Mallika Dutt

Thanks to www.thextraordinary.org/mallika-dutt

Why Mallika Dutt is Extraordinary

Mallika Dutt is one of the most innovative human rights leaders of this generation. She is founder, president, and CEO of Breakthrough, an organization that aims to change the culture around human rights so that they are demanded and respected by all, and in particular to make violence against women and girls unacceptable. Prior to that, Mallika co-founded SAKHI for South Asian Women and was its founding director until 2001. A decade later, Breakthrough is now considered an award-winning producer of pop culture campaigns and on-the-ground leadership trainings that bring human rights into lives, homes, and communities and change the world for the better.

BREAKTHROUGH’S ACHIEVEMENTS

One of the most groundbreaking campaigns in the history of human rights was started by Breakthrough. They called it Bell Bajao (“Ring the Bell”). The Bell Bajao campaign became a hit with its compelling ads about “ringing the bell” to disrupt domestic violence, therefore doing our part in creating a community conscious of each person’s rights as a human being.

In its first campaign, Mann ke Manjeere, Breakthrough released a widely successful music album video in India that featured a Bollywood famous artist singing a song about a woman’s escape from the abusive hands of her husband. The Mann ke Manjeere video garnered many awards, including the National Screen Award for Best Music Video, a nomination for Best Indipop Music Video, and the Link TV Award for Best Music Video. Breakthrough also works on human rights in the United States. In past years, Breakthrough developed a campaign called #ImHere and a Facebook game called America 2049, both of which advocated for immigrant rights, especially women’s. Dutt explains #ImHere in an interview as follows:

"The war on women and the war on immigrants have coalesced in the lives of immigrant women and through #ImHere, we're asking everyone to stand up for immigrant women and their human rights."(SOURCE: IBN Live)

America 2049, on the other hand, is more than just a video game. Through it, Breakthrough hopes to reach wide audiences about human rights issues in the United States, through an exciting gameplay interface and characters played by celebrities familiar to fans of Alias, 24, Lost, and more.

Called by Newsweek/The Daily Beast a “breakout star” of the Women in the World conference, Dutt is a force to be reckoned with. Her hard work has earned her an International Humanitarian Award in 2013 and the Asian American Justice Center Courage Award in 2009, among many other honors. She was included in 50 Fearless Minds Changing the World by the Daily Muse and named one of the "50 coolest Desis in the world" by DesiClub.com.

Dutt has found a strong ally in technology and social media as a means of reaching people where they are and encourage them to participate in the protection of human rights and the drive to make violence against women unacceptable. While governments and state actors are mandated to protect human rights, we also need people to treat each other with the human rights values of dignity, equality, and justice.

In the words of Dutt, "Human rights start with you."

Top Reasons why Mallika Dutt is Extraordinary

1. She founded Breakthrough, an award-winning human rights organization.
2. Breakthrough won Gold for Best Integrated Campaign in Public Service, Appeals and Charity category at Gold at Abby Awards and received Radio & TV Advertising Practitioner’s Association of India Award for Best Film with a Social Message.
3. She co-founded SAKHI for South Asian Women, now a highly regarded NGO itself.
4. She is a lawyer by profession and an activist by destiny.
5. She graduated Magna Cum Laude, International Relations from Mount Holyoke College and a Mary Lyon scholar.
6. She has an honorary degree in Humane Letters from Mount Holyoke College and was awarded the Vanderbilt Medal for Extraordinary Contribution to the NYU Law School Community.
7. She received the Asian American Justice Center Courage Award and the International Humanitarian Award.
8. She was included in 50 Fearless Minds Changing the World by the Daily Muse and called by Newsweek/The Daily Beast a “breakout star” of the Women in the World conference.
9. Upon establishing Breakthrough, she received the South Asian Women’s Creative Collective, SAWCC, Annual Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the South Asian Community.

Doc Hendley's Wine to Water

The captivating story of an ordinary bartender who's changing the world through clean water.

Doc Hendley never set out to be a hero. In 2004, Hendley --- a small-town bartender --- launched a series of wine-tasting events to raise funds for clean-water projects and to bring awareness to the world's freshwater crisis. He planned to donate the proceeds through traditional channels, but instead found himself traveling to one of the world's most dangerous hot spots: Darfur, Sudan.

There, Doc witnessed a government-sponsored genocide where the number-one weapon wasn't bullets --- it was water. The Janjaweed terrorists had figured out that shooting up a bladder containing 10,000 liters of water, or dumping rotting corpses into a primary water source is remarkably efficient for the purposes of mass extermination. With limited funds, Doc realized that he couldn't build new wells costing $10,000 a pop, but he could hire local workers to restore a damaged well for a mere $50 each. He'd found his mission. Today, Doc and Wine to Water continue to help stricken peoples repair and maintain water- containment systems in places like Darfur, Cambodia, Uganda and Haiti.

Doc is a regular, rough-and-tumble guy who loves booze, music, and his Harley --- but he also wanted to help. Wine to Water is a gripping story about braving tribal warfare and natural disasters and encountering fascinating characters in far-flung regions of the world. It is also an authoritative account of a global crisis and an inspirational tale that proves how ordinary people can improve the world.

An Introduction to Wine to Water by Doc Hendley:

In 2003, Dickson “Doc” Hendley was like most American college students and just having fun. Yet, he remembers “a sinking feeling in my stomach, like I should be doing something better with my life” (p. 27). Within months, the college senior and popular bartender launched an organization that has already improved --- and saved --- thousands of lives in more than nine countries around the globe.

Despite being the son of a preacher, Doc doesn’t fit the Good Samaritan stereotype. Self-described as “rough around the edges” and tattooed, Doc took an early dislike to rules and developed a taste for whiskey and Harleys while still a teen. As his college graduation neared, Doc began to dread the prospect of life “in a cubicle” (p. 27).

By chance, Doc learned about an international aid organization named Samaritan’s Purse and began brainstorming ways that he could help the world’s needy. That night he woke up from his sleep with the words “wine to water” spinning around in his head.
Doc hit the Internet and learned that “unclean water kills a child every twenty seconds --- it’s more lethal than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined” (p. 30). He immediately began drawing on his connections to host a party benefiting clean water initiatives. Within a month, he’d raised twelve thousand dollars.

Suddenly, Doc had to decide where it should go. “I never wanted Wine to Water to be like one of those bullshit nonprofits … that used the majority of the donations to pay staff” (p. 37). After talking to a Samaritan’s Purse director, he unexpectedly walked out with a twelve-month job assignment in Darfur --- and the authority to distribute the money where he felt it was needed most.

Nothing could prepare Doc for what awaited him. He had flown from verdant North Carolina into a barren desert landscape where average daytime temperatures hit 120-degrees and government-sponsored Janjaweed soldiers had already killed a hundred thousand civilians and displaced more than a million more.

