Latest news with #Water.org
USA Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
David Beckham to receive knighthood from King Charles III: Reports
David Beckham to receive knighthood from King Charles III: Reports Show Caption Hide Caption Matt Damon talks David Beckham, challenges with charity Matt Damon talks to USA TODAY's Ralphie Aversa about challenges with his charity, which has provided clean water to 70 million people. Sir David Beckham has a nice ring to it. Beckham, arguably the most famous sportsman in England's history, will be awarded a knighthood next week as part of King Charles III's birthday celebrations, British media outlets BBC, The Guardian and The Sun reported Friday. Beckham, 50, will finally earn his country's highest honor after years of near misses despite his legendary soccer career and extensive charity work with UNICEF. "I've heard people in the media talk about it's something that I really, really want, and of course, it would be an unbelievable honor," Beckham said in a recent interview with Time magazine. "If it happens at some point, amazing. If it doesn't, there's nothing I can do about it." David Beckham turns 50: Wife Victoria Beckham shares heartfelt video of duo dancing Beckham played 115 matches for England, including 59 games as captain. He is the only English player to score in three different World Cups. Beckham helped Manchester United win six Premier League titles. He also played for Real Madrid, the L.A. Galaxy in Major League Soccer, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain during his career. Beckham is also a co-owner of MLS club Inter Miami, where he helped secure the services of Argentine World Cup champion Lionel Messi for the American club in July 2023. Beckham also became an owner of Salford City, a League Two team in England, last month. Inter Miami representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment. David Beckham talks family, Victoria doc and how Leonardo DiCaprio helped him win an Emmy Beckham married Spice Girls singer and fashion designer, Victoria, in 1999. They have four children: Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper Seven. Victoria Beckham will take the name Lady Beckham when her husband is knighted. David Beckham was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2003. He joined UNICEF in 2005, and has been one of the organization's longest serving ambassadors. He also became an ambassador last year for The King's Foundation, supporting King Charles' education program.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vedika Bhandarkar Believes We Can Solve the Water Crisis in Our Lifetime
Credit - Noam Galai—Getty Images for Clinton Global Initiative On May 1, Gold House unveiled its annual A100 List, recognizing the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific leaders across industries. See the full list here. Of all the problems the world faces, providing enough water for drinking and sanitation is among the most solvable. Everybody agrees that humans need water. Nobody is morally opposed to providing it. The technology exists to bring water to most places. The earth has enough drinkable water, currently, to meet its needs. And yet about half of the world has to work pretty hard to get water, buying it from trucks, drinking from substandard sources, or sending children or women out to lug it back from a distant supply. What's stopping us from ensuring everyone has access to