Greenheart International Awards Two Global Impact Grants – Summer 2023
At Greenheart, we believe that connecting people and planet through cultural exchange, fair trade, personal development, environmentalism, and volunteerism is what makes the world a better place. Our cultural exchange programs help create global leaders by fostering mutual understanding and civic diplomacy. To further this mission, Greenheart encourages our alumni to give back to their communities through our Global Impact Grant.
A Greenheart Global Impact Grant is a financial award of up to $2,000 given to exemplary members of the Greenheart community. The grant provides current participants and alumni with the opportunity to create, improve, or maintain a community-focused project abroad or at home. As the Greenheart alumni network grows, more and more of our participants are working towards an environmentally sustainable, socially just, and peaceful world.
Congratulations to our Summer 2023 Awardees:
- Bill Ampah // Ghana
- Matias Mercado // Philippines
Bill Ampah participated in Greenheart Exchange’s Summer Work Travel program in 2018 at Indiana Beach Amusement Park. Today, he is a data entry clerk at the Trust Hospital. In addition, Bill is a software engineer and has experience as a supply chain officer. Alongside these professional roles, he is fueled by a strong passion for fostering community development and championing environmental sustainability. He has participated in various volunteer projects to help make a difference in the lives of individuals and communities.
Bill’s project: “Improving Community Well-being in Ghana: A Comprehensive Approach to Promoting Health, Wellness, and Environmental
Sustainability through Improved Access to Medical Services and Waste Management Initiatives”
Access to safe drinking water is critical for preventing deadly waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, and diarrhea. Bill’s project will seek to improve the well-being of the community by promoting access to quality medical services and by addressing environmental issues through waste management initiatives. Setting up public restrooms and providing the community with safe and clean water sources, such as wells, boreholes, or water treatment plants, will curb the root causes of the issue. Improving access to medical services in the community by establishing a health clinic or mobile health unit will provide affordable and high-quality medical care. Additionally, the project will promote healthy lifestyle choices, like proper nutrition, physical activity, and disease prevention, and will strengthen waste management and recycling initiatives to help create a healthier, more vibrant community.
Matias Mercado is a 12th Grade Humanities and Social Studies student in Brokenshire College Toril in Davao City, Philippines. He is the founder and current president of Project Baka-One, an environmental project focused on mangrove growing. Matias was a Kennedy Lugar Youth Exchange and Study grant winner with Greenheart Exchange High School Exchange Program in academic year 2022-23 and was placed in Fort Drum, New York. During his exchange year, Matias was engaged in theatre (read this article about marking his lead role debut there), in volunteering and student governance, and continued fundraising for his environmental organization in the Philippines during Global Youth Service Day. He aspires to be a diplomat someday, and he is always in pursuit of leaving an ecological legacy every day.
His Project: Project Baka-One
Coastal communities especially in Southern Mindanao, Philippines are underprepared for the impending repercussions of climate change, coupled with the lack of natural defenses such as mangroves. Project Baka-One addresses these problems by creating a long-term management plan for ecological redevelopment and localized community protection within the targeted communities. These mangroves are valuable because they play a significant role in the socio-economic development of the nearby communities. But they are vulnerable because of various anthropogenic activities. Project Baka-One aims to conserve and protect high-risk coastal areas in Mindanao, Philippines by planting and maintaining mangroves which are natural defenses against climate-related calamities in these coastal areas–vital also because they serve as both habitat and refuge for marine life.
Congratulations! We can’t wait to see how their projects progress.
Got a project in mind? Earn up to $2,000 for an opportunity to create, improve, or maintain a community-focused project abroad or at home. Follow Greenheart on Facebook and Instagram to wo watch for the next application period.
Click here if you’d like to donate to help Greenheart fund future Global Impact Grants.
Thank you!