While Doc had fantasized about “instantly morphing into some superhero water savior” (p. 55), the reality was infinitely more complex. But as inexperienced as he was in some ways, Doc knew a lot about human nature: “It’s not so much about how good and fast you are at making a Fuzzy Navel; it’s about developing a good relationship with the people sitting in front of you at the bar” (p. 111).

So whether he was hiring staff, placating soldiers, or declining proffered brides, Doc tactfully negotiated an unfamiliar culture to do his real work. Slowly, Doc began repairing wells, installing water bladders, and teaching the locals how to maintain them --- sometimes while the bullets were being aimed at him.

In plainspoken and impassioned prose, Wine to Water shares the story of Doc’s unlikely transformation from a rough-and-tumble bartender to CNN Hero. As informative as it is harrowing and inspiring, Doc’s account of our global water crisis and his continuing quest to provide stricken peoples with clean water resoundingly proves that one man is capable of changing the world.

The Story of Mr. Ron Finley

What an inspiring story I got from: http://bestextraordinarypeople.wordpress.com

TED SPEAKER

He was one of the founders of an organization, which was inspired by his “gangster attitude” towards gardening. Before his TED Talk, Ron and his organization had less than 30 volunteers; his TED appearance, however, gave it the media mileage it needed and multiplied its workforce more than ten-fold. According to Ron, we should break away from what food corporations dictate that we eat, as our growing indifference towards growing our own food only makes these capitalists richer.
Dubbed a “food desert,” South Central Los Angeles has one of the highest obesity rates in America. It’s a place where diabetes is also prevalent due to poor eating habits; without fresh fruits and vegetables around, people are left with few choices other than convenience stores and fast-food restaurants.
Ron’s garden inspired his neighbors (and many others after his TED talk) to think about what they eat. But what’s important to him now is that his garden enables him to silently help people who have hardly anything to eat:

“I remember this time, there was this mother and a daughter came, it was, like, 10:30 at night, and they were in my yard, and I came out and they looked so ashamed. So I’m like, man, it made me feel bad that they were there, and I told them, you know, you don’t have to do this like this. This is on the street for a reason. It made me feel ashamed to see people that were this close to me that were hungry, and this only reinforced why I do this, and people asked me, “Fin, aren’t you afraid people are going to steal your food?” And I’m like, “Hell no, I ain’t afraid they’re gonna steal it. That’s why it’s on the street. That’s the whole idea. I want them to take it, but at the same time, I want them to take back their health.” (SOURCE: TED Talks)

Yes, aside from having a green thumb, this “gangster gardener” also has a big heart.

Get to know the Penguin Lady

Bio

    Dyan deNapoli is a penguin expert, TED speaker, and author of the award-winning book, The Great Penguin Rescue. Dyan grew up near the ocean and has always had a deep passion for the sea and for animals. When she first learned about endangered species as a young child, she wanted to do something to help, but felt powerless to do so. She never dreamed that one day she would have the opportunity to do something tangible to help save a species.

    Many years later, while working as a Penguin Aquarist at Boston's New England Aquarium, Dyan was a member of the first team of penguin experts to fly to South Africa from the United States to help manage the rehabilitation of thousands of penguins that were oiled when a ship sank near their breeding grounds. Her participation in the dramatic rescue of 40,000 penguins from the Treasure oil spill was transformative and unforgettable. The experience was so powerful that she felt compelled to share the story by writing a book about it.

    Published by Simon & Schuster’s Free Press in 2010, The Great Penguin Rescue won a Silver Nautilus Book Award, was named a “Must-Read” Book in the Massachusetts Book Awards, and was selected as “One of the best Natural Science books of 2010” by Library Journal. The New York Post put it on their “Required Reading” list, calling it “an eco-thriller with a happy ending”.

    After working closely with penguins at the New England Aquarium for nine years, Dyan founded her company, The Penguin Lady, to teach audiences worldwide about the biology, behavior, and conservation of these unique seabirds. She has been interviewed on numerous radio and TV shows in the US and abroad, including CNN’s Situation Room, the BBC, CBC Canada and Sierra Club Radio. Dyan has been the guest lecturer on nature cruises to Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands and, since 1995, has taught approximately 250,000 people worldwide about penguins. Dyan’s mission is to raise awareness and funding to protect these engaging seabirds – to that end, she donates 20% of the proceeds from her book and from every appearance to penguin rescue groups.

The Founder of Think Beyond Plastic

An amazing story about this wonderful woman, got this from:

http://bestextraordinarypeople.wordpress.com

If you are a parent, would you feed your children plastic? “Of course not!” No parent would. But did you know we could be doing it inadvertently by allowing plastic to populate the world? Experts estimate that by 2050, we could be producing over one-trillion pounds of plastic each year, in accordance with today’s 4-5% rise in plastic production. How do we reverse our fate? Daniella Dimitrova Russo is doing what she can through “Think Beyond Plastics” and the “Plastic Pollution Coalition.”

Her work in the environmental field began after seeing a mother albatross feed her young with food from the Pacific Garbage Patch. It was a sorry scene; we are truly drowning in our own wastes. In the name of convenience, we are putting our children’s future at risk. Plastic particles are found in our oceans, ingested by our aquatic resources, and are polluting the food chain. Like the albatross, we don’t want our kids to be eating plastics. But do we have a choice?

THE “PLASTIC POLLUTION COALITION”

Daniella explains the goal of the project they started in 2009:

“Our vision is a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impacts on people, animals and the environment. Towards this goal, we work to eliminate disposable plastics, and reduce the planetary plastic footprint. This is only possible through the combined efforts of individuals, organizations and businesses, and so we have formed the Plastic Pollution Coalition to create a common goal. We all work to educate the public on the issues with plastic; to encourage policy-makers to support our efforts and also to provide long-term economic incentives to businesses that invest in alternatives to plastic; and to form a global, international alliance.” (SOURCE: 7×7)

The “Plastic Pollution Coalition” has partnered with organizations and businesses to realize sustainable ways of life without relying on plastic. With leaders joining them from around the world, the plastic problem is now being pushed towards the world’s top issues which demand immediate action. Since the 1950s, the plastic industry has experienced a steady boom and our production has increased by 10%, causing tremendous problems like flooding and pollution which are more pressing now than ever before.

“THINK BEYOND PLASTICS” AND THE “GMO-FREE MONTEREY COUNTY”

The first of Daniella’s initiatives was “Think Beyond Plastic,” an award-winning global organization. In 2009, “Think Beyond Plastic” won “Best 360 Campaign” at the Jackson Hole Film Festival. In the same year, she launched “GMO-Free Monterey County,” which is “dedicated to raising awareness of the dangers of genetically-modified foods to the agricultural bounty of Monterey County. It incorporates a web site, numerous film screenings, a film festival and many other public events. Today, GMO-Free Monterey County collaborates with state-wide efforts to ban GMO crops, and to enforce labeling laws.” (SOURCE: Daniella Russo)

Feel free to support Daniella’s cause if you love your children and your planet.

