In spite of the grim political and economic picture that often times left me frustrated, there were other aspects that I learned about that were positive and changed my worldview. For example, the concept of diversity took a new meaning in my mind. Togo has 37 different ethnicities, which all speak different tribal languages—the official language in the country is still French. What was fascinating to see was attending a funeral—considered parties and festive than in the U.S.—or a wedding, and seeing the different dances and customs each ethnicity still retained from their tribal clans. People from far and wide would make the trek to attend these ceremonies and the full spectrum of colors would adorn the figures of attendees, as these were occasions to wear one’s best clothes.

Yet, given all these aspects of Togolese society that I witnessed and a lot that I did not mention, I still ask myself the question did I make an impact and was it positive?

I believe the answer is yes, and this will vary from volunteer to volunteer. I think the sheer presence of my living in a village for two years and interacting with the locals might have  dispelled negative notions they might have had about Americans and vice versa. From the English club I started at the local high school to the big Moringa tree plantation I mentioned at the beginning, I believe that there was something beneficial I offered to the community over my two years. I saw this in our discussions in English about sports or culture of our two respective countries that I had with members of our English club. I saw this also from the women who prepared the Moringa leaves and served it to their children to provide them with energy to go to school.

Thus, I believe the same can be said of the projects that Do Good Lab have undertaken and will continue to work on in the future. While ultimately it will be necessary for the governments of developing countries to provide their citizens with access to adequate infrastructure or public goods such as education and clean water, we have to realize that most governments do not have that capacity right now. And villagers and those living in poverty do not have the time to wait for such structural changes. In this void, must be the work of non-profits such as Do Good Lab or international NGOs. While I reflect back on my time in Peace Corps and ask how I can continue to make a difference, I am happy to know there are organizations such as Do Good Lab that are offering Americans the chance to learn about different cultures and hopefully help a child go to school or a household attain access to clean water. These are all things within our reach, we just need to act upon them. Peace Corps allowed me to do that while in Togo, and now Do Good Lab is allowing me to contribute while in the U.S.

This post was written by Do Good Lab volunteer, William Vu. If you have questions or want to reach William, please send an email to team@do-good-lab.org.

Do Good Lab

Their course of action is multi-faceted, effective, and thoughtfully compassionate. AIDSS emphasizes the importance of awareness campaigns, combating public misconceptions surrounding HIV and ultimately breaking down the social stigma many AIDS patients face. They offer anti-HIV drugs, free of charge, as well as everything from nutritional aid and physician home-visits. Adult patients are offered temporary housing and vocational training. For HIV positive children, educational and social programs are available, as well as school materials. Importantly, they provide patients with psychological counseling, both on site and in home.

You can imagine what a difference these efforts make.  Truly taking care of an HIV+ patient involves addressing their many different needs. This organization’s integrated approach and attentive care demonstrates this beautifully. And they’re growing! In 2007, AIDSS opened its own facility in the town of Tsevie, and as of July 2011, treatment was offered to 200 adults and 372 affected children. There are 5 AIDSS chapters in Togo.

Now, here’s where you can help. A project that’s currently underway is the construction of a cistern for collecting rainwater. This would provide a valuable on-site water source and help with sanitation and hygiene for the facility’s staff and patients. Do Good Lab is working to raise funds to support the materials and building costs of the cistern. Learn more about AIDSS work and our other project partners.

Want to be a part of this amazing grassroots movement? Come to a Do Good Lab event, volunteer, or donate. As AIDSS works tirelessly for positive change, it is an honor to contribute to their efforts to improve the quality of life of those suffering from HIV/AIDS.

This post was written by Do Good Lab volunteer Rebecca Brander. If you would like to know more about this topic and would like to get involved in our work email us at team@do-good-lab.org.

Moringa is a “miracle” plant that asks for little water yet provides dependable sources of food for a region reeling from malnutrition. Today, we set our sights on transferring the 10,000 trees we groomed in our nursery to this field. As the plantation came into view, I saw a sea of over 100 village women bracing their own machetes and hoes. This was community power in numbers. We worked without a break until noon, digging, planting, sweating and singing when eventually the sun chased us to water and shade. Despite the searing heat and an irrepressible thirst, I felt more heartened than ever in seeing the greens slowly expand across the horizon. This is the eternal memory that has been cemented into my mind when I reflect back on my experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Togo.

