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Amizade means friendship in Portuguese. It is also the name of a service organization in the United States that places volunteers in projects mostly in developing countries. Amizade's executive director, Eric Hartman, thought of the idea in Brazil in nineteen ninety-four, which explains the Portuguese name. The Amizade Global Service-Learning and Volunteer Programs placed three hundred volunteers in nine countries last year. These American university students and others worked in thirteen communities. Amizade works with local groups and individuals on service and learning projects. The local... 

Two new discoveries could offer easier ways to identify infectious diseases in developing countries. The first involves sheep. Researchers have found that hair sheep are a good source of blood for use in tests to diagnose infectious diseases in people. In developed countries, microbiologists do these tests with blood from wool sheep or horses. But for developing countries, that costs too much. So tests often use human blood instead. Ellen Yeh from the Stanford University School of Medicine in California was one of the authors of the study. She explains the problems with using human blood: First... 

A simple water pump is helping to improve the lives of poor families in several Asian and African countries. The treadle pump is based on a design developed in the nineteen seventies by Norwegian engineer Gunnar Barnes. It can be made locally. A group based in the United States, I.D.E., International Development Enterprises, has created programs in different countries.The program in India won an Ashden Award in two thousand six for using local sources of energy to improve quality of life. Last year the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded I.D.E. twenty-seven million dollars. The money is... 

In two thousand five, Tanya Pinto was a successful young businesswoman in Dallas, Texas. But she decided to take three months off from work at an advertising company to visit her birthplace, India. She volunteered at Mother Teresa's home for orphans in Kolkata. She also traveled, and saw children in great need. Mizz Pinto said that experience changed her life. And that is why she decided to start an aid organization. She returned to her job in Texas and began Baal Dan Charities. In Hindi, the name means «child donation.» India has an estimated eighteen million poor children. Some... 

In two thousand three, the government of Kenya established a program of free primary education for all children. But there are not enough public schools for all the children who live in the crowded slums of Nairobi. Instead, some of these children attend what are known as non-formal or informal schools. These are supported by communities, religious groups and other organizations. Informal schools use the national curriculum taught in public schools. But they operate largely with limited resources and without trained teachers. Education activists say the Ministry of Education rarely inspects their... 

A new study shows that lead-based paint remains a worldwide threat to public health. Paint containing lead is a major cause of lead poisoning in children. The heavy metal enters the body when children breathe the paint dust or fumes in the air. Or when babies put their mouth on painted surfaces or swallow pieces of paint. Lead can damage the brain and the nervous system. It can decrease intelligence, create behavior problems and slow a child's growth. Researchers tested new household enamel paints from twelve countries in Africa, Asia and South America. The paints were sold under different... 

If you travel by bus in Sao Paulo, Brazil these days your vehicle may be powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The citys urban transportation system recently launched the first of up to five hydrogen buses. The hydrogen reacts with oxygen to produce electricity and water. The bus uses a hybrid system that combines the hydrogen fuel cells with high power batteries. It can be driven three hundred kilometers on the hydrogen cell and an additional fifty kilometers on its batteries. The bus carries passengers in communities around Sao Paulo. The United Nations Development Program, the World Bank and other... 

Clay is found almost everywhere in the world. It is formed by the action of wind and water on rocks over thousands of years. The rocks change in both chemical and physical ways. Chemically, elements like potassium and aluminum are added and taken away. Physically, the rocks break down into smaller and smaller pieces. After a long time, some of the rock changes to clay. Clay is important because it is used around the world to make containers of all kinds. Potters add water to soften the clay. This makes it easier to form into shapes by hand or by machine. Then it is fired in an extremely hot stove.... 

Two separate diseases are destroying banana and plantain crops in Africa. They could threaten food security for millions of Africans who depend on bananas as an important part of their diet. Banana bacterial wilt was first reported in Ethiopia in the late nineteen sixties. In two thousand one it was found in Uganda. Since then it has spread to neighboring countries including Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The leaves of infected plants weaken and become yellow. They also leak a yellow liquid. The bananas ripen too quickly and begin to rot. Farmers can unknowingly... 

UNICEF says the death rate for children under the age of five has fallen twenty-eight percent since nineteen ninety. Experts credit the drop to improvements in public health measures. These include vaccination campaigns and the use of bed nets chemically treated to kill mosquitoes that spread malaria. Still, Brian Hansford at the United Nations Children's Fund says more work remains. He says the good news is that the rate of deaths of children under five years of age continued to decrease in two thousand eight. The number of child deaths decreased to an estimated eight-point-eight million... 

Today we bring you a new take on an old tale. It's the story of the three little pigs and the big bad wolf that blew down one house made of straw and one made of sticks. The only house left standing was the one made of bricks. Now there is new evidence to suggest that houses built with bales of straw can be very strong. They are also environmentally friendly. Pete Walker is a professor at the University of Bath in Britain. He and a team of researchers there have built a house made out of straw bale and hemp material. During the next twelve months the team will study the effectiveness of... 

When you have a question about something, where do you go? For many people the answer is simple. They go online to a search engine like Google or Yahoo. But what about people in rural or underdeveloped areas who may have no way to get on the Internet? A business and international development consultant in California, Rose Shuman, wanted to find an answer for them, too. Her solution is Question Box. Question Box is a service that provides answers — free of charge — for people who cannot search the Internet directly. They might not be able to read, or they simply have no access.... 

Each year millions of babies are born too soon and too small. Premature or preterm births are defined as births that take place earlier than thirty-seven weeks of pregnancy. Prematurity is the leading cause of death in newborn babies. More than one-fourth of the four million newborns who die each year around the world were born too early. Preterm babies that survive can suffer a lifetime of serious health conditions. The examples include cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing problems and learning disabilities. Families and communities face emotional, physical and financial costs. Christopher Howson...