I just watched a great show on ABC that outlines their new initiative “Be the Change: Save a Life.” Their simple mission statement is: “Be the Change: Save a Life is a global health initiative to bring attention to today’s most pressing health challenges, and to inspire people to act.” They outline ways to give to charities that help save a life: literally. For example, I loved the profile of the ‘Embrace’ baby warmer. Every year, millions of low-birth weight babies die because their little bodies don’t have enough body fat to keep them warm. Traditional incubators cost up to $20,000 and require electricity, a luxury in many parts of the world. The Embrace Infant Warmer is an extremely cost-effective technology that can work with or without electricity, and provides heat to an infant at a constant temperature, a key condition needed for survival. Hello Little One just committed to buy three Embrace Baby Warmers to help save the lives of countless beautiful babies.

There are other ways to save lives and the “Be the Change” site lists many ways to give in simple ways. For example, $15 will provide a month of life-saving food supplements like Plumpy’Doz to a family in Paquip with three or four children. $11 buys three birthing kits from the United Nations Population Fund, including a bar of soap, a clear plastic sheet, a razor blade, an umbilical cord tie, cloth, latex gloves and a pictorial information sheet. How awesome that for the cost of a small toy, you can feed a family for 30 days. Please check out how to give. It’s a nice feeling to know you’re helping save lives.

Here at Hello Little One, we sometimes find special organizations that really tug at our heartstrings because of the work they do. One such charity is Concern Worldwide U.S. 

This organization deals with one of our most precious natural resources: fresh, clean drinkable water. In Nepal, certain populated areas like Baglung and Jumla, have a very limited amount of available clean water for its residents. Only about 35% of the people have access to water that is safe for human use. Most of the obtainable water is dangerously polluted because only an extremely small number of the homes are equipped with appropriate indoor plumbing facilities such as working toilets. The lack of suitable facilities has resulted in streams of harmful polluted water, especially in these two villages. This we know, produces catastrophic health risks for children. So many little ones contract typhoid, cholera, and intestinal worms from contaminated water, that 13,000 to 15,000  children die per year.

Concern Worldwide U.S. helps out in such a large way. First, they construct water systems to pump clean water into schools, buildings, etc. Secondly, they help build appropriate and efficient plumbing facilities. They also initiate the construction of much needed irrigation systems. Most importantly, though, they supply the best tool: education. They teach the people how to purify the water they need, how to maintain the newly built water systems and waste facilities and how to conserve their precious water supply.  Lastly, health care workers from Concern Worldwide U.S. demonstrate how important clean hygiene is and teach parents how to properly care for little ones afflicted with various contaminated water induced diseases, like diarrhea. We, at Hello Little One, feel this organization is a worthy charity that initiates immediate help, administers essential guidance and imparts invaluable education to help sustain the path to a healthier lifestyle for the people of Nepal and especially their children.