Current article about Millennium Promise:

Ensuring That Gifts Go Where They’re Needed [via nytimes.com]

DOLLARS AT WORK A girl dragging jerrycans of water in Kenya, where the charity Millennium Promise is working to provide a more reliable water source. (Kyu-Young Lee/The Earth Institute)

A little homework can ensure that donations are use effectively.

Read the entire article here.

Welcome to the new NC Millennium Village project website. Its been a while since we’ve updated our website, but we’re happy to announce the launch of the new NCMVP.ORG.

It has some great features, is easier to use, more accessible and has a great look! In addition, its built on a content management system that will allow the MVP coordinators to keep you up to date with the latest about MVP. You can keep track of the latest news and events on the homepage under ‘Recent News’.

Feel free to leave some comments and let us know what you think!

-Prashant
NCMVP.org Webmaster/Designer

The NC Millennium Village Project is hosting a week of events to support the Millennium Development Goals. Below are a list of events that will be held during MDG Week from November 10th to 14th.

Monday [Nov 10, 2008]: Cheza Kwa Tumaini

Global Partnership

Come see the Loreleis, Cadence, Bhangra Elite, Sababa, Zankiliwa, Misconceptions, Que Rico, and CH Chalkaa perform and possibly win ACC basketball tickets, ipod touch, PSP player, and over $100 in gift cards! The proceeds of the event will go towards reaching our $1.5 million, of which we have raised $1.2 million. We are in the last stretch, and your participation will help us reach our goal!

There will also be information on internship opportunities and World Micromarket will be selling their items which support the nonprofit CARE.

Where: Union Great Hall
When: 7:00-9:00 pm

$5 for entry and one drawing ticket
$1 for subsequent drawing tickets (you can purchase how ever many you like: the more you buy, the better chance you have of winning) 
Tickets available in the Pit from 10-2 on Monday, at the event, or contact Taylor at taylor.jo.isenberg@gmail.com

Tuesday [Nov 11, 2008]: Discussions on Global Health

Reduce Child Mortality, Improve Maternal Health, Combat HIV/AIDS

Three speakers from UNC’s campus and the triangle area will be having a discussion on global health, including learning more about internship opportunities and how they can be involved. Refreshments will be served!

Where: Hanes Art Center
When: 6:00-8:00 pm

Wednesday [Nov 12, 2008]: MVP in the Pit and the Green Microfinance Workshop

Ensure Environmental Sustainability

The Carolina Microfinance Initiative is VERY excited to be hosting Kathleen Robbins for a lecture and workshop!  Kathleen is the director of clean energy at the Green Microfinance, an organization that harnesses the power of renewable energy to microfinance.  Their work with microfinance institutions assists them in providing their clients with clean, renewable energy technologies – solar, wind, hydro, and biofuel – which enhance their physical and economic well-being while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation.  As oil prices skyrocket, this allows microfinance clients from the Bottom of the Pyramid to thrive, not just survive, in the world’s emerging green, carbon-sensitive economy.  You can go to greenmicrofiance.org for more information.

Kathleen Robbins will be presenting about the opportunity provided by microfinance and the biofuels revolution for small growers in developing countries with specific examples from Haiti.  She will also be touching on Green Microfinance’s vision and goals for the future. For more on Green Microfinance, visit their website at greenmicrofinance.org.

We will also be spreading environmental awareness in the Pit, so stop by!

Where/When:
Gardner 08, 7:45 pm
and
The Pit, 10:00am-2:00pm

Thursday [Nov 13, 2008]: Dollar-a-Day

Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger

Join hundreds of other students raising awareness for one billion people who live on one dollar each day! Buy your T-shirt early for $4, eat lunch worth $1 in the Pit, and break the fast at Firehouse Subs after 12am where the proceeds will go to Stop Hunger Now!