Daniella Russo

Thanks to: www.thextraordinary.org/daniella-russo

WHY DANIELLA RUSSO IS EXTRAORDINARY

If you are a parent, would you feed your children plastic? “Of course not!” No parent would. But did you know we could be doing it inadvertently by allowing plastic to populate the world? Experts estimate that by 2050, we could be producing over one-trillion pounds of plastic each year, in accordance with today’s 4-5% rise in plastic production. How do we reverse our fate? Daniella Dimitrova Russo is doing what she can through “Think Beyond Plastics” and the “Plastic Pollution Coalition.”

Her work in the environmental field began after seeing a mother albatross feed her young with food from the Pacific Garbage Patch. It was a sorry scene; we are truly drowning in our own wastes. In the name of convenience, we are putting our children’s future at risk. Plastic particles are found in our oceans, ingested by our aquatic resources, and are polluting the food chain. Like the albatross, we don’t want our kids to be eating plastics. But do we have a choice?

THE “PLASTIC POLLUTION COALITION”

Daniella explains the goal of the project they started in 2009:

"Our vision is a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impacts on people, animals and the environment. Towards this goal, we work to eliminate disposable plastics, and reduce the planetary plastic footprint. This is only possible through the combined efforts of individuals, organizations and businesses, and so we have formed the Plastic Pollution Coalition to create a common goal. We all work to educate the public on the issues with plastic; to encourage policy-makers to support our efforts and also to provide long-term economic incentives to businesses that invest in alternatives to plastic; and to form a global, international alliance." (SOURCE: 7x7)

The “Plastic Pollution Coalition” has partnered with organizations and businesses to realize sustainable ways of life without relying on plastic. With leaders joining them from around the world, the plastic problem is now being pushed towards the world’s top issues which demand immediate action. Since the 1950s, the plastic industry has experienced a steady boom and our production has increased by 10%, causing tremendous problems like flooding and pollution which are more pressing now than ever before.

“THINK BEYOND PLASTICS” AND THE “GMO-FREE MONTEREY COUNTY”

The first of Daniella’s initiatives was “Think Beyond Plastic,” an award-winning global organization. In 2009, “Think Beyond Plastic” won “Best 360 Campaign” at the Jackson Hole Film Festival. In the same year, she launched “GMO-Free Monterey County,” which is "dedicated to raising awareness of the dangers of genetically-modified foods to the agricultural bounty of Monterey County. It incorporates a web site, numerous film screenings, a film festival and many other public events. Today, GMO-Free Monterey County collaborates with state-wide efforts to ban GMO crops, and to enforce labeling laws." (SOURCE: Daniella Russo)

Feel free to support Daniella’s cause if you love your children and your planet.

TOP REASONS WHY DANIELLA RUSSO IS EXTRAORDINARY

1. She founded “Think Beyond Plastic” in 2007.
2. In 2009, “Think Beyond Plastic” won “Best 360 Campaign” at the Jackson Hole Film Festival.
3. That same year, she co-founded another environmental organization, the “Plastic Pollution Coalition.”
4. She was a successful career woman before becoming an environmental activist.
5. She founded her own consultation company, “Mindzone,” in 1998.
6. She also launched a network for people on the go, called “Planetstop.”
7. She is the brains behind “GMO-Free Monterey County.”
8. She helped “Infoseek,” one of the first internet companies, take off.
9. She once worked for “Sun Microsystems.”
10. She's an esteemed speaker and proud mother of two.

Liya Kebede

Liya Kebede (born January 3, 1980) is an Ethiopian model who has appeared on the cover of US Vogue twice.  According to Forbes, Kebede was eleventh-highest-paid top model in the world

Kebede was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A film director spotted Kebede while she was attending Lycee Guebre Mariam and introduced her to a French modeling agent. After completing her studies, she moved to France to pursue work through a Parisian agency. Kebede later relocated to New York City. She has remarked that the modeling industry in Ethiopia is quite different from the catwalks on which she is now ubiquitous. In contrast, in Ethiopia she had to provide her own shoes for each runway show.

Kebede's big break came when Tom Ford asked her for an exclusive contract for his Gucci Fall/Winter 2000 fashion show. Kebede was a finalist in the Miss World supermodel contest and later established a place in fashion's elite by modeling on the New York, Milan, London and Paris runway circuit . Kebede's popularity in the fashion industry sky-rocketed when she appeared on the cover the May 2002 edition of Paris Vogue which dedicated the entire issue to her .

Kebede has been seen on the covers of Italian, Japanese, American, French and Spanish Vogue, V, Flair, i-D and Time's Style & Design. Kebede has been featured in ad campaigns including those for Gap, Yves Saint-Laurent, Victoria's Secret, Emanuel Ungaro, Tommy Hilfiger, Revlon, Dolce & Gabbana, Escada and Louis Vuitton. In 2003, Kebede was named the newest face of Estée Lauder cosmetics, the first Ethiopian to serve as their representative in the company's 57-year history. Her contract was rumoured to be for $3 million dollars .

Kebede is one of a very few African models featured in major fashion photo shoots and runway shows . According to Conor Kennedy, in 2003 a booker at Elite Model Management,

"It's like there's only room for one very successful black model at a time. For the past year it's been Kebede".

In 2005, Kebede was appointed as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. She also appeared in a group montage on a rare (as of recent years) group montage of up and coming supermodels.

In summer of 2006 she was also one of the very few non-white models to have been given a cover of American Vogue, the issue highlighted her humanitarian work.

In July 2007, earning at an estimated total of $2.5 million in the past 12 months, Forbes named her eleventh in the list of the World's 15 Top-Earning Supermodels.

Kebede has also had minor roles in two films: The Good Shepherd and Lord of War.

In 2008, Kebede was featured on one of the four covers of Vogue Italia's all Black Issue.
Personal life

Kebede married Ethiopian hedge fund manager Kassy Kebede in 2000 and they have two children together; son Suhul (b. 2001) and daughter Raee (b. August 2005). As of 2007, the family resides in New York City.

Aside from being a mother of two, a model, an actor, a humanitarian and a goodwill ambassador, Kebede has also designed a children's-wear line that are made from Ethiopia. Kebede says she hopes this will part a sea of change for her home country. "It's wonderful to be able to donate and help people," she says.
Quotes

    "Honestly, I wish I could've lived in their time. They had so much fun." – Liya on the supermodel era, Vogue
    "Every day we hear about the dangers of cancer, heart disease and AIDS. But how many of us realize that, in much of the world, the act of giving life to a child is still the biggest killer of women of child-bearing age? That over half a million die every year? Or that 3 million babies are stillborn? Or that another 4 million die during the first days and weeks of life?" – during her acceptance of the 2005 UN Day Award.

