CARE is Fighting Poverty and World Hunger

Empowering Girls and Women. Watch "A Powerful Noise" on March 5

Feb 19, 2009

CARE is a one of the leading humanitarian organizations in the fight against global poverty. It places special emphasis on empowering girls to build a better life.

CARE was founded in the U.S. in 1945 when 22 American organizations came together to rush care packages to World War II survivors in Europe. More than 11 millions of CARE-packages were sent during the next two decades. Over the years CARE's mission has expanded into fighting hunger in the developing world and sponsoring major health care programs.

CARE's Mission and Goals

The organization's mission is to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the world. CARE draws from over 50 years of experience and advocates global responsibility. Its goal is to facilitate lasting change by:

Investing in Girls

CARE has been a strong advocate for supporting marginalized girls through education. Educated girls are less likely to become infected with HIV. Educated girls are more likely to earn more, to participate in their communities and raise smaller families with healthier children. At this year's World Economic Forum in Davos the CARE-sponsored session "The Girl Effect on Development" - moderated by Dr. Helene Gayle, President and CEO of CARE - was very well attended. Gayle stressed that it is important to focus specifically on girls and their needs. Kenyan girls who go to secondary school make $2,000 more per year than girls who only attend primary school. If 1.6 million girls are not attending school, there is a potential $3.2 billion loss in national income.

Celebrate Women's Day with "A Powerful Noise" on March 5, 2009

CARE is partnering with national, regional and local women's organizations across the United States to celebrate International Women's Day 2009 with "A Powerful Noise, Live" on March 5. The documentary will be shown in 440 selected movie theaters and it is followed by a town hall discussion broadcast live from New York City. The subtitle of "A Powerful Noise" is "The Impact of One Voice. The Power of Many". It seems appropriate since more than 120.000 viewers are expected.

"A Powerful Noise" - The Documentary

Directed by Tom Capello the award-winning film takes viewers inside the lives of three different women who defeated the cycle of poverty and oppression. Hanh is an HIV-positive widow in Vietnam. Nada a survivor of the Bosnian war. And Madame Urbain works the slums of Bamako, Mali. Through their ability to empower others the three individuals are sparking unprecedented changes. The film is a meditation on the potential of women to change the world.

CARE Connections and CARE Blog

CARE supports a lively online community and is represented on social networks like Facebook and MySpace. Regional and local CARE chapters connect on the web via CARE Connections. A number of field blogs and news feeds keep members informed about the organization's programs worldwide and the political events that impact them. Javad Harb, a Palestinian living in Rafeh, Gaza with his wife and six children, has worked with CARE since 2002 organizing women's groups. During the recent conflict between Israel and Gaza his blog was published on the CARE website, as he wrote how the warfare affected his family. When personal connections are established, supporters feel that their small donation does indeed make a difference.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala talks about the Girl Effect at the World Economic Forum, Davos (2009).

The copyright of the article CARE is Fighting Poverty and World Hunger in Development Agencies is owned by Christine Welter. Permission to republish CARE is Fighting Poverty and World Hunger in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.