Aug 08 When helpful refugee resettlement programs end, these mentors step in By Larisa Epatko Hello Neighbor, a Pittsburgh-based network, matches refugees with “mentor” families to help them become better accustomed to life in the U.S. Continue reading
Jul 28 At a school for poor children in India, price of attendance is paying it forward By Larisa Epatko Shanti Bhavan, a boarding school in Tamil Nadu in southern India, has provided free education to the poor for 20 years, in exchange for a sense of duty and service to the community once graduates are out in the real… Continue reading
Jul 13 The barrier-breaking power of learning someone else’s story By Larisa Epatko Narrative 4 formed out of the belief that learning each other’s stories and retelling them in the first person is a powerful way to gain understanding. Continue reading
Jul 03 Watch 6:26 This simple correction for clubfoot is a life changer for kids in India By PBS News Hour Clubfoot, a treatable birth defect that can bring pain and social isolation, is often not treated in the developing world. But a treatment developed a half century ago by a doctor in Iowa is less invasive, less expensive and less… Continue watching
Jun 20 Why this Nobel laureate is banking on kids’ compassion to end child labor By Larisa Epatko Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi launched the 100 Million for 100 Million campaign to connect young people wanting to make a difference with those who struggle as child laborers. Continue reading
Jun 19 Watch 8:25 How human traffickers trap women into domestic servitude By PBS News Hour More than three million women are forced into servitude as domestic workers every year, often lured to other countries in the Persian Gulf or Middle East under false pretenses. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on ways some advocates… Continue watching
Jun 15 This lawyer helps Mongolian herders and Indian tea farmers fight injustice By Larisa Epatko Natalie Bridgeman Fields started her nonprofit in 2009 "as a direct response to seeing communities all over the world having pressing human rights and environmental abuses go unaddressed."… Continue reading
Jun 12 Watch 6:29 Cervical cancer is most deadly in India. This program is trying to change that. By PBS News Hour Cervical cancer afflicts a half million women across the world every year, but it's most deadly in India. For many Indian women, seeing a doctor is the last resort and an unaffordable luxury. A pilot program aims to change that… Continue watching
May 16 Artistic skills and independence bloom for these adults with disabilities By Larisa Epatko The growARTS program grew from a volunteer operation to one run by full-time staff. For the adults in the program who couldn't express themselves verbally, art gave them another outlet for expression. Continue reading
May 02 How a doll can make refugees feel more at home By Larisa Epatko As more refugees resettled in the United States, Jeanne Trabulsi wanted them to feel welcome. A doll is a comforting and familiar ambassador. Continue reading