I think every Peace Corps Volunteer or anyone who has devoted some time to living and working in the field probably has an assortment of distinct images or experiences that pops into their head when they try to recall their service. It can be a rollercoaster of memories, characterized by long, cramped trips in overused taxis to those filled with laughter and dancing at celebrations and parties. The moments run the spectrum from good to bad. Sprinkled into those moments are personal questions of  one’s impact on the community that one was hoping to make the day they signed up. I have asked these questions during my time in Togo and since I have returned back to the U.S…

About four years ago, I was assigned to be a Small Enterprise Development volunteer in Togo. After I arrived in the capital of Lome, I spent 3 months in technical and language training, and then was whisked to an appropriately little village named, Nano, which consisted of 2,000 people. This rural town, located in northern Togo and set in a savannah-like backdrop, would be the place I would call home for the next two years. Despite being a village, Nano was known as the largest market in the region, with traders and merchants arriving from all corners every Thursday and Sunday—these were the major market days that I always enthusiastically anticipated—to sell their produce and wares. It was on these market days that the village came alive, marked by boisterous laughter, ceaseless commercial activity, and copious amounts of local beer quenching the thirsts of parched wayfarers.

During those 27 months I spent nestled in my sun-soaked village, my eyes were opened to new ways of life and freedoms that I normally took for granted. From an economic point of view, Togo is a country rich in certain minerals such as phosphate, but it would be difficult to see the revenues from such resources filtering down to the population of over 6.5 million inhabitants. Most of the population, and especially those in rural areas, still subsist on agriculture. Those who reside in urban areas basically earn a living through the informal sector, with a handful of the select few who hold positions in banks and the civil service….

To be continued….

This post was written by Do Good Lab volunteer, William Vu. If you have questions or want to reach William, please send an email to team@do-good-lab.org.

Team South America

Drink: Carajillo

Appetizer:  Arepas con Hogao

Main Dish: Causa Limeña

Dessert: Arroz con leche (See recipes below)

Team Asia

Drink: Mango Lassi’s & Fortune cookies

Appetizer: Lumpiang Shanghai (Winner, Best Appetizer; see recipe below)

Main Dish: Pakistani Bhuna Gosht with Raita (Sauteed Lamb Curry with Yogurt Sauce – find recipe below)

Dessert: Layered Coffee & Coconut Jellies

Team Africa

Drink: Honey Wine

Appetizer: Kalinti

Main Dish: West Africa Pineapple Peanut Stew (Winner Best Main Dish – find recipe below)

Team Europe

Drink: Aperol Spritz Cocktail 

Appetizer: Ribollita

Main Dish: Aubergine Parmigiana

Dessert: Tiramisu Affogato (Winner Best Dessert)

Team North America

Drink:

Appetizer: Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Main Dish: Lasagne

Dessert: Fruitsalad

Description of Recipes

Bhuna Gosht

3.5 lbs bone-in leg of lamb, cleaned and trimmed, 3/4 in. dice with bone reserved, 2 Tbs cooking oil or ghee (clarified butter), 3 medium tomatoes, medium dice, 1 large onion, medium dice, 8 cloves garlic, minced, 1 inch fresh ginger root, grated, 1-2 large Serrano peppers, 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (for garnish), 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce, 2 Tbs turmeric, 1.5 Tbs paprika, 1.5 tsp cumin, 1 tsp cayenne pepper (more if you wish it spicier), 1 tsp gram masala, 1 pinch of cardamom powder, 2 bay leaves, Salt to taste, 2 cups water (and more as needed)

Add oil or ghee to a large (8 qt) heavy pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add onion. Saute onion until soft, then add garlic. Cook garlic until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 30 sec. Stir in tomatoes and ginger then cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in lamb, leaving bone aside for the moment. Add Worcestershire sauce and turmeric, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, garam masala, cardamom powder and bay leaves. Turn heat to high and stir-fry lamb mixture, stirring constantly, until oil begins to separate from the rest of the mixture. If mixture becomes dry or starts to burn before oil separates, add a small amount of water. Once oil separates, add bone and Serrano peppers and reduce heat to medium low. Cover and braise lamb until tender, about 1-2 hours, adding water as needed to maintain the level of cooking liquid. Remove bone and bay leaves, add salt, then raise heat to high. Stir-fry lamb mixture until most of the liquid evaporates. Remove from heat and transfer to a warmed serving dish. Garnish with cilantro and serve over basmati rice with raita.