The Co-Founder of WE CARE Solar

This is an inspirational story I got from: pageeasy.com/LauraStachelExtraordinaryPeople

 

WHY LAURA STACHEL IS EXTRAORDINARY
Dr. Laura Stachel was an OB-GYN in the San Francisco Bay Area for over seven years before a back injury forced her to give up the profession. But rather than cease to be a medical practitioner, she endeavored to join the public health industry. She went to Nigeria as a researcher, and came home a philanthropist; witnessing childbirth with no light but her very own flashlight changed Dr. Laura’s life.

LIGHTING CLINICS WITH THE “SOLAR SUITCASE”
Laura’s husband, Hal Aronson, helped her develop technology to address the lack of electricity in hospitals and clinics. Through their non-profit organization, “WE CARE Solar,” the couple has been able to make “Solar Light” available in 27 different countries. And, with the help of their partners, they hope to reach even the most remote areas where people still live in darkness.

The following are the Solar Suitcase’s key features:
• “Whole System Integration – The lighting appliances and power production components are delivered as one unit, designed for daily use.
• Safety – The sealed batteries can safely be stored inside health facilities; the low-voltage DC system avoids shock hazard and includes overcurrent protection.
• Low Maintenance – There are no fuses to replace, and no regular battery maintenance is required. Battery replacement is estimated to occur every 2 years.
• Durability – Our high quality components are designed for longevity, even in harsh environments.
• Simplicity – One switch turns on the system; another turns on lights and charges devices. The system is plug-and-play and can be installed without need for an experienced solar technician.
• Expandability – The 15 amp modular system is designed for expansion and can accommodate up to 200 watts of solar panels and a 140 amp-hour sealed battery.” (SOURCE: We Care Solar)

Laura has been named a Pop!Tech Fellow, Global Social Benefit Incubator Fellow, the “Our Bodies, Ourselves Women's Health Hero” and one of CNN’s “Top 10 2013 Heroes.” Her work has earned her the “Jefferson Award for Public Service,” the UC Berkeley Chancellor's “Award for Civic Engagement,” the “Global Social Venture Competition Social Impact Award,” the “MIT/DOE C3E Award for Energy, Education and Empowerment in the Developing World,” the “Oberlin Distinguished Alumni Award” and the “UN Association of the East Bay Global Citizens Award.”

We all can learn from Laura's story. Here's what she has to say:
“Be willing to be a consummate learner. Although I knew NOTHING about solar electricity when I started my organization, I was willing to learn. And now, when I travel the world teaching midwives and doctors about solar electricity for their health center, I can say, “If I could learn this…so can you!” (SOURCE: Maria Shriver)

TOP REASONS WHY LAURA STACHEL IS EXTRAORDINARY
1. She co-founded “WE CARE Solar” with her husband.
2. Since 2009, their “Solar Suitcases” have helped thousands of patients in 27 countries.
3. She was named a Pop!Tech Fellow, a Global Social Benefit Incubator Fellow, the “Our Bodies, Ourselves Women's Health Hero” and one of CNN’s “Top 10 2013 Heroes.”
4. She was one of three winners of New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof’s “Half the Sky” contest.
5. She is a recipient of the “Jefferson Award for Public Service,” the UC Berkeley Chancellor's “Award for Civic Engagement,” the “Global Social Venture Competition Social Impact Award,” the “MIT/DOE C3E Award for Energy, Education and Empowerment in the Developing World,” the “Oberlin Distinguished Alumni Award” and the “UN Association of the East Bay, Global Citizens Award.”
6. She served as Associate Director of West African Emergency Obstetric Research for the Bixby Center.
7. She has lectured at the UCB School of Public Health.
8. She won a $25,000 grant from Isha Koach (Women of Strength).
9. She is now an esteemed speaker and an inspiration for philanthropists worldwide.

 

Marlice Van Vuuren - Extraordinary People Changing the Game

Thanks to www.thextraordinary.org/marlice-van-vuuren

WHY MARLICE VAN VUUREN IS EXTRAORDINARY

Marlice van Vuuren has the looks of a model. Google-ing her would give you the impression that she was a celebrity before she became a conservationist, but further reading belies that notion. Marlice has been a woman of the wildlife ever since she was a kid; it’s her love for animals that catapulted her to celebrity status. Angelina Jolie discovered her wildlife sanctuary when she filmed “Beyond Borders” in 2002. She fell in love with the place, and even gave birth to her child, Shiloh, in Namibia.

FOUNDING THE “NAANKUSE FOUNDATION”

The Naankuse Foundation was established by Marlice and her husband, Rudie van Vuuren, in 2006. They focus on:

• A Lifeline Clinic which provides free primary healthcare and an ambulance service to the San community in Epukiro, in rural east Namibia. On average around 3,500 patients are seen each year, 84% of whom are San with 45% being children (a quarter of whom are under 5 years old). This is a vital service for this remote marginalised community.
• The Clever Cubs Pre-primary school which provides education to 11 children and support to a further 16 children who are in mainstream schools in Windhoek. These children are all family members of our employees and largely from the San community.
• Employment on all our sites for the San community.
• A wildlife sanctuary that rescues and rehabilitates orphaned or injured animals. Where possible we re-release these animals. If release is not possible we provide a loving home for these ambassador animals who help us to teach people about conservation.
• A carnivore research project which provides consultancies to farmers and landowners and advises them on issues of carnivore conflict mitigation. (SOURCE: TFWA)

MARLICE - A VISION FOR AFRICA

In 2008, Philip Selkirk discovered Marlice’s and Rudie’s work, and was taken by Marlice’s personal struggles in achieving her goals. The documentary “Marlice – A Vision for Africa” tells her captivating story, from tending to her animals at the sanctuary to living a harmonious life with the San Community.

But even with help from the Jolie-Pitt Foundation and other partners, the couple still wants to do so much more. They are hoping to protect more animals and are looking into expanding their sanctuary so that wild lions, tigers, hyenas and cheetahs can roam freely and co-exist. Indeed, Marlice is a true-blue African.

