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Potholes on the Road to Development
Health Access Sumbawa (HAS) does malaria control and community development work on a shoestring budget in a roadless area of Sumbawa, a relatively poor Island in Eastern Indonesia. In 2015 we set out to control malaria in three remote villages for the price of a car....
Launders Trust Helps Launch Solar Energy Project to Reduce Sexual Assaults Against Women and Girls in Uganda
The Launders Trust has made a gift to the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) that, in partnership with the Rape Hurts Foundation (RHF), could provide far-reaching benefits to women and girls in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. Collecting water and fuelwood has...
The Ruth and Hal Launders Charitable Trust Expands Its Support of Parks in Fairfax County
The Ruth and Hal Launders Charitable Trust continues to enlarge upon its tradition of supporting parks in Fairfax County, Virginia. Drawing upon its past contributions of Arrowbrook Centre Park and the Arrowbrook Wetland Nature Preserve to the Fairfax County Park...
How Cultural Organizations Can Reach Out to Younger More Diverse Populations Using the Kingston Chamber Music Festival Model
Historically, the Kingston Chamber Music Festival has served two distinct audiences: younger school children through its schools outreach program and middle age to older adults who have patronized the summer festival since its inception. This latter community is...
Preschool: A Smart Investment
“Look! A squishy worm!” A small child lifts her mud-covered hand to show her teacher the worm she found on the preschool playground. Soon a group of children are gathered around the muddy patch, searching for more worms with spoons and shovels. Later, after washing up...
The Importance of Public Radio in our Everyday Civic and Personal Lives
The Ruth and Hal Launders Charitable Trust has truly helped meet the needs of radio listeners in Central Virginia through its support of the Community Idea Stations. The Ruth and Hal Launders Charitable Trust has provided funds for operating support of the stations...
Hope is in All of Us
Never before had I embarked on a trip like this. I left Rhode Island seeking to better understand the lives and experiences of people living in the most difficult conditions on our planet. I hoped to return with stories and observations that would inform my work and...
Empowering Women Who Have No Voice in Sub-Saharan Africa
In the United States, women are finally being encouraged to speak out and bear witness to their experiences of sexual harassment and assault. Many with access to a media platform have seized the opportunity to tell their stories. But what about those in remote,...
How Legal Help Can Support a Sustainable, Resilient Food System
Food is one of the few things that unites us all - no matter where we live, what we do, whom we know, at least one thing is true and the same for everyone: we all have to eat. While food plays a vital role in our lives and cultures, we often don’t think...
Focusing on Deep and Sustainable Impact
Be Strong, Have Courage. This is the meaning of the word “Komera”, the name of a non-profit grant recipient of the Ruth and Hal Launders charitable trust. The founder of Komera, Margaret Butler, embodies these words through her tireless work with young women in...