Story Search Results

Advanced Search

There are so many ways to search the solutions journalism stories in this database. Explore our searchable fields:

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 680 results for your search. View and Refine Your Search Terms

Playing With Toys and Saving Lives

Tina Rosenberg

January 29, 2014 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Nicaragua, Jinotepe, Carazo

Many different people are inventing health devices for resource-poor settings, but some organizations - like M.I.T.’s Little Devices group - are empowering developing communities and increasing access to healthcare by building medical devices that nurses and doctors in very poor settings can adapt themselves — or kits for making their own, often harvesting parts from toys to cleverly rig up medical equipment. It’s part of a major idea shift, one that’s transforming the design of foreign aid.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Smaller-Town Startups: 'Stopping the Brain Drain' in South Carolina

James Fallows

January 25, 2014 |

The Atlantic |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Greenville, South Carolina

The "Next" Project in Greenville, South Carolina brings local government and companies together to create a business incubator to encourage new startups to launch -- and stay -- in the area. One such business, called the Iron Yard, acts as a sort of code academy, offering a 3-month bootcamp and guaranteeing that graduates of their program will find a job in the industry. So far, they've followed through on that guarantee.

Read More
Go to Original Story
The women who bear the scars of Sierra Leone's civil war

Jean Friedman-Rudovsky

November 16, 2013 |

The Telegraph |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Sierra Leone, Binkolo, Bombali District

The bloody civil war that tore through Sierra Leone for over a decade was one of the most devastating and violent in Africa's modern history. Those that suffered most were usually young woman, forced into combat, displaced, repeatedly raped and beaten. It has taken years for those who lived through the conflict to reclaim a normal life. One of the most powerful tools that many women leveraged were grassroots initiatives, funded by various NGOs, that the girls designed and led themselves, funding small businesses, support groups, and community projects.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Freelance Nation: “The Greatest Economic Transformation in Human History”?

Manoush Zomorodi

October 16, 2013 |

WNYC |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

The 2008 recession’s job losses spurred a development of a Do-It-Yourself economy. With the advent of Uber, Etsy, Airbnb, and others, the marketplace has become full of micro-entrepreneurs who thrive with independent web-assisted businesses.

Read More
Go to Original Story
The Real Future of Clean Water

David Bornstein

August 21, 2013 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, Bengaluru, Karnataka

Water:Charity assumed that money and celebrity exposure would be able to solve the world’s access-to-clean-water crisis. But this approach often led to more abandoned water pumps. Charities – and journalists who cover them – are now working to concentrate on making their solutions sustainable.

Read More
Go to Original Story
As Detroit Flounders, Its Art Scene Flourishes

Courtney Balestier

August 06, 2013 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

In 2013, Detroit filed for bankruptcy because of a poor economy. While the city’s industrial businesses have floundered, the art scene has thrived, bringing in new sources of income through art galleries and investments in contemporary art. This new art scene is one factor to measure Detroit’s recovery and prospects of growth for the future.

Read More
Go to Original Story
In Lieu of Money, Toyota Donates Efficiency to New York Charity

Mona El-Naggar

July 26, 2013 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Instead of following the traditional corporate model of financial philanthropy, Toyota gave its engineers to the Food Bank for New York City: trained in "kaizen" (Japanese for “continuous improvement). The engineers analyzed and improved the Food Bank's distribution systems, greatly increasing the Bank's efficiency and effectiveness in its anti-hunger efforts. By sharing the business model which made its own business thrive, Toyota's partnership with the city demonstrates how public-private collaboration provides a self-reliant, sustainable solution.

Read More
Go to Original Story
When entrepreneurship is only way forward

Laura Baverman

July 21, 2013 |

USA Today |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Guatemala, Antigua

Development work is evolving beyond short-term mission trips and one-off donations into a more comprehensive, in-depth model that addresses long-term sustainability of a solution paired with empowerment of those being served. MicroConsignment is a unique branch of micro-enterprise being implemented by non-profit SolCom in Guatemala that provides individuals in rural villages the skills and resources needed to start sustainable businesses.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Summer Reading: How to Shake Up the Status Quo

David Bornstein

July 10, 2013 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

Social innovation rarely comes from “eureka” moments; it’s much more deliberate - it’s something that can be studied and learned. A short summer reading list for anyone interested in shaking up the status quo.

Read More
Go to Original Story
At Cambodia Hotel, The Workers Are The Boss

Daniel Zwerdling

July 05, 2013 |

NPR |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Cambodia, Krong Siem Reap, Siem Reap

Overall, Cambodia is a relatively poor country whose residents don't own much. Norwegian hotel owners in the city of Krong Siem Reap urge their Cambodian staff to be more in charge of making their own decisions by making them co-owners of the hotel, an act that forced them to have more confidence and critical thinking skills.

Read More
Go to Original Story