TOP REASONS WHY MARLICE VAN VUUREN IS EXTRAORDINARY

1. She co-founded the “N/a’an ku sê (Naankuse) Lifeline Clinic” with her husband, Rudie, and two other partners.
2. She and her husband started “N/a’an ku sê Foundation” with the help of donors.
3. Angelina Jolie is an international patron of their sanctuary.
4. She started “N/a’an ku sê's Carnivore Research Project” with her husband.
5. She opened “Clever Cubs School” with her husband and the help of Clabile Trust.
6. She was featured in an ad for Volkswagen with her pet cheetah, “Lucky.”
7. Naankuse received the “International Health Promotion Award” (awarded first place in the prestigious Community Health Awards).
8. She worked with Angelina Jolie on the film set of “Beyond Borders” by providing them with vultures from her sanctuary.
9. She is one of the few white people who can speak the Bushman language fluently.
10. A documentary of her life, “Marlice - A Vision for Africa,” was released in 2008.

Jimmy Wales

 

Jimmy Donal Wales is an internet entrepreneur the co-founder of Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia that runs with an open management style. Times magazine named him in their list of ‘The 100 Most Influential People in the World’ in 2006.

Wales was born on 7th August 1966 in Huntsville, Alabama. He had a keen interest in general knowledge since he was a child. He accredits the Montessori Method of his schools education that was to spend a lot of time reading the Britannica’s and the World Book Encyclopedias. Wales went to Randolph School where he graduated at 16. He then enrolled in Auburn University to gain his bachelor’s degree. He received his master’s degree from University of Alabama. Jimmy Wales landed a job with Chicago Options Associates, a trading firm in Illinois. He recalls himself as being completely addicted to the internet. He even wrote computer codes as a leisure activity. Wales got inspired from Netscape’s outstanding public offering in 1995 and thus left the territory of financial trading to become an internet entrepreneur. The next year he ventured into a web portal named ‘Bomis’ that featured webrings generated by the users and erotic pictures. This however did not prove to be very successful. Although this project was not as fruitful as Wales had expected, it encouraged him to begin another endeavor, one that was also his passion; an online encyclopedia. He started ‘Nupedia’ in 2000 with Larry Sanger, a PhD student at Ohio State University, as its editor-in-chief. In 2001 an extreme programming expert, Ben Kovitz introduced the wiki concept to Wales. The main writing experts of Nupedia were not very interested in this idea because they believed it would harm the credibility of the encyclopedia.

Sanger and Wales both believed in this project thus they initiated it from another domain. Wales hoped that this would start the knowledge building that he had always wanted. Fortunately for the duo, the website had more articles than Nupedia in just a few days. Wales feared the fact that anyone could add whatever they wanted so much so that it had him awake at nights. However, the team of editors made sure that robust and good quality content was being added to the encyclopedia. There was some controversy between Wales and Sanger as Wales claimed to be the sole founder of the website. In 2003 Wales established the Wikimedia Foundation (a non-profit organization) in St. Petersburg, Florida. This was done in order to support the Wikipedia project along with other sister projects.

Jimmy Wales was listed in Time 100 ‘Scientists and Thinkers’ section in 2006. Forbes named him as one of ‘The Web Celeb 25’ and as one of the ‘Young Global Leaders’ in 2007. He has been honored with the ‘Pioneer Award’ and the ‘Gottlieb Duttweiler Prize’ in 2011. He has received other awards such as the ‘2009 Nokia Foundation’ annual award, the ‘Business Process’ award and ‘the 2008 Global Brand Icon of the Year Award’. He has also been awarded honorary degrees from Stevenson University, Amherst College, Knox College, MIREA University in Russia and Universidad Empresarial Siglo 21 of Argentina.

Tristram Stuart the Extraordinary Freegan

Got this inspirational story from: http://finestextraordinarypeople.weebly.com

Why Tristram Stuart is Extraordinary
Unknowingly, we could be biting off more than what we can chew. In some cases, we don’t even get to touch the food we buy; we buy more than what we need and inadvertently waste resources. Some may think, “so what? It’s my money, anyway.” But it’s not even about money. It’s about being a responsible consumer. That’s what Tristram wants people to understand, especially those from first-world countries where food supply exists on a magnanimous scale.

Being a “Freegan” and “Feeding the 5,000” Tristram became a freegan in his younger years after he ate a type of organic bread with sun-dried tomatoes. That bread was common trash in his garbage collection routines around the neighborhood; he used to feed it to his pigs until he decided to try it one day, straight from the garbage can. Upon realizing that it tasted better than the bread he bought fresh, his eyes were opened to a shocking reality: people are actually throwing away perfectly-edible food. Why is that?

According to him, capitalists have a hand in the way consumers behave. As they feed a buying frenzy, consumers keep buying and end up throwing a lot of excess away; the same is true for grocery stores and restaurants. International trade policy, also, is not helping. Farmers tend to lose a lot of money due to the aesthetic standards enforced on the market; bananas that are too small are left to rot, and vegetables with even little dirt on them are thrown away. Taken collectively, this comprises a good part of the food waste and food loss that we now experience.

To help mitigate this problem, Tristram started the “Feeding the 5,000” initiative. From the food that freegans took out of bins, they cooked delicious lunch. How much food we waste and lose contributes to the warming of the planet. If we don’t dispose of it properly using sustainable procedures, like feeding excess food to animals, it will continue to emit carbon dioxide as it decomposes. Also, animal feeds are now mostly procured from soy and grains. We denude forests to plant food for our livestock! As consumers, we should only buy the things we truly need. Then, the international trade system should also discourage food waste by easing up on the physical aspect of the produce.

How long will Tristram be a freegan? Well, he says he will be as long as he sees food wasted. So, try to finish your food, because that very act has an indirect effect on the hungry population of the planet.

Top Reasons why Tristram Stuart is Extraordinary

1. He is the author of three books: “The Bloodless Revolution: Radical Vegetarians and the Discovery of India,” “The Bloodless Revolution: A Cultural History of Vegetarianism From 1600 to Modern Times,” and “Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal.”
2. He is the proponent of the “Feeding the 5,000” initiative.
3. He is a “freegan.”
4. His book, “Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal,” won the “IACP Cookbook Award for Literary Food Writing.”
5. He participated in the “We are Fed Up!” demonstrations.
6. He won the international environmental award “The Sophie Prize.”
7. He won the “Observer Food Monthly Outstanding Contribution Award.”
8. He presented a TEDx talk entitled “The Global Food Waste Scandal.”
9. He won the “Betha Wolferstan Rylands prize.”
10. He won the “Graham Storey prize.”

Ron Finley - Extraordinary People Changing the Game

Thanks to:  http://www.thextraordinary.org/ron-finley

Why Ron Finley is Extraordinary

“People need to realize how powerful the transformation of soil can be. We’ve gotten so far away from our food source. It’s been hijacked from us. But if you get soil, plant something in it and water it, you can feed yourself. It’s that simple.” (SOURCE: The New York Times)

Without the trappings of fame, Ron Finley is just a father who cares about his sons’ health. He fashioned a garden out of his front lawn, just as he embellishes bare walls with graffiti. The result is a free source of food and an amalgam of life in the form of plants.

