Two vision-related nonprofits were recently named part of eight semi-finalists in 100&Change — a global competition for a single $100 million grant from the MacArthur Foundation.
One of the semi-finalists, the Himalayan Cataract Project (HCP), has reportedly been working since 1995 to develop sustainable solutions for needless blindness throughout Asia and Africa. If chosen as the winner, HCP will reportedly work to develop and deliver sustainable eye care in Nepal, Ethiopia and Ghana, creating an adaptable "train the trainer" model that could be replicated and scaled around the world.
Also a semi-finalist, The Carter Center is dedicated to eliminating river blindness in Nigeria, where it is reportedly most endemic. The organization's solution is to work through community-directed distribution systems to administer a drug proven to stop the transmission of the disease, as well as train community-level volunteers and provide health education.
Other semi-finalists for 100&Change include Catholic Relief Services for children in orphanages, the Human Diagnosis Project, and the Internet Archive that would provide libraries and learners free digital access to four million books.
Each semi-finalist will be asked to present their proposals during a live event on December 11, 2017 before the Foundation's board names a single recipient to receive $100 million over up to six years.
Click here to read the full press release.
Click here to read a press release from the Himalayan Cataract Project.
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Source: MacArthur Foundation