Raita

16 oz. plain organic low fat yogurt, 1/4 large english cucumber, diced small, 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped, 1/2 Tbs paprika (plus extra for garnish), 1 Tsp gram masala, Dash of cayenne pepper, Salt and pepper to taste

Add yogurt to a medium mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir gently until combined. Chill in refrigerator up to 12 hours if desired, to combine flavors. Pour mixture into a serving bowl and stir. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika.

West Africa Pineapple Peanut Stew

West Africa has greatly influenced American language, culture and cuisine. Many Americans are of Senegalese, Gambian, Ghanaian and Ivorian ancestry. Some elements of their cultural heritage are now part of the American mainstream – words like ‘wow’, ‘bambi’, ‘okra’, dishes like ‘gumbo’, staples like rice and peanuts.West African Pineapple Peanut stew doesn’t originate from a specific country rather it is a common dish throughout West African countries. Peanut stew in general is called Mafé by people from Gambia and Senegal, and Nketie Wonu in Ghana.

• 1 cup chopped onions
• 2 garlic cloves, miced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cups kale (chopped)
• 2 cups undrained canned pineapple
• 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon tabasco or hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 cups chopping cilantro
• salt to taste

Saute the garlic and oil for 10 minutes, stirring frequently until the onions are browned. Wash kale, remove large stems, and chop into 1 inch pieces.Add pineapple and juice to the onions and bring to a simmer. Stir in the kale, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Mix in the peanut butter, tabasco and cilantro and simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt to taste. Serve “as is” or over couscous.

Lumpiang Shanghai

Meat Mix Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs ground pork, thawed to room temp
~3/4 cup shredded carrots
~3/4 cup onions, minced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
~3 tbsp Fish sauce

Others:
Lumpia wrappers (Anahaw brand, found at Asian stores in frozen section)
Water, about 1/2 cup for sealing
Vegetable Oil, about 3-4 tbsp
Sweet and spicy dipping sauce (found at Asian stores)

1. Leave wrappers outside of refrigerator to thaw before preparing ingredients.

2. Combine all meat mix ingredients  in a bowl. Mix well.

3. Scoop about a tablespoon of the meat mix and place it on a wrapper. Start rolling the wrapper, tucking in the sides as you roll forward. Brush some water on the edge of the wrapper to soften it, and to effectively seal the roll.

4. Heat the wok/pan and pour the oil.
When the oil is hot enough, maintain medium heat and start placing the Lumpia on the wok. Wait for the wrapper to brown, then turn the Lumpia over to cook the other side. If possible, brown the sides of the Lumpia as well. When the rolls are ready, place on napkin-lined plate to absorb extra oil.

5. Serve immediately with dip.

Causa Limena

Ingredients:
2kg potatoes (yellow, Atlantis, fingerling if available)
8 tbsp ají amarillo paste
½ cup vegetable oil (olive oil not recommended)

Juice 5 key lime

2 can of tuna-fish packed in oil or 400g shrimp

Arroz con Leche 
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups water, 1 1/2 cups short grain rice, 1 (1/4 inch x 3 inch) strip lime peel, 1/2 cup water, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 tablespoons anise seed, crushed, 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk, 1 (14 ounce) can condensed milk, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:
1. Combine 2 1/4 cups of water, rice, and lime peel in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes until the rice is tender.
2. While the rice is cooking, combine 1/2 cup of water, the cinnamon stick, and anise in another saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a low boil for 3 minutes, then remove saucepan from stove. Strain flavored water into a bowl and set aside, discarding cinnamon stick and anise pieces.
3. After rice has simmered for 20 minutes, carefully remove the lime peel with a slotted spoon, and over low heat, gradually stir evaporated milk and condensed milk into the rice. Mix in the cinnamon and anise-flavored water, vanilla, and salt. Add raisins, if desired. Continue to stir until the mixture thickens, about 7 to 10 minutes.
4. If the pudding is too watery after 10 minutes, turn up heat to medium-low and stir continuously. When pudding reaches desired consistency, remove from heat and pour into individual dishes, or a large bowl. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Professor Francis Flynn kicked off the day by introducing the challenges we often face to do the right thing: his 3 year old son doesn’t bother to lift the toilet seat much to the dismay of his parents. The professor showed this short video to illustrate how young boys can be motivated to leave the toilet seat clean (start at minute 1).