TED Speaker

He was one of the founders of an organization, which was inspired by his “gangster attitude” towards gardening. Before his TED Talk, Ron and his organization had less than 30 volunteers; his TED appearance, however, gave it the media mileage it needed and multiplied its workforce more than ten-fold. According to Ron, we should break away from what food corporations dictate that we eat, as our growing indifference towards growing our own food only makes these capitalists richer.
Dubbed a “food desert,” South Central Los Angeles has one of the highest obesity rates in America. It’s a place where diabetes is also prevalent due to poor eating habits; without fresh fruits and vegetables around, people are left with few choices other than convenience stores and fast-food restaurants.
Ron’s garden inspired his neighbors (and many others after his TED talk) to think about what they eat. But what’s important to him now is that his garden enables him to silently help people who have hardly anything to eat:

"I remember this time, there was this mother and a daughter came, it was, like, 10:30 at night, and they were in my yard, and I came out and they looked so ashamed. So I'm like, man, it made me feel bad that they were there, and I told them, you know, you don't have to do this like this. This is on the street for a reason. It made me feel ashamed to see people that were this close to me that were hungry, and this only reinforced why I do this, and people asked me, "Fin, aren't you afraid people are going to steal your food?" And I'm like, "Hell no, I ain't afraid they're gonna steal it. That's why it's on the street. That's the whole idea. I want them to take it, but at the same time, I want them to take back their health." (SOURCE: TED Talks)

Yes, aside from having a green thumb, this “gangster gardener” also has a big heart.

Top Reasons why Ron Finley is Extraordinary

1. He planted fruits and vegetables in his front lawn to share with his neighbors.
2. It inspired the founding of an organization in 2010.
3. He owns his own clothing business, called “Dropdead Collexion.”
4. He is currently working on “The Ron Finley Project” to help people get started with growing plants in their yards.
5. He is a TED Speaker, and his videos have been viewed over one-million times.
6. He is a graffiti artist.
7. He owns a collection of “Black Entertainment memorabilia.”
8. He designs fashion clothes for NBA players, Saks Fifth Avenue and Marcus Neiman, among many others.
9. He has appeared on TV and been featured by reputable publications.
10. He received the “Natural American Heroes Award” from Natural News.

Dean Ornish, MD.

Bio:

Dean Ornish, M.D., is the founder and president of the non-profit Preventive Medicine Research Institute and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Ornish received his medical training in internal medicine from the Baylor College of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and the Massachusetts General Hospital. He earned a B.A. in Humanities summa cum laude from the University of Texas in Austin, where he gave the baccalaureate address.

For over 34 years, Dr. Ornish has directed clinical research demonstrating, for the first time, that comprehensive lifestyle changes may begin to reverse even severe coronary heart disease, without drugs or surgery. Recently, Medicare agreed to provide coverage for this program, the first time that Medicare has covered a program of comprehensive lifestyle changes. He directed the first randomized controlled trial demonstrating that comprehensive lifestyle changes may stop or reverse the progression of early4stage prostate cancer. His current research showed that comprehensive lifestyle changes affect gene expression, “turning on” disease4preventing genes and “turning off” genes that promote cancer and heart disease, as well as increasing telomerase, an enzyme that lengthens telomeres, the ends of our chromosomes which control aging (in collaboration with Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2009).

He is the author of six best4selling books, including: Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease; Eat More, Weigh Less; Love & Survival; and his most recent book, The Spectrum.
The research that he and his colleagues conducted has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, The Lancet, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Circulation, The New England Journal of Medicine, the American Journal of Cardiology, The Lancet Oncology, and elsewhere. A one4hour documentary of their work was broadcast on NOVA, the PBS science series, and was featured on Bill Moyers’ PBS series, Healing & The Mind. Their work has been featured in all major media, including cover stories in Newsweek, Time, and U.S. News & World Report. He has written a monthly column for Newsweek and Reader’s Digest magazines and is currently Medical Editor of The Huffington Post, which has 240 million unique readers per month.

Dr. Ornish was appointed by President Clinton to the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy and appointed by President Obama to the White House Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health. He is a member of the boards of directors of the San Francisco Food Bank and the J. Craig Venter Institute. Dr. Ornish was elected to the California Academy of Medicine and chaired the Google Health Advisory Council 2007-9.

The Ornish diet was rated #1 for heart health by U.S. News & World Report in 2011.

He has received several awards, including the 1994 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award from the University of Texas, Austin; the University of California, Berkeley, “National Public Health Hero” award; the Jan J. Kellermann Memorial Award for distinguished contribution in the field of cardiovascular disease prevention from the International Academy of Cardiology; a Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association; the Beckmann Medal from the German Society for Prevention and Rehabilitation of Cardiovascular Diseases; the “Pioneer in Integrative Medicine” award from California Pacific Medical Center; the Stanley Wallach Lectureship Award from the American College of Nutrition; the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement; a U.S. Army Surgeon General Medal; the Linus Pauling Award from the Institute for Functional Medicine; the Glenn Foundation Award for Research; the Bravewell Collaborative Pioneer of Integrative Medicine award; and the Sheila Kar Health Foundation Humanitarian Award from Cedars4Sinai Medical Center (Los Angeles). Dr. Ornish has been a physician consultant to President Clinton since 1993 and to several bipartisan members of the U.S. Congress, and he consulted with the chefs at The White House, Camp David, and Air Force One to cook more healthfully (199342000). He gave a keynote speech reviewing the science of integrative medicine at the Institute of Medicine’s first Summit on Integrative Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Ornish was selected as one of the “TIME 100” in integrative medicine; recognized as “one of the most nteresting people of 1996 by People magazine; honored as “one of the 125 most extraordinary University of Texas alumni in the past 125 years;” chosen by LIFE magazine as “one of the fifty most influential members of his generation;” and by Forbes magazine as “one of the seven most powerful teachers in the world.”

The Man who Founded Green Bronx Machine

I got this wonderful and inspiring story from: http://pageeasy.com/StephenRitz


Why Stephen Ritz is Extraordinary

Stephen Ritz is xionate about inciting xion among his students. Yes, he is a teacher, and calls himself the “oldest sixth grader.” He founded the “Green Bronx Machine,” a non-profit organization which had its humble beginnings at the Discovery School in the Bronx. This part of New York City is home to many gang wars, disturbed teens and endless fast-food chains; it’s certainly not an ideal place to raise healthy, promising kids. But lo and behold! Stephen transformed his once-violent students into responsible kids, building homes for the residents of the community and planting edible walls across the neighborhood. Stephen is a proud “conductor of this orchestra” of talent.

The “Green Bronx Machine”

Stephen founded the “Green Bronx Machine” in 2010, rather through serendipity. He had always loved gardening, and considered maintaining one in his school to attract more students. The school had a dismal attendance rate of 40% at the time, but the garden worked, and was improved further by the edible walls of Green Living Technologies.

How did it change lives? Stephen explains:

"For many, the first thing that changed was attendance. We went from 40 to 93 percent — kids come early and stay late. School became a destination to attend as opposed to one that was avoided. Then, parents and the community got involved and it really took off.

Consequently, we are changing the way people think about their world and their relationship to it while moving people who are traditionally “apart from” success to becoming “part of” success in ways that are wholly inclusive and beneficial to all. Closer to home, we are changing eating habits, health outcomes, transforming landscapes and mindsets and driving academic engagement and competencies in ways we never imagined. It is all very visible – the students see it, grow it, feel it, taste it and own it; as a result it is self-sustaining and very inspiring! 25,000 pounds of Bronx vegetables later, my favorite crop remains organically grown citizens, graduates, voters and the next generation of “Amer-I-Cans!” We are proving that the Bronx CAN – Change Attitudes Now – and that we are poised, ready, willing and able to export our talent and diversity in ways that make dollars and a whole lot of sense. Realize this, we’ve been able to move Individualized Education Program (IEP)/English Language Learners (ELL) students – almost all formerly living in poverty with many homeless and/or in foster care — into living wage opportunities while attending school and doing it in ways that transform and benefit our entire environment. That is the promise of education and America. The greening of America starts with wallets, then hearts and then minds.” (SOURCE: Daily Edventures)

His initiative has created 2,200 youth jobs, which led to him winning the “US EPA Award” for transforming mindsets and landscapes in NYC. He also won the “ABC Above and Beyond Award” and received the “Chevrolet National Green Educator Award” in 2012. He is also now a Poptech Fellow.

Kakenya Ntaiya - Extraordinary People Changing the Game

 

Thanks to http://www.thextraordinary.org/kakenya-ntaiya

Why Kakenya Ntaiya is Extraordinary

Kakenya Ntaiya underwent female genital mutilation at the age of 13. She opted not to run away, however, to avoid putting her father in a bad light. Another reason why she stayed was the allure of education; not a single woman in her Maasai community had made it to college. Rather, they are usually married-off at an early age. Kakenya herself was engaged to a six-year-old neighbor when she was only five years old. But this woman became the first to complete a college degree with the help of the Maasai community, and gave back by founding a school for girls called “The Kakenya Center for Excellence.”

Undergoing FGM

Kakenya grew up fully aware that she would soon marry a boy who lived next-door and, just like the other women of her Maasai community, serve her family for the rest of her life. But that did not sit well with the young girl who dreamt of becoming a teacher; getting married would stall her, if not stop her altogether, from becoming the person she wanted to be. Rather than walk away, however, she agreed to go through the rite of passage to prepare her for married life in exchange for a few more years in school.
When her father got sick, Kakenya braved to try her luck further. This time, she convinced all 16 of her community’s leaders to allow her to attend a college in the U.S. with the promise of returning one day to help her people.

Founding “The Kakenya Center for Excellence”

It was in the United States where Kakenya came across political terms such as “female genital mutilation,” “human rights” and “child marriages.” She realized that her people’s lack of education had kept them behind. Even worse, thousands of young girls are losing their clitorises and being forced to bear children, in spite of practically being children themselves. Kakenya decided to take on a whole nation and fight against ignorance by providing education to girls like her, and, once more, she appealed to the men who called the shots. They supported her, and “The Kakenya Center for Excellence” was born.
It’s a school for girls that not only gives them quality education, but also allows them to just be kids. Then the magic started happening – the once-timid children became confident. They discovered their talents, and now aim to become pilots, teachers and doctors, and dream just like Kakenya. Now, we hear men say this of her:

"We have several sons who have gone to the United States for school. Kakenya is the only one that I can think of that has come back to help us. What she tells us, it touches us. ... She brought a school and a light and is trying to change old customs to help girls get a new, better life." – Naleke, Maasai Tribal Leader (SOURCE: CNN)

Top Reasons why Kakenya Ntaiya is Extraordinary

1. She underwent female genital mutilation (FGM) at age 13 to continue going to school rather than shame her father by running away.
2. She made it to a U.S. college as a scholar.
3. She gave back to her Maasai Community by establishing “The Kakenya Center for Excellence.”
4. The prize money she received as a Vital Voices Global Leadership awardee was used to complete the institution.
5. She was honored as a “National Geographic Emerging Explorer.”
6. She was also named as one of the “2013 CNN Heroes.”
7. She was named one of Newsweek’s “150 Women Who Shake the World.”
8. She was a featured speaker at TEDx Midatlantic Conference.
9. She was honored with the “Global Women’s Right Award” from the Feminist Majority Foundation and counted among the “Women Deliver 100: The Most Inspiring People Delivering for Girls and Women.”
10. She received the “Sheth International Young Alumni Achievement Award” and was named by Women in the World as a “Woman of Impact."

Will Allen: Growing Power and the Future of Food

"If you can grow good soil, you can grow good food."
That was Will Allen’s philosophy when he began his adventures in urban farming 18 years ago in Milkwaukee, Wisconsin. The community food center that he founded, Growing Power, now serves as a model for how to grow food with no chemicals and no fossil fuels—and with favorable cash-flow.

Sponsored by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for a Livable Future, Allen spoke at the Bloomberg School on Wednesday, March 7, sharing information and insight into how his farms produce a high volume of food in urban communities, profitably, and to the communities’ benefit. Labeled by some as an "urban farming visionary," Allen is the son of sharecroppers from South Carolina, and he grew up on a vegetable farm in Rockville, Maryland. After a career as a professional basketball player, he went on to a career in urban farming, which earned him a James Beard leadership award, a MacArthur "genius" fellowship and a role in First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign.

Growing Power not only grows food, but it produces all the soil it uses in food production, composting more than 22 million pounds of food waste collected from breweries, coffee companies and corporations such as Walmart every year. The organization, which operates as a nonprofit, provides outreach, technical assistance and on-the-ground training for thousands of volunteers, workshop participants and community members. Having started as a youth service organization that worked with kids from the juvenile justice system, it now employs more than 100 people, many of whom have a history of incarceration, and is growing, with plans this year to build a five-story vertical garden, the first of its kind in the world. The organization sells fresh food to local high-end restaurants, public schools and farm stands in areas designated "food deserts" and "food swamps," and has thus contributed to food security in the cities where it operates—Milwaukee, Madison and Chicago, primarily.

A key tenet put forth by Allen is that urban gardeners must grow their own soil, and use that soil to grow food. Existing urban soil, he contends, is far too contaminated to risk growing food. When you dig in urban areas, he says, "All you’re doing is stirring up lead, arsenic, all the bad guys in the soil. And the food takes up the contaminants."

