This post was published @ Middle Zone Musings in conjunction with the “What I Learned From” group-writing project.

I started The Giving Hands in March 2007 though I bought the domain about a month earlier. It is an extension of my charity and conservation work online, which revolves around creating and spreading awareness on matters pertaining to charity, conservation, the environment, health and volunteerism.

A post from every month of 2007:

• March — Have you heard of Operation Smile?

  This was my second post on The Giving Hands, and the one which made me realize the simple things that we could make a difference or change a person’s life. Making donations IS a simple thing to do, no? :D

• April — 10 things you can do to save the earth

  This was my first environment-related post, and I remember I had so much fun researching and writing it. It was during the writing process that I realized that there were so much things that we could do to make the earth a cleaner and safer place to live in.

• May — Tuberculosis — the disease that won’t die

  TB is a curable disease. And I am a walking example.

• June — Psst.. Have you heard of Eden Handicap Centre?

  I first blogged about a Malaysian charity, Eden Handicap Service Centre, which I would be raising funds for during Blogathon.

• July — Blogathon 2007 category

  The entire month was dedicated to raising funds for Eden Handicap Service Centre through Blogathon, an annual event where bloggers get together and blog for a straight 24 hours to raise funds for charity. Similarly, I have also learned a lot about issues related to people with disabilities while researching for my Blogathon materials.

• August — Sand-mining threatens the survival of river terrapins

  Some inconsiderate people mined sand from the very spot that the river terrapins come to nest every year. So I took some photos and wrote an article to a local English daily, with which I am working part-time :D The assemblyman couldn’t be reached for comment (as usual) but I am glad that the sand-mining activity has stopped.

• September — How much plastic bags do you use?

  An educational post with a lot of facts and figures on the consumption of plastic bags, and why they should be banned. I also initiated a month-long blogging campaign on environment-related issues which would conclude on Blog Action Day on October 15th.

• October — 18 ways to conserve energy in your home

  Some things are just worth the time and effort and bandwidth repeating :D

• November — Pledge to buy handmade this holiday season!

  Give ONLY handmade gifts this festive season. Support independent artists. Be personal.

• December — “Save the Ocean” group-writing project begins

  I initiated a month-long “Save the Ocean” campaign to raise awareness on the importance of saving our oceans. A dozen bloggers have volunteered to take up relevant topics, and the posts will be published at The Giving Hands everyday throughout January 2008.

This guest-post is brought to you by Miranda.

Image credit: SRI International.

When it comes to environmentally friendly investing, many of us overlook investing in companies that create innovative products that can help us improve the quality of the planet.

One of these ways is ocean water harvesting. It is possible to harvest energy from the pounding waves, and to do so in a relatively environmentally-friendly way. It is interesting to note that the oceans are a great, mostly untapped, natural resource. Not only does it provide food, but it also offers interesting solutions to a variety of problems, including energy.

With USD 100 oil increasing in likelihood, and with concerns about the planet’s climate mounting, it makes sense to use what we can. You can buy your own small ocean water harvesting unit (if you live near the ocean) to help power your home, or you can advocate the use of renewable energy in your city, and invest in viable companies that work toward producing the technology to make renewable energy more cost-efficient.

Miranda Marquit is a personal finance writer. She writes for Yielding Wealth and the AllBusiness Personal Finance Corner.

Photo credit: Project HOPE/Egypt.

In many poverty-stricken countries, those who are sick often travel for days to reach the nearest clinic, then wait hours for a brief consultation with a medical worker. The crisis is at its worst in Africa, in places like Kenya, where there is 1 nurse for every 27,000 people or Lesotho, where there are only 89 doctors in the entire country.

Did you know that:

• In 57 countries worldwide, a severe health worker shortage directly impacts treatment for deadly diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria?
• Each year, 1,400 women will die in pregnancy or childbirth because they lack access to professional care?
• In coming years, Africa is likely to lose 20% of its health workers to AIDS?

Over the past year, Global Impact charities, including U.S. Fund for UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres, African Medical & Research Foundation and Project HOPE, have provided the experience and resources necessary to train health workers at all levels: doctors, nurses, midwives, even traditional village healers.

A year-end gift to Global Impact will ensure that these and other member charities continue to cultivate a new generation of caregivers in Africa and across the globe.

Your gift of $100 can fund a team of specialists to fly to a rural hospital to treat patients and train local staff.

Global Impact is dedicated to helping the poorest people on Earth. Representing more than 50 of the most respected U.S.-based international charities in giving campaigns across the nation, Global Impact touches more than 400 million lives worldwide through disaster relief, education, health training and economic programs that promote self-sufficiency.