Where: The Pit and Firehouse Subs

Friday [Nov 14, 2008]: Gender in Africa

Achieve Universal Primary Education and Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women

MVP will be raising awareness in the pit on gender discrimination and education in Africa with interactive exhibits and candy. Come learn about grassroots women’s rights campaigners, education reformers, teachers, and more!

Where: The Pit
When: 10:00am-2:00pm

Here’s this week’s Article of the Week:

How a Kenyan village tripled its corn harvest [via csmonitor.com]

The Millennium Villages Project is pricey. But it may hold answers to tackling the global food crisis.

Read the entire article here.

I was lucky enough to spend the summer at the Millennium Village in Ruhiira, Uganda.   I was placed in the education sector, giving me the chance to spend most ever day in several of the schools.  MVP donated computers to four of the schools, but the teachers had received very little or no training on computer literacy.  One of my goals was to start training rotations where the teachers could become familiar with spreadsheet, word documents, presentation software, and internet.  Another intern also helped me in installing some educational software on the computers, so now the pupils in the schools can begin to learn computer skills alongside the teachers.

The experience though, was shaped by the immersion opportunity that opened the door to create awesome relationships with both MVP staff and community members themselves.  Getting the chance to sleep in the village was remarkable.  I would wake up to the sound of roosters crowing and brooms sweeping outside, then roll over for a few more minutes (or hours) of sleeping before the smell of fresh chapatti (fried dough) woke me up for good.  I would share breakfast with friends, then stroll to work, where I stay until the evening, then spend the night time playing cards, watching movies, or just chatting amongst friends and learning the beautiful local language.  It was a lifestyle I will never forget and treasure forever.

By Chris Saxon [MVP Internship Summer 2008]

Who is Chris?

I’m Chris Saxon, a senior International Studies and Economics double major.  I’m from Rome, GA, and I transferred to Carolina my sophomore year after spending one year at Wake Forest.   I heard about MVP when Jeffrey Sachs came to visit Carolina.  My interest in global poverty was sparked and since then I have look to better understand this critically important problem and know my role in fighting it.  The opportunity to work at a Millennium Village appealed to me mainly because of the immersion it offered.  We will best learn how to approach global poverty when we work with those living in it; their understanding of the problem has been developing their entire lives.  So I have Carolina to thank for exposing to the most important issue that our world is facing today and giving me the chance to become deeply engaged in working against poverty.

You’re curious…

I could begin explaining the MVP in this first post by going over the details of the UN Millennium Development Goals, describing the theories behind sustainable poverty relief, or maybe explaining the heroic efforts by Dr. Jeffrey Sachs (and his celebrity posse) in the fight against extreme poverty. All compelling, interesting, revolutionary, practical, and maybe even trendy ideas… at least to me.

That’s exactly why I’m not going to rally behind ideals here, and in doing so summarize the experiences, expertise or familiarity with the Village Project by many others. (you can check out the websites of the three organizations behind the project and find out the structure, mission, and achievements for yourself – The UN MDP, MillenniumPromise and Columbia’s Earth Institute)

The MVP isn’t about me… and it isn’t about you. The MVP is about US for them; for people living in extreme poverty without any way out.

So, don’t ask what YOU can do. Simply understand what WE can do.

Who will WE be? Again, I could muse over a long-winded definition of the current vision for the MVP campaign; a statement several of your peers have been wrestling with this summer. However, words will do no justice to including each and every vestige of the student bodies at three very different institutions: precisely to whom the MVP appeals.

Rather than search for a concrete definition of who we are or how you fit, understand that the MVP is not a group. It is a movement uniting three campuses behind a goal. The MVP represents our pledge to relieving poverty. It gives US a direct hand to help others in grave need, no matter where or whom they are.

Help the MVP become US.
Wonder, question, communicate, and share the movement. Your voice is ours- this opportunity is ours- and soon, others will hear US.

“Ensure ours is the last generation to know poverty: A revolution is possible.” – MillenniumPromise Organization

By Emme Glenn on August 23rd, 2006