Go 4 Good volunteers Deena and Joanna recently returned to NYC from their 6 week stay in Malawi. The two women were working with Goods for Good partner Tiyambe Nawo community-based organization to help develop a sustainable nursery school program. Joanna was working to formalize daily routines at the nursery school children while Deena was starting a choir and organizing other after school activities.

We had to share this excerpt from Deena’s blog during her last week in Malawi:

“I don’t think I knew just what it meant to be a developing country, when I chose Malawi, from ideas, to people, to education, to technology. This place is shifting, it is a country in transit. I learned that even in the village, where a gentle shield of glass protects a very ancient, sacred and simple way of life, seemingly untouched, even the village wants to learn, to grow, to move forward.

I also saw just how hard it is, like reaching in a bowl of mixed marbles, deep and dense and then trying in that same bowl to arrange the tumbling marbles by color. It feels almost impossible. Along the way you must accept difference, alternate ways of living and figure out how to help without infringing. Never accept defeat.

That is Malawi, this country with difficult sense of time, lack of logical systems, now working credit card machines, unpaved streets, where school is not mandatory or even made a priority for some.

But there are beautiful people here in this country, joy, smiles, innovative ideas who desire more. Whose pride of their country is strong but who know there could be improvements. They are people like Blessings, Raphael, the school teachers and mostly the Benesi family who taught me the true sense of responsibility to community and to being open to new ideas while maintaining tradition, so rich and so vivid.

That is how you grow, one person at a time. I am so curious to see the future of the center, our heartfelt classroom, our children, the teachers, the Benesi family and this country as a whole.

I know that my time in Malawi is not over. It can’t be. We have hardly brushed the surface, and I would like to return. I hope to return. Knowing now what it means to work with a developing country such as this, that it is not molding a people, rather sharing ideas to inspire growth. Consistency is key. It is something I want to keep a part of my life, and plan to as I embark on future endeavors.”

What does Goods for Good do? We basically take surplus goods from corporate organizations and provide them to orphans and vulnerable children in Southern Africa and Haiti—basic stuff like school uniforms, school supplies, and health and hygiene materials.

Sounds like a challenging job. Do you find much time to read? I do most of my readings on the long flights to Africa, since I’m back and forth several times a year. So I usually bring a stack of books with me. And when I stay in Malawi, where I spend most of my time in Africa, there’s no electricity, so I often get a lot of reading done. That’s where I get the most peace and quiet.

Click here to read the full interview.

Click here to read more about Melissa Kushner.

Goods for Good and Afya Foundation, a nonprofit supplying medical support to health initiatives worldwide, are working together to provide support to displaced residents in one tent-camp, three orphanages and a hospital on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Goods for Good is providing School Packs, which include a Johnson & Johnson tote bag, pens, and notepads, to 1,500 children in need. The School Packs are intended to help these children cope with the recent disaster by expressing their emotions through writing and art.

The shipment will be leaving for Haiti tomorrow.

Goods for Good matches excess goods from the U.S. with the needs of orphans and vulnerable children in the developing world.

It was an evening of fabulous photographs and philanthropy at the Chelsea Art Museum last night. Award-winning celebrity photographer Brian Marcus exhibited and auctioned off his moving series Malawi: Images of Progress to benefit Goods for Good, a non-profit organization that finds surplus products from U.S. corporations and funnels them to vulnerable children in the developing world, principally in Malawi and Haiti. The organization provides necessary school supplies, clothing, health and hygiene products to many children in need while also reducing waste at home. Its motto? Making Progress out of Excess.

Click here to read the full article.

This past Monday night saw a very abundant turnout in support of Melissa Kushner’s foundation, Goods for Good (founded in 2006) at the Chelsea Art Museum, raising awareness of the plight of the Malawian people as well as some much needed funds.

Click here to read the full article.

We at WIJW often speak about “elevated living,” and if you’ve read our thoughts on the subject then you will know that the sort of richness we are talking about is not just some sort of external makeover, but it is a richness that extend into all areas of our lives, inside and out.

To this end I think that one of the most powerful ways to affect change in our lives, is through the simple act of giving. It may seem counter intuitive in tough times to open one’s hearts and give, but this is a sure fire way to produce true and positive change in our own lives and the lives of others. In lending a hand to others we are also cultivate inner wealth – in effect one could call “giving” THE most essential part of one’s well-being stimulus plan!

Click here to read the full article.

This year, on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, the Huffington Post headlined with a powerful and inspiring quote from the reverend himself: “Life’s Most Persistent And Urgent Question Is: What Are You Doing For Others?” It isn’t a hypothetical question or a platitude — it’s a mandate for assuming a meaningful lifestyle that is about more than just ourselves and our needs. It’s a call to live your life concerned with not just your own gain, but also the well-being of others.

Melissa Kushner, a New Yorker who formerly worked for the United Nations, thought of a way to put her knowledge, connections, and skills to work to achieve a massive goal. Before a trip to Malawi in 2006, a thought occurred to her: American manufacturers are producing so much that we see huge surpluses in this country, while children in developing nations are without basic needs like school supplies — which can make a substantial difference in a child’s quality of life. So why not call U.S. companies and ask them to donate the products they have left over?

Click here to read the full article.

Malawi: Images of Progress, a photography exhibit and auction by Brian Marcus to benefit Goods for Good, was a huge success! On February 1st, over 500 guests came out to Chelsea Art Museum to view Brian’s series of photographs from his March 2009 trip to Malawi with Goods for Good. With your help, we raised over $51,000 to benefit orphans and vulnerable children in Malawi and Haiti.

Check out pictures from the event here and a video here

* It’s not too late to order one of Brian’s beautiful prints from the exhibit. You can view the images on sale here and place your order through Fred Marcus Photography by contacting 212.873.5588 or brianmarcus@fredmarcus.com. Make sure to order soon- they will only be available until Monday, Feb. 22nd! Proceeds from print sales will benefit G4G.

Goods for Good matches excess goods from the United States with the needs of orphans and vulnerable children in the developing world.

Didn’t get a chance to order prints at the event? It’s not too late to get one!

Until Monday, February 22nd all of Brian’s beautiful prints from his Malawi: Images of Progress series are available by order. To order a print:

1. View images from the exhibition here

2. Choose a print and a size. 11×14 = $125 / 16×20 = $250 / 30×40 = $500

2. Place your order through Fred Marcus Photography by contacting 212.873.5588 or brianmarcus@fredmarcus.com

3. Proceeds from your purchase will benefit Goods for Good’s programs in Malawi as well as rebuilding efforts in Haiti

Goods for Good matches excess goods from the United States with the needs of orphans and vulnerable children in the developing world.