BWB's 2011 Award Winners

Hug it Forward-Bottle Schools in Guatemala-$500

We love everything about this wildly successful project. Bottle schools are schools built using soda bottles and other "waste" plastic. Entire communities come together to build bottle schools, empowering themselves to create change in their lives. Community leaders manage the project, mothers and father donate their labor to build the school, and children are involved at all stages. They collect the bottles and stuff them full of trash to make eco-bricks, In this way, THEY build THEIR school. Last year BWB partially funded Hug It Forward's  third bottle school and to date they have built twelve with plans to scale this globally by working with the Peace Corps in Guyana.

To learn more or to donate, check out http://hugitforward.com/

The Living Library Nizhyn Novgorod, Russia -$300



The Living Library project aims at raising awareness about different social groups through creating an informal, safe, interactive environment.  A one-day event, the “Living Library” works like a typical library with the only exception: readers check out real people, people representing different social groups that face discrimination and have insufficient coverage in the media.  BWB’s support will allow for the purchasing of necessary production and promotional materials.

 http://zhiv-biblioteka.livejournal.com/

European Disaster Volunteers Port au Prince Haiti- $1,000

Foyer d'Orelph Orphanage

European Disaster Volunteers (EDV), has worked in Haiti for more than 13 months now, and BWB has supported their incredible efforts from the very beginning. This grant will help support the  orphanages they support become self-sufficient. They will first use the funds to register the orphanage with the Haitian government, allowing the orphanage increased access to NGO support. Then they will focus on helping the directors of the organization start a small business which will provide a sustainable income for the orphanage.


To read more about this project and to donate, check out their latest blog HERE.

The Nevada Brothel Vaccine Initiative: $1,000


After identifying a significant gap in knowledge regarding Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and HPV among the sex workers in Nevada, NBVI has partnered with the state and brothel owners to provide education and free vaccines to the women working in the legal brothels.  To date, over 340 vaccines have been given.  The hope is that this number will double in the next 6 months. 


Heads Up Productions Akron, Ohio -$600

Heads Up Productions is driven to engage Akron, Ohio’s youth in dialogues about diversity and social issues through dynamic live performances.  By engaging the audience’s imagination in the creative act, inspiring participation, Heads Up Productions teaches youth about discrimination, racism, and the like; through these interactive after-school classes, students will be better able to deal with similar real-life situations they may face.  BWB’s partnership will allow Heads Up Productions to accommodate more students, helping them battle discrimination by raising awareness.       



http://headsupproductions.wordpress.com/   

Ludoteca Health Education Pisco, Peru-$200

Pisco Sin Fronteras' Ludoteca

This project is a global volunteer effort to strengthen the structure of the Ludoteca, the child education center Pisco Sin Fronteras coordinates in Pisco, Peru.  The Ludoteca Health Education Plan is a program designed to plan, develop, coordinate, implement, evaluate, and advocate for effective health strategies that contribute to a higher quality of health. We believe that through active leadership of volunteers, local community leaders, and global sponsors, we can strengthen the Ludoteca community and provide children with the tools they need to succeed and go beyond their own expectations. 


To learn more about Pisco Sin Fronteras go to http://www.piscosinfronteras.org/

Central California Local Urban Chicken Keepers (CCLUCK) Fresno, CA -$250


CCLUCK’s mission to advocate and promote universal access to keeping backyard chickens is in keeping with the belief that safe, nutritious, fair food is a universal right, regardless of income.  Insuring that urban areas have legal rights to raise their own food not only increases self-sufficiency but also insures that the future generations have the knowledge, experience and skills needed to continue to be self-sustaining.  BWB’s partnership will help this fledgling group raise awareness through film screenings and information sharing.  

http://on.fb.me/o9TXFh



Cloudhead Art Foundation Salta Province, Argentina -$200



Cloudhead Art Foundation is an arts and education NGO guided by the mission to create community through art. Cloudhead gathers resources via social media and brings them to local communities in order to develop collaborative art projects and highlight emerging artists who would not otherwise be heard on an international stage.  Through a partnership with BWB, Cloudhead Art Foundation will be able to support the Wichi in supporting themselves.  Through teaching the Wichi photography and helping them to sell their work, the Wichi will be able to purchase much needed farming materials.

http://cloudhead.org/



Flatland Food Collective Davis, CA -$250



The Flatland Food Collective is a student group consisting of high school students, undergraduate students, graduate students, and Davis community members working to create a raise awareness about the value of sustainable foods.  Through their partnership with BWB, they will be able to gather needed materials for a pedal-powered smoothie cart through which they will be able to interact with and inspire local community.



http://daviswiki.org/The_Flatland_Food_Collective



Wood-Fired Pizza Oven Community Project, West Oakland, CA -$150



A group of local, West Oakland citizens has gathered to build a wood-fired pizza oven in a public, community-arts space.  Not only does the build bring together local community, but the future pizza oven will be a local, safe gathering space for impoverished youth.  BWB’s support will allow the group to gather necessary build materials to complete the project.