¶ Unique Nonprofit Organizations Saving Lives
Perspective . Perspective is spelled P-E-R-S-P-E-C-T-I-V-E . Perspective the 30,000 foot view . Perspective Put on someone else's shoes . Perspective can also refer to the state of existing in space or one's view of the world . Perspective R-E-A audio .
Reemployability . If you're listening to this on September 19th , 2024 , then you may or may not know that today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day . Yep , this thing goes way beyond our country's borders and is apparently celebrated across the globe .
Well , according to Wikipedia , International Talk Like a Pirate Day was begun as an inside joke between two friends , John Burr and Mark Summers , when one of them got hurt during a racquetball game and yelled Arr . They agreed that there should be a day when people all over the world talked like pirates .
So they contacted a syndicated humor columnist named Dave Barry in 2002 , who promoted the idea , and the rest is , as they say , history . So Talk Like a Pirate Day resonates with us here in the Tampa Bay area . As the story goes , the dreaded pirate Jose Gaspar , a real guy , was famous for invading the coast of Florida in the 19th century .
However , in 1821 , the US Navy confronted Gaspar's ship and a furious battle occurred , With defeat inevitable . The pirate tied himself to an anchor chain and jumped into the sea , never to be seen again .
Well , in 1904 , local Tampa leaders were looking for a way to promote the emerging city , and what better way than to create a legend and a festival around a man who captured ships , collecting a fortune that was never found , injuring and killing many people who eventually committed suicide .
We think Now , every year in January , hordes of Tamponians dressed as pirates and known as crews invade the city in what's now the third largest parade in the country . The Gasparilla Pirate Festival is a fun event that has spurred off shoots like the Gasparilla Music Festival , the Gasparilla Distance Classic , and so on and so on .
Anytime large events captivate a city , it gives rise to opportunities for charity work and giving . Gasparilla is no different . According to their website , Ye , Mystic Crew of Gasparilla is no different .
According to their website , Ye , Mystic Crew of Gasparilla has awarded over $1.1 million in college scholarships to students in the Tampa Bay area , and this is just one organization . Considering that dozens of events , each of which has a charity component , dressing up as a pirate really helps a lot of people out . It got me thinking .
What sort of other nonprofits exist that are a bit unique in what they do , who they serve and how they impact their communities ? Maybe you're familiar with one or two , but then again maybe not . Are you ready to find out what's out there ?
A nonprofit organization , also known as a non-business entity , nonprofit institution or simply a nonprofit organization , is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective , public or social benefit , as opposed to an entity that operates as a business aiming to generate a profit for its owners .
I've heard of service dogs , but what about service monkeys ? Now , this is a unique nonprofit Helping Hands Monkey Helpers brings primates to the assistance of people with limited mobility .
The average person has never had a monkey in their living room .
I remember seeing a monkey for the first time . I've never been that close to a monkey .
I remember Craig just saying over and over again this is awesome , this is awesome , this is so cool , Like he just had this smile on his face and he was just amazed by watching her .
This is like a little person coming here . It's not like a dog or a cat .
It's not any other animal that you can possibly imagine In 1979 , a researcher by the name of MJ Willard had the idea to train capuchin monkeys to help people with spinal cord injuries . In the beginning of our program we were only placing monkeys with spinal cord injury patients . Now we place monkeys with people with all types of physical disabilities . Let's draw .
Good job . Thank you , allie , what a good job .
I broke my neck in a car accident about oh coming up on 12 years ago . Now I don't have any fingers or hands that function normally anymore . I don't have any legs that function anymore and I have no feeling from about my shoulders down . So when Minnie showed up , one of the biggest , biggest lifesavers that she could possibly offer me was fetching a phone .
If I drop the phone , that's my lifeline to 911 and emergencies . I'm pretty much done until somebody comes and picks it up , and before Minnie that could be hours . Way to go , way to go . High five that a girl . She'll start rubbing my ear or she'll start rubbing the back of my neck , and no matter if I'm down or not , you can't help but laugh .
Grooming and the ability to take care of each other to a monkey or a primate is the ultimate sign of trust , and you could just tell that the bond had been made between me and Minnie .
She really , really alleviates the pain of being in a wheelchair . She really does . And , what's even better , 96% of Monkey Helper's revenue goes to the program . I'll post a link to the video so you can see these little guys in action . You'll be sold on the idea and the mission . Now , in certain parts of the world , a real danger is unexploded landmines .
In fact , in 2022 alone , at least 4,710 people were killed or injured by landmines and explosive remnants of war . So how do you find these hidden menaces before they kill or maim more innocent people ? Well , rats , of course . Apopo is a Belgian non-profit whose letters , translated into English , stand for Anti-Personnel Landmines Detection Product Development .
