
Global change makers —
Joel Otieno, a clinical health assistant at the FACES community-based organization in Kenya, rides to his next appointment. He is supported by an organization called Riders for Health, founded by Andrea and Barry Coleman, who share a passion for motorcycles. Through the racing world, they became involved in fundraising for children in Africa and soon recognized the vital role of transportation in providing health care.

Global change makers —
Palikobila Mwembe, an environmental health technician in the Binga district of Zimbabwe who takes part in the Riders for Health program, talks with a mother about her baby.

Global change makers —
Amasina, a shaman from the Trio tribe on the Suriname-Brazil border, collects medicinal plants. Mark Plotkin and Liliana Madrigal, a husband-and-wife team, have spent much of their lives preserving the Amazon region and the culture of its indigenous inhabitants. Together, they created the Amazon Conservation Team, which helps empower the indigenous peoples of the Amazon to protect their rainforest homes.

Global change makers —
Members of a self-help group organized by Gram Vikas meet in Mohulpalli village in the Bargarh district of Orissa, India. Gram Vikas is a nongovernmental organization that was drawn to Orissa in the 1970s to help communities that had been ravaged by a cyclone. Executive Director Joe Madiath originally focused on providing renewable energy for rural communities, building more than 54,000 biogas units. Over time, the group has championed a more holistic model of development, based on Madiath's conviction that healthy living practices and improved quality of life are necessary before total development can occur.

Global change makers —
A participant in a program sponsored by Tostan in Mali teaches infant care. Molly Melching, founder of Tostan, has lived and worked in Senegal since 1974. Her early experience working with children in Dakar and living in a rural village reinforced her belief that many development efforts did not address the true needs of African communities. She and villagers began to develop a learning program using African languages and traditional methods of learning. To date, more than 2 million people have been reached indirectly through this "organized diffusion" model.