Prajwala, India

I made a donation to Prajwala, a charity based in India.

Prajwala rescues victims of human trafficking, including girls duped or sold into sexual slavery by their impoverished parents. Thousands of young girls from vulnerable circumstances fall into traps of deception by traffickers who promise them a better life. Yearning to escape dire poverty, debt or domestic abuse, these girls—most of whom come from rural villages with no educational background—are easily lured by the prospects of a stable job and the glamour of seemingly prosperous cities. Most girls have no idea they are being trafficked until they reach the brothel where they are sold to a pimp or madam.

Sex trafficking not only results in a severe violation of human rights but also causes adverse physical, psychological and moral consequences for the victims. All hopes and dreams of a better life are shattered and over time the girls become penniless, mentally broken and affected with serious or life-threatening illnesses such as HIV/AIDS. Today, sex trafficking of women and children is one of the fastest growing areas of national and international criminal activity.

Prajwala rescues, rehabilites (through providing care and education) and reintegrates children and women rescued from a life of slavery. Some children are repatriated to their own countries. They also carry out community-based prevention programmes.

Check out their website: www.prajwalaindia.com
Blog (a really good read!): sunithakrishnan.blogspot.com
To donate, go here.

You can also follow their Facebook page here.

Cuore d’Africa, Italy

Morena Cassano from Italy made a donation to Cuore d’Africa (Heart of Africa). This was the charity that we donated to last year. Morena’s donation goes specifically towards building a barn for the two cows that were donated to their orphanage, the Village of Hope in Machakos, Kenya. The cows will provide fresh milk for the orphans every day.

Read more about the charity here (our page last year), or at their website: http://www.cuoredafrica.org/en/.

To donate in memory of Michael, go to their donation page and click on the “Donate via Paypal” box on the right.

Like their Facebook page here.

Thank you, Morena! I hope the orphans get their fresh milk soon!


P.S. - Fans in Rome, Italy are celebrating Michael’s birthday by unveiling a statue of Michael on the 29th. How I wish I were there! Cuore will be holding a fundraiser there to support their orphans in Kenya, and Morena will be promoting her book, “Michael Jackson: More the Prophet than the Artist: Messages of Love, Harmony and Peace”. All proceeds from the book will go towards Cuore d’Africa. You can read more about the event here. Don’t miss it if you are in Rome!!

Partners in Health, USA

Silvily Thomas from the USA has made a donation to Partners in Health, specifically in aid of their programme in Haiti.

“On behalf of the more than 2 million patients we serve in 10 countries around the world, Partners In Health gratefully recognizes a donation in memory of Michael Jackson from Silvily Thomas.

Partners In Health (PIH) is a global health organization relentlessly committed to improving the health of the poor and marginalized. The dedicated support of our friends and partners enables PIH to save lives in some of the poorest places in the world, while transforming what is possible in global health.

To learn more about our work, please visit our website: http://www.PIH.org

We are honored to be included in the remembrance of Michael Jackson. This gift will help to ensure access to high-quality medical care, while also contributing to the movement to build a more just world for those born into poverty. Please accept our deep appreciation.”

Thank you, Silvily! :)

To donate in memory of Michael, go to their donation page and click on “In memory of” in the third bar down.

You can also follow Partners in Health on Twitter.

Birthday Charity 2013: Instructions

Hey everyone!

We are doing things a little differently this year. Michael’s birthday is coming up and we are going to remember him by carrying on his charitable works.

This year, everyone shall pick a charity of your own choice! In honour of Michael, we will choose a charity that Michael would’ve supported.

The charity that you choose should be one similar to Michael’s interests. Here is a list of charities that Michael supported.

If you don’t already have a favourite charity in mind, the charities that Michael supported are mainly in the following categories:

• Children’s causes - ophanages, programmes for underprivileged, abused or disabled children

• Environmental causes, including endangered animals

• Medical - hospitals and research centres/grants, gifts and trips for sick children, health initiatives and disease prevention in impoverished countries

• Education - schools, scholarships or educational programmes for poor children

• Humanitarian causes - feeding the hungry, disaster relief

You may also choose one of the charities that we have donated to or nominated in the past. (See “Previous posts” on the right.)

If the charity is registered in the US, you can look up their credentials at www.charitynavigator.org. In other countries, do please check at the website of your respective government’s registries to make sure that the charity exists. You can check their credibility and efficiency (whether they spend donors’ money wisely or waste it) on your tax department’s website, if available. You can get a tax exemption for a donation to a registered charity in your own country.

Make your donation (by whatever means you prefer), then send me a copy of your receipt. This can be in the form of an email or screenshot. Please message me on FB or send me an email at mjbirthdaycharity at gmail.com.

Please also include a paragraph about your chosen charity, where it is and what they do. I will post it here along with your name (you may include a pseudonym if you wish). This way, you can get extra publicity for your chosen charity as well! (I will not post your receipt, that is just for admin purposes.)

Alrighty then, let’s get to donating! Please share this widely with your friends. Let’s remember Michael in our own ways and continue his work in making the world a better place.

In Our Small Way
- by Michael Jackson

Maybe you and I can’t do great things
We may not change the world in one day
But we still can change some things today
In our small way

Empty words are not enough
Where there’s hurt, we’ll be a crutch
When there’s thirst, we’ll fill each other’s cup
Because we care, we love enough to share

In despair, we’ll be the hope
And the prayer that frees the soul
We’ll be there to share each lonely road
Because we love, I know
We care enough

Maybe you and I can’t do great things
We may not change the world in one day
But we still can change some things today
In our small way.