After the introduction several speakers presented their research. One of the most insightful speakers was Professor Geoffrey Cohen, who is doing research on the impact of value affirmation and interventions on people’s performance. He explained that most of us face constant failure. Not necessarily major crisis and setbacks, but the daily struggle that wears us out. How can we maintain motivation in the face of constant threat? And how does this effect us psychologically? Many people experience stress and even depression. He and his team found out that value affirmation can help to reduce stress and increase our performance. If we focus on values and people who are important to us, we can step back from problems and the stress and re-focus. More of Professor Cohen’s work can be found here.

The other speakers gave great information on how we can re-frame messages and make them more actionable: If things are easier to understand, they are easier to do. If cities want to increase the participation of people in recycling programs, research shows that messages which highlight the negative consequences of not recycling (loss frames) should be paired with concrete action steps.

Another speaker highlighted the importance of social belonging on performance. Professor Todd Rogers from Harvard presented his research on voter mobilization and how phone calls, based on psychological theory, can be more effective. He also noted that “invoking the self” has a positive effect. Instead of using the behavioral expression “voting”, people responded more positively to the personal identity of “being a voter”. Obama, for example, uses the term “people like you” or “voters like you” – this makes us feel important.

Towards the end one of the speakers said something that sums up why we were all there and do the (volunteer) work we do: ”Change isn’t easy; in some cases, it isn’t very likely. But it’s always possible”.

This post was written by Do Good Lab co-founder Kathrin Jansen. If you would like to know more about this event email her at kathrin@do-good-lab.org or follow her on Twitter @kathrinjansen. 

Water is scarce. While many of us take it for granted, or even waste it, far too many people around the world spend a significant part of their day searching for it. Now let’s ask ourselves: where does our water go? The average person drinks about 2.5 liters of water per day. That doesn’t sound unreasonable.

You might be surprised to learn; however, that food production accounts for 70% of all water use, more than the amount needed for industrial and domestic use combined. This means that it takes about one thousand times more water to feed a single person than it takes to quench their thirst. But is this necessarily a problem? There are currently 7 billion people in the world to feed and another 2 billion expected by the year 2050. As the world’s population continues to grow at a rapid rate, the demand for freshwater will increase, placing an incredible strain on our water resources.

Is there anything we can do? A good place to start is by looking at our individual water footprints. This is defined as the total volume of freshwater that is consumed by an individual or community and takes into account both direct and indirect water use. If we understand how much water is used to make the foods we eat and the products we use, it becomes possible to make better choices and consume less water-intensive products.

The Water Footprint Network provides several online tools to help you determine your individual water footprint by answering questions about your food consumption habits, domestic water use and industrial water use. Based on my country of residence, gender, dietary habits (i.e. vegetarian vs. meat consumer) and gross yearly income my personal water footprint is 2230 cubic meters per year. For comparison, the global average is 1385  m³/yr per capita and the average in the United States is 2842  m³/yr per capita.

How can I reduce my water footprint? If I were to move to Colombia my water footprint would decrease to 2169 cubic meters per year, and if I were to become a vegetarian it would decrease to 1753 cubic meters per year. I could drink more tea and less coffee as it takes 35 liters of water to produce one cup of tea versus 140 liters to produce one cup of coffee. Better yet, let’s learn to be conscious of our choices, reduce food waste, and consume less water-intensive products.

Happy World Water Day!

If you would like to take action now, please support our Crowdtilt campaign and support Do Good Lab’s project partners in Malawi and Togo to gain access to clean water! The campaign runs only today (March 22) but you can always donate to our projects here.

For information on product water footprints check-out:

Waterfootprint.org and

The World Water Day campaign of the United Nations

This post was written by Do Good Lab volunteer Laura Rubiano Gomez!