The organization uses giant African pouched rats to sniff out and indicate the location of landmines . Check it out .
It's early morning and Mandy is boarding the bus for her regular journey to the training fields . But today she has a big test ahead to see if she's ready to join an elite team on a mine clearing mission to Mozambique . In the past , dogs have been used for mine detection , but African pouch rats like Mandy have distinct advantages .
Rats have some advantages to dogs , that is , of course , they're smaller in size . They're much cheaper , especially the transport Our animals which we're using . They're almost blind or they don't see much because they're night animals , so they're completely depending on their sense of smell and hearing . And if you look at them , they're sniffing all the time .
As with the TB training , mandy and chums have spent several months in laboratories tuning their noses to the smell of TNT , the explosive in landmines . Having completed this stage , they put their nose to the test in the field on a series of courses designed to stretch their mind-sniffing capabilities .
We use three metres and we call it contamination , whereby we use iron casings so we put them down in the field . They are three metres wide , that's why we call them three metres . Then the light when it's used with that system , then the light goes to five meter .
The distance from each landmine is much further , to make the rat work more to get to find the landmines . They are like humans . Some of them they are good , some they are not good . So they have different capabilities .
Mandy is one of the rat school's high achievers . Most take about a year to train , but she has made it to the final test in a mere eight months .
The rats have to do a few hundred square metres containing , let's say , five , six , seven mines , and they're not allowed to miss one mine . When they miss one mine , they cannot operate on the minefield .
Today , nine real landmines have been hidden . Mandy will have to find them with 100% accuracy , guided by a search string which is connected between her two trainers . Mandy moves systematically up and down the course , processing lane by lane .
Every time she sniffs a mine , she scratches the surface at the spot , weighing less than 5 kilograms she's too light to set off the explosive device . And when she indicates a mine , she gets what she's in it for A click , followed by a reward . With nine mines to find .
That's a lot of bananas to eat , and , as Mandy's ever-expanding pouches show , she's doing rather well .
They work for their food and they work a bit mechanical . Once they know something , they love to repeat it . To repeat it all the time , as long as they know they're going to get the food and they're confident they can do the job . So that makes them very well suited for this job .
Finally , when Mandy's cheeks can take no more banana . The test is over . She has passed with flying colours and will head to Mozambique on a mind-clearing mission .
Believe it or not , these rats have also been trained to sniff out tuberculosis . There's a link to this video in the show notes as well . Now , did you realize that diarrhea is still a leading killer in some countries ? It's a totally preventable condition if you have the right medicine . Introduce Coca-Cola into the mix .
No , Coke isn't the cure for diarrhea , but you can truly find it anywhere in the world . So what if you could piggyback the right medicine onto Coca-Cola's efficient distribution network onto Coca-Cola's efficient distribution network . So was born Cola Life , the unique nonprofit dedicated to saving the lives of African children by hitching a ride with Coke bottles .
Diarrhea is still a leading killer in children under five . This is really a huge problem . You will find Coca-Cola in any village at any time , but you will not find medicines . What's the difference ? There is something there to learn from .
There is something there to learn from . Colalife has now trialled the Kit Yomoyo anti-diarrhoea kit . 400,000 have been distributed in Zambia . Let's show the kit in use , filmed using a prototype Kit . Yomoyo co-packages ORS and zinc . This format is government branded . It pops open easily . There's a commercial format too , for small shops and supermarkets .
Inside are four 200 millilitre sachets of oral rehydration salts . These stop a child dying of dehydration . It also contains 10 zinc tablets , vital for immunity . Graphics make it easy for non-readers . When taken for 10 days , zinc protects a child for 3 months . Crucially , the pack is marked to show 200ml .
It's used as a measure for the right amount of safe water . African mothers rarely have measuring vessels at home . Once you're sure it's right , tip into a cup or glass , add one sachet of ORS and mix . It's an attractive orange color that looks nice . Doesn't taste too bad for medicine either . Thanks , mama .
This nonprofit is still in its infancy , but has real potential to save lives Super unique .
From Statistacom , in 2023 , roughly 2 million nonprofit organizations were registered with the Internal Revenue Service in the United
¶ Inspiring Support for Nonprofit Organizations
States .
Thanks for listening to REA Audio . Please make sure to follow us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts . We appreciate you have a great rest of your week . You , you , you , you , you , you , you , you , you .
So I hope you can see that with the right intentions , everything , even a silly day dedicated to talking like a pirate even if that's how pirates spoke can bring hope and new life to someone in need . My wish is that this episode inspired you to support a nonprofit doing any kind of work helping others that tugs at your heart .
There's more than enough of them out there Now . If you want to make sure that you're working with a legit nonprofit , you can go to charitynavigatororg to see how nonprofits spend their money or to simply search for one that aligns with your passion .