 HIV+ youth in Ethiopia during their vocational training courses including hairdressing, clothes making, and food preparation. Faces masked to protect identities. We love eBay. Not just because many of our co-founders first met each other as eBay employees. Not just because eBay provides a way to reuse and recycle while empowering social opportunity for small entrepreneurs to compete in the global marketplace. And, not just because its motto "People are generally good" is also a shared belief at the core of our work in the world. We also love eBay because of its philanthropic values. We are so proud to be selected by the eBay Bay Area GIVE Team as a recipient of an eBay Foundation grant for our project in Ethiopia which provides vocational training to young adults who are HIV positive. The youth have been taking classes this summer from hairdressing to computer maintenance, food preparation, and more, learning valuable skills about hard work, commitment, time management, and what it means to be a good employee. More importantly, however, the program, gives them a chance to build self-esteem, gain the tools needed to make positive life choices, and eventually pave the road to self-dependence. A big Ethiopian Ameseginalehu (Thank You in Amharic, the local language)! Check out the press release below (or click here to download). Global Gratitude Alliance Receives eBay Foundation Grant for Vocational Training Program for Orphaned Youth Affected by HIV/AIDS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SAN FRANCISCO, California, August 20, 2014 – Global Gratitude Alliance (formerly, The Gracias Foundation) an organization committed to empowering vulnerable women and children, announced today that it has been awarded a grant from the eBay Foundation Corporate Advised Fund at Silicon Valley Community Foundation. The grant was recommend by eBay Foundation’s employee volunteer led San Jose Bay Area GIVE Team. Funds will be used for vocational training classes for adolescent youth in Ethiopia, orphaned and affected by HIV/AIDS, giving them a chance to build self-esteem, gain the tools needed to make positive life choices, and eventually pave the road to self-dependence.
“This program is such an important step for the youth we are serving in Ethiopia,” said Amy Paulson, President and Co-Founder of Global Gratitude Alliance. “They are the first adolescents, cared for by our local partner, who are transitioning to adulthood rather than dying from AIDS. Whereas other programs often force an entire group of survivors into learning the same skill, this program encourages each youth to discover and cultivate his or her unique interests, treating each person as an individual worthy of pursuing his or her own dreams.” The vocational training project was made possible in part through eBay Foundation’s GIVE Team program, which empowers employees of eBay Inc. to support their communities through volunteerism and employee-sponsored grants. In 2013 alone, GIVE Teams worldwide recommended over 200 nonprofits to receive grants totaling more than $1,100,000. “eBay Foundation was established to reach beyond the boundaries of eBay’s virtual village to develop strong communities that bring people together,” said Lauren Moore, President of eBay Foundation. “Through our GIVE Teams, we’ve been able to identify and support a wide variety of outstanding programs, that feed families in the San Francisco Bay Area, educate children in India, assist seniors in Germany, mentor at-risk youth in Omaha, and serve the homeless in Austin – to name only a few. We couldn’t be happier to add to our list of beneficiaries by supporting Global Gratitude Alliance in its efforts to prepare orphaned and vulnerable youth affected by HIV/AIDS for a better future.” ABOUT Global Gratitude Alliance Global Gratitude Alliance, formerly The Gracias Foundation, is a for-purpose community of everyday activists who cultivate gratitude through a practice of mindful giving that empowers vulnerable women and children around the world. The Alliance believes that a one-size-fits-all approach to development is not enough to create sustainable change - many factors work together for an individual to not just survive to be transformed and break the cycle of poverty and aid dependency. Projects cover a number of areas, including education, psychosocial support, skills development, and safe infrastructures, building on the foundational support of partner organizations while empowering local leaders to become changemakers in their communities. ABOUT eBay Foundation eBay Foundation was established by eBay, Inc. in 1998 and, reflecting eBay innovation, was the first corporate foundation to be endowed with pre-IPO stock. Since inception, the Foundation has contributed more than $30 million to nonprofit organizations worldwide. The Foundation engages eBay Inc. employees and supports their pursuit of charitable giving and volunteerism through its GIVE Team program. In addition, using a unique combination of foundation funding, employee volunteerism, and other resources, eBay Foundation has created The Opportunity Project to extend the company’s commitment to global citizenship. By scaling social innovations that create economic opportunity, The Opportunity Project gives people in need the chance to participate in the global economy, provide for their families, and build stronger communities. For more information: www.theopportunityproject.org. eBay Foundation GIVE Team grants are awarded by the eBay Foundation Corporate Advised Fund at Silicon Valley Community Foundation. # # # CONTACTS: Global Gratitude Alliance Amy Paulson, President & Executive Director amy(at)gratitudealliance(dot)org eBay Foundation giveteam(at)ebay(dot)com |