Communities don’t act so different than individuals. They are just a group of individuals. Communities know how to survive, evolve and grow. They know what works best and what their needs are for their development. They must grow and learn from experiences, but also they need some support. Non-profit organizations (NPO) are that little help to communities that struggle. NPOs don’t mean to mold communities, underestimate them or shape them in any way. They just want to show support.

Raising awareness is as powerful as doing something to fix the issue; they are really a package. So why criticize the Invisible Children’s Kony2012 campaign efforts to raise  awareness and offer a possible solution? Shouldn’t we learn from our mistakes? Wouldn’t it have been smart to have a movement like this for Rwanda? Or have used all the social media tools possible to empower the movement for Sudan? Genocide could have been completely avoided if we all would have been more aware before these terrible things happened.

People are losing focus, of what I see, is the importance of the Kony2012 campaign.  It is not whether or not the USA will send more military support to Uganda, or lead a war against the LRA. Also, it is not about Invisible Children being a hero organization that wants to save a country, or  a bunch of people talking about an issue so that they can feel good about themselves, as Semhar Araia’s blog article and some other articles are suggesting. It is about using our existing most powerful tool, which is social media, to make sure that the world is aware that the lack of development in some communities is not because they don’t have initiatives or desire to grow. Or that the help and support that non-profits offer to the communities, which comes from your donations, are not valued. But rather is because of the oppression that some of these communities are under that they can’t develop as quickly as people would expect, most of the time. So, let’s focus in the fact that we are now aware of what is happening to this community in Uganda and let’s be glad that there are other communities (NPOs) out there giving some kind of support to them. Let’s think that if one is not attracted to this particular campaign or support, at the moment, someone might be interested in supporting this or other campaigns eventually just because they now know.

Sarah Margon couldn’t say it better in her article A Partial Defense of Invisible Children’s Kony2012 Campaign - ”instead of continuing to debate the strengths and weakness of the Kony2012 video, or attack Invisible Children for their lack of financial transparency, lets figure out how to turn this momentum into a constructive opportunity that can result in smart policies that will have a positive, real-time impact in the affected areas of central Africa. Lets harness this energy and turn it into something productive that ensures we are telling the right stories, inspiring well-informed advocacy, and working together across governments, academia, grassroots activists, and local populations to help bring this chapter of the LRA and the impact in affect areas to a close.”

This blog post was written by Do Good Lab co-founder Giulissa Principe and doesn’t reflect the organization’s view of the issue. You can send Giulissa an email (giulissa@do-good-lab.org) or post your comments here.

In 537 A.D. the Goths successfully attacked Rome by shutting down its aqueducts and virtually eliminating Rome’s water supply. In 1948, during the first Arab-Israeli war Arab forces shut down West Jerusalem’s water supply as a military tactic. In 2002, the FARC guerilla forces of Colombia set off a massive explosion that significantly damaged the dam responsible for supplying the country’s capital, Bogota, with the majority of its potable water. Even today, water is at the center of violent disputes across the globe – from Pakistan to India to Somalia. (Waterworld.org)

Such conflicts cause staggering numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) around the world.  Currently, it is estimated that there are over 24.5 million IDPs who have been displaced due to civil conflict, violations of human rights or natural [or human-made] disasters (The Water Project).  The consequences of internal displacement are devastating. Often, hastily constructed IDP camps are unable to meet the water needs of their overflowing populations.

The Horn of Africa epitomizes the type of devastation that can be reaped when civil conflicts and natural disasters merge. This type of chaos eradicates water resources and causes thousands of people to flee their homes – as seen in Somalia. With no centralized government, Somalia is an extremely volatile state where clan wars often erupt over rights to control grazing pastures and water sources. The continuing drought in Somalia, coupled with the on-going civil conflict, defines the state’s ‘water crisis.’  (Zakat)

However, amidst chaos and disaster there are glimmers of hope. Organizations such as Save the Children, Mercy Corps, CARE, Relief International and World Concern continue to bring water to devastated areas, and will continue their efforts until there is peace and water for all (CNN).

This post was written by Do Good Lab volunteer Shannon Radsky!

Today, in International Development, advocates for the world’s poorest are being hammered with a plethora of obstacles in the fight for universal access to clean water. Not only must we deal with the natural phenomena that accompany Climate Change such as drought, tsunamis, hurricanes and hellacious flooding, but we must consider the consequences of human action (or lack thereof).