and connection to millions of people to help those in poverty around the world. Coldplay and Oxfam began their work together in 2002. Oxfam has been fighting global poverty for more than 70 years across 90 different countries, combating the issues that keep people in poverty: inequality, discrimination and unequal access to resources such as food, water and land. When his band’s work with Oxfam began 15…

SEATTLE — Oprah Winfrey is known for her highly popular television show that ran for 25 years. During her time on the show, Winfrey helped hundreds of people a year from providing them with new cars to giving them large checks. In the early 2000s, Winfrey decided to take her philanthropic efforts global. Winfrey’s idea to open a school came in 2002 when she took a trip to South Africa and met with Nelson Mandela at his home. During her visit, she pledged to build a school that would not only educate girls but also with the goal to end…

DARFUR — While there are many celebrity humanitarians in Africa, there are few as influential as George Clooney. One of Clooney’s biggest accomplishments as a humanitarian was the creation of Not on Our Watch, a nonprofit organization created to influence intergovernmental bodies to end the crisis in Darfur. Prior to his work in Darfur, Clooney spent a large portion of his time in Sudan working toward ending the corrupt government. From 2005 to 2017, Clooney traveled to the country seven times following the various rebellions. Through his work with Not on Our Watch, Clooney has been able to donate 7.5…

CAPE TOWN — Education in South Africa has faced many challenges. In 2016, the South African Minister of Education Angie Motshekga declared education to be in a state of crisis. Largely affected by apartheid, the education system has slowly been improving so all children have access to a quality education. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ranked South Africa’s education system at 75 out of 77 countries in 2015. Additionally, approximately 213,000 out of 800,000 students did not pass their end of the year school exam last year. The Bantu Education Act of 1953, which aimed at ensuring a better…