Update on the Intel Small Things Challenge

For the past three months I have been managing Intel’s engagement with Save the Children under the Small Things Challenge, and wanted to share an exciting update on the progress to date. But first, a quick recap on the program for those who may not have been following the campaign. The Small Things Challenge is a year-long effort that Intel launched in January with Save the Children and Kiva.org to increase access to quality education for children in developing countries and to promote economic development. For every click on the Small Things Challenge website, Intel is donating 25 cents to these organizations (up to $300,000 for the year). We are also encouraging others to make a micro-loan or give whatever small donation they can towards these objectives, in the belief that many small actions can add up to big impact.

I’m happy to report that, after the first three months of the campaign, we have collectively raised over $130,000 as part of the Small Things Challenge, including $40,000 for Save the Children’s Rewrite the Future campaign! The Rewrite the Future campaign helps children in the toughest situations around the world – war zones and conflict-affected developing countries – get access to quality education. These are children like ten-year-old Kubra in West Darfur in Sudan. Five years ago, Kubra and her family were forced to flee their village by invading militia and ended up in a displaced persons’ camp. They suffered terribly and still struggle to survive, but Kubra is given hope for the future through her participation in the camp school run by Save the Children. In this case study from Save the Children, her dad talks about how the school is not only providing her with an education so that she can realize her dream of one day becoming a teacher, but also with the chance to focus on the future, to laugh and play with other children.

This story resonates with me because it reminds me of the two years I spent after college working in a school in a small village in Guatemala. The children were poor, with ragged clothes and not enough to eat. But those who had a chance to go to school got to be kids like kids anywhere else. They were able to learn and play and laugh and hope for the future – all the things that my own kids do now. I saw kids in the Guatemala schools study hard, earn their way to the national university, get good jobs and go on to be leaders in their communities. This is why it means so much to me to support Save the Children and their Rewrite the Future campaign. It’s a chance to help kids in the toughest situations have the chance to be a kid and hope for the future.

Many thanks to the individuals who have helped us raise the $40,000 so far for Save the Children. Please tell your friends and help us continue the good progress. We need more people to click on the Small Things Challenge web site to generate the 25-cent free donation from Intel. It’s easy! We know that for each $10 raised, Save the Children can provide school supplies for one child. That means that so far we’ve reached 4,000 kids. Let’s reach many thousands more!