At Growing Power farms, Allen is conducting research—through practice—on many farming innovations such as aquaponics systems, vermicomposting, water catchment, anaerobic digestion to create energy, vertical farming and more. The farms collect food waste and convert it to soil 365 days a year, and, with hoop houses, they grow food every day of the year as well. The organization has 40 different revenue streams, and generates 50 percent of its own income. Growing Power’s food production would bring in a positive cash-flow if run as a for-profit business, says Allen.

The farms produce and sell compost, compost tea, worm castings, 40 types of greens, fruits, vegetables, goats’ milk, artisanal cheese, eggs and honey. "We’re adding 50 more hives next year," says Allen. "We can’t keep enough honey."

Recently, Allen co-authored an afterword with Eric Schlosser for The Prince’s Speech: The Future of Food (Rodale, 2012), the text of a speech delivered by Prince Charles of Wales on the principles of agroecology. Allen’s talk on Wednesday drew about 300 audience members from the Bloomberg School and from the Baltimore food system community; more than 100 watched online. About one hundred copies of The Prince’s Speech were sold at the event, and signed by Allen.

Media contact: Tim Parsons, director of Public Affairs, at 410-955-7619 or tmparson@jhsph.edu.

The Kid Who Invented the Sandless Operation Sandbag

An interesting story I got from this website: http://pageeasy.com/PeytonRobertson/

Why Peyton Robertson is Extraordinary

Peyton Robertson, at 12 years old, was the youngest-ever winner of the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge in 2013, taking home 25,000 dollars in prize money. He is the proud inventor of the “Sandless Operation Sandbag,” or the SOS. But before you conclude that this boy is going to be a one-time wonder, please note that he has been inventing since he was eight years old! The SOS was his third invention, after the golf ball canister and retractable trainer wheels.

Trained to be a Problem-Solver

When he first discovered his love for math and science, Peyton was encouraged by his parents to think differently. Instead of seeing problems only as just causes of trouble, he was made to search for solutions; it sure helped that Peyton was a genius from birth.

After seeing how poorly the sandbags performed as flood deterrents, he set out to revolutionize their design and components. The first thing to go was the sand; instead of heavy sandbag content, he replaced it with light polymers, which expand when wet and absorb the liquid. He then added salt to make the contents denser than the saltwater it needed to keep out. To optimize blocking efficiency, he also fashioned his sandbags with plaster to keep them interlocked and ensure no salt water would find its way into the gaps.
Peyton was named the overall winner of the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge for his invention. He is now seeking to have SOS patented openly so that others can replicate his design and perhaps even improve it.

Two years prior to winning the 3M Young Scientists Challenge, Peyton also received the National Kids' Science Challenge Grand Prize. He now attends Pine Crest School and IMACS. A professor at the University of Florida has expressed his amazement and willingness to have Peyton enroll at his university.
Right now, Peyton is busy with other problems that await solutions; he tells young inventors:
"Failure is progress and a normal part of the process. Whether it’s science or life, you have to start, fail and just keep pushing. In a football game, time runs out, and a golf match ends after the last hole. But when you are working on something and it doesn’t work, you just extend the game – and give your experiment or your prototype another go." (SOURCE: TED Blog)

Top Reasons why Peyton Robertson is Extraordinary

1. He invented the light and reusable “Sandless Operational Sandbag” (SOS) at only 12 years old.
2. The SOS won him first place in the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge in 2013.
3. He was the youngest-ever winner of the challenge.
4. He received the National Kids' Science Challenge Grand Prize in 2011.
5. He began solving puzzles and math problems at only three years old.
6. He invented a golf ball warmer at age eight.
7. He also invented the retractable trainer wheels.
8. He currently has three pending patents.
9. He plays golf competitively.
10. He appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and was also interviewed by TED.

Shigeru Ban

Thanks to http://www.thextraordinary.org/shigeru-ban

Why Shigeru Ban is Extraordinary

Shigeru Ban is the only architect who builds structures using paper. He used his building genius not only to create breathtaking monuments, but also to build cozy homes for refugees and evacuees. He founded the “Voluntary Architects' Network” (VAN) to put his gift to good use. The architect once thought to be crazy for using unconventional material is now the renowned “Architect of the People.”

“No-Waste” Philosophy

The idea behind using paper as a building material came to Shigeru in the mid-1980s, long before environmental causes became the talk of the town. What led him to discover the use of paper was his disdain for waste:

"I started developing the paper tube structures in 1986, when people were not talking very much about recycling, ecology, and sustainability. But the truth is that I just didn't want to waste material—it’s as simple as that. And then the so-called fashion of sustainability or “green” came afterwards in the 1990's, and so I was put under the label of “environment-friendly architect,” but that is not my strategy. I just want to use any material where it is." (SOURCE: National Building Museum)

“Architect of the People”

Shigeru has been called the “Architect of the People” for his efforts in building homes for refugees and evacuees. For him, victims of wars and natural disasters need better housing to help them move on quickly. He began doing this in his homeland, Japan, after the Kobe earthquake rendered thousands of people homeless. The evacuation center did not afford tenants privacy, so his solution was to install cardboard tubes and create partitions using curtains. By doing so, women became more comfortable doing things that needed privacy, like changing or breastfeeding. He also built homes for Rwandan people to prevent them from cutting down trees to use as housing material. He did the same in Italy, China and Turkey.
He believes that architects have the capacity to help, and continues to urge fellow designers to find ways to contribute to the good of humanity rather than only use their talent to build affluent homes and buildings. Shigeru explained why he volunteers his services to help build homes for victims of misfortune:

"If I can build the kind of thing I want to build, and if people are happy with that, then that is enough for me. It doesn’t matter if I get money for it or not. There are more important things than that." (SOURCE: The Japan Times)

Shigeru is one-of-a-kind not only for using paper in building grand structures; his legacy is his love for his craft and his willingness to use it to help others.

Top Reasons why Shigeru Ban is Extraordinary

1. He was the first to use paper as a building structure material.
2. He was the founder of the “Voluntary Architects' Network” (VAN).
3. He built homes for refugees in Rwanda and evacuation homes in China and Japan. He also helped build churches and schools for victims of natural disasters.
4. He is the architect behind the “Musée d'art Moderne Georges” in Pompidou, Metz, France.
5. He was commissioned to design a building for an expo in Germany called the “Japanese Pavilion.”
6. He won the 40th annual “Thomas Jefferson Medal in Architecture” from the University of Virginia.
7. He received the “l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” in France.
8. He has been called the “Architect of the People.”
9. He was profiled by TIME Magazine in its projection of 21st century innovators in architecture and design.
10. He holds Honorary Degrees from Amherst College and the Technical University of Munich.