I've been working with empower for about three years now, leading R&D on the composting project for their Bangladesh site. Empower has a great group of people dedicated to improving the lives of waste pickers around the world. They are determined to give these communities safer, more lucrative, and self sustainable means of scavenging. I've seen a lot if progress in my time with this group, and I hope to see this good work continue.
I've known and worked with Empower for years, first just as someone interested in their work and in the past two years as a partner in the development of a new technology. I first connected with the organization when their primary focus was garbage dump methane to electrical power to support a trash pickers' community on a dump in Pakistan. It was a really well thought out project that used a simple but powerful renewable energy technology to provide power and revenue to a very, very poor community. With electricity and money, the village was able to build a school, pay teachers and really take control of their own lives. More recently, I have been working with one of the founders of Empower to design, build and deploy a simple, smart phone enabled blood pressure and blood glucose monitoring system. The system allows villagers to measure these two critical vitals by themselves, at home, and have the results sent automatically to a clinic, the staff of which won't visit the villages. When fully implemented, the system will take us a long way toward out goal of taking public health to the community when the community cannot get to public health. Without Empower, this project would be impossible and thousands of people would still face the impossibility of health care access.
Empower Energy team has been a wonderful partner in our journey to make a difference in this world. Nasir personally visited our project in Uganda last December and has provided resources to help us with clean water in Migyera, Uganda. Their networking goal offers the opportunity to connect with other like minded people and to benefit from their skills and interests.
This is an incredible organization to give to. They provide so much to people having to live in landfills and I know that most of the funds go directly to the people and children in need.
These communities are lacking in sanitation, clean water, education, energy and many other things. If it wasn't for emPower, these populations would continue to live in desolate conditions.
An organization definitely worth donating to!
As a philanthropist I have always admired and followed Timothy's example of selflessness, and dedication to his cause. Through Timothy's powerful photographs and consistent involvement with the landfill communities he has brought back to New York a first hand account of the struggles that take place in La Chureca. His photographs also display the spirit of hope in the faces of the people that live and work there, however Timothy's work goes beyond his breath taking photographs. He combats the issue with fresh ideas, new solutions and volunteering his time, resources and personal finances. His dedication hard work,and ability to produce results are the reason why I continue to support his cause to this day, and why I have decided to join the peace corps so that I may also be apart of the solution as well. I know that he will continue to inspire, and teach while he is on is journey to help the people of La Chureca.
It was not until the beginning of this year - through the photographs, videos, and the endless support and commitment of Timothy Bouldry, that I learned of the remarkable work that is being accomplished by the em[Power] Energy Group in the area of renewable resources. Their efforts to enrich the lives of those less fortunate who live in landfills by creating means for them to become productive members of society are unparalleled. Their vision for the use of waste products to improve the environment on a global level is an undertaking that will in time prove to be invaluable to so many. This is why I am confident that my donations to the em[Power] Energy Group have and will continue to be utilized in a way that I believe will help to make the world a better place for you and me and will help to improve the quality of life of those who so richly deserve it. More power to em[Power]!
I've never felt so positively assured about donating time and money to a cause that changes people's lives directly. Empower Energy Group just welcomed Timothy Bouldry - a visionary and philanthropist who's creativity, grit, hard work and genuine compassion will take him to Nicaragua in 2015. Timothy will work closely with health care clinics, fellow activists, community leaders and families in need, to grow landfill communities into self-sustaining, healthy and inter-dependent people. I've watched Timothy travel to various landfills all around the world. He always arrives with his heart opened, and his mind readied to employ and receive ideas. He's learned there's a great need for help within these landfill communities. He's made many friends in Nicaragua who are anxious for his arrival and eager for his leadership. WIth Empower Energy Group's expertise and support, this partnership will be written about for sure! Much Luck and Success to you Timothy!
My name is Timothy Bouldry and I have been photographing landfills for 6 years. I immediately developed a very compassionate and curious nature towards people who live from landfills in impoverished areas of the world. During my journey to help these communities through campaigning, publications, and outreach; I crossed paths with Empower Energy Group. They were the only NGO that I discovered that was invested in creating community development at landfill sites, both on a humanitarian level, as well as, an alternative energy level. They also work on a global level like me too, so that was a plus as well.
Since working with them, I have learned many things from varied perspectives; how certain environmental projects work like biogas into energy, trash incineration into earth blocks for building and duckweed for wastewater clean-up. Empower Energy Group has made it easy for me to imagine, study and plan a large scale project to help a community at a landfill called La Chureca in Nicaragua, a place I am very familiar with. Thanks to em[POWER] I am moving there and managing an educational, environmental and healthcare system.
I am grateful for this move and excited to see how things can develop for the local community there.
www.timothybouldry.com
www.empowerenergygroup.org