MEDA supporters across North America plan August move-a-thons
Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) supporters, whose efforts to create business solutions to poverty, enjoy getting together. In normal years, groups across North America have regular meetings throughout the year, and annual barbecues in the summer to raise funds for MEDA projects. With the COVID-19 pandemic making such gatherings impossible, many MEDA hubs are planning…
Niagara Christian Gleaners repurpose food
The Niagara Network Hub of Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) recently toured the Niagara Christian Gleaners facility in Smithville. The new non-profit organization aims to divert nearly 3,200 kilograms of produce each day from the local landfill by chopping, dehydrating, packaging and shipping fruits and vegetables to areas where the food is needed. While this…
Watch: MEDA helps Colombian car company
The climate crisis is top of mind for many these days, so here’s a story about Maureauto Colombia (AVIS), a car rental company in Bogotá, Colombia that is reducing its environmental impact. In 2015, Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) awarded Maureauto Colombia a sustainability innovation grant. The grant has allowed the company to install Trabold…
Canada announces funding to empower women and youth in Senegal
In December 2018, the federal government announced funding for a new five-year project with Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) that will improve the economic resilience of women and youth farmers in Senegal. The project, valued at close to $18 million, will encourage farmers in the Sedhiou and Tambacounda regions of Senegal to adopt innovative technologies…
MEDAx 2018: Creating pathways for future innovators
A team of six students from Conrad Grebel University College participated in MEDAx, a conference that was part of the larger Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) conference, held in November 2018, in Indianapolis. MEDAx culminated in a $5,000 pitch competition to foster innovation for emerging social entrepreneurs. The Grebel team and SheLeads founder and Epp…
Teaching with Talking Books
Teaching technical information to people who are mostly not literate can pose serious challenges. But if use of books isn’t helpful, Talking Books can get the message across. The Greater Rural Opportunities for Women (GROW) project of Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) has made wide use of Talking Books through a partnership with Literacy Bridge,…
Myanmar on the Move
When I originally told friends and family of my intention to travel with my family to Myanmar, I was challenged with the idea of a known global-crisis country as a travel destination. However, we were completely removed from any threat of the Rohingya genocide crisis in the northwest of the country. Our experience was in…
MEDA sets a record as donors give $6.5 million
Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) raised a record $6.5 million from donors in the past year, president Allan Sauder told the group’s annual meeting in Vancouver Nov. 2 to 5. Matched by grants from governments and other institutional funders, those gifts allowed MEDA to help 91 million families in 60 countries “realize happier, more economically…
Young professionals recognized for entrepreneurial spirit
At the 2014 Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) Convention in Winnipeg, Man. MEDA honoured 20 North American young professionals who embody an entrepreneurial spirit and embrace a desire to make a difference in the world. Among the 20 recipients are six Canadians: A. J. Leveille, Langley, B.C., Alice Soeder, Elmira, Ont., Chris Steingart, Kitchener, Ont.,…
From Amish settlement to the Gates Foundation
More than 500 Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) convention-goers were entranced as Joyce Bontrager Lehman recounted her journey from an idyllic childhood in the Amish settlement of Kalona, Iowa, to international development work in Kabul, Afghanistan, and beyond. Bontrager Lehman built on the convention theme, “Enduring values: Lasting impact.” She credits her mother’s influence in…
