Practical Action

Simple ideas that change lives forever

Practical Action is a charity that aims to use simple technology to challenge poverty and transform lives in developing countries like Zimbabwe, Sudan, Balgladesh, Kenya, Peru, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

The charity was formed by radical economist Dr EF Schumacher in 1966 to bring improvements to the lives of the poorest people in the world using appropriate technology using sustainable
local materials.

	Just a small amount each month can make a world of difference £10 In just two months you could provide a fish cage to a poor family in Bangladesh, allowing them to breed fish even when the floodwaters come. £12 In six months your donation could provide six families with an ingenious ready-made fridge made of earthenware, allowing them to keep food fresh for up to 20 days in the poorest parts of Sudan. £15 In four months your donation could build a community shelter as a vital refuge for families in Bangladesh who have lost everything to the floods. Registered Charity No. 247257

Local communities are at the heart of Practical Action’s projects, by giving them the skills and resources to manage and implement the solutions and so work their way towards a brighter future. For example, food can be grown on a raft built of water hyacinth, a local weed, so the crop floats on top of water instead of being devastated by the flood. Just £6 helps a family build their first floating garden. In Darfur, women must venture out of the relative safety of the refugee camp, risking their lives, to gather firewood to cook the food they receive as aid.

A new design of stove, made from local materials halves the amount of firewood they need, so they make fewer life threatening journeys outside. £25 buys enough materials for 20 stoves for women and their families.

Please do something special today. Offer the hand of friendship to poor communities by making a regular donation. Be part of the solutions that will change the lives of people in poor communities day after day, year after year.

For over 40 years Practical Action has been investing in simple and extremely effective technologies that give determined people the power to change their lives. Practical Action's experience tells us that you can't solve poverty by giving handouts - instead they work together with people in their homes and communities, listening and learning from them. Practical Action work at the heart of desperate communities across the world, helping people to find simple, sustainable solutions to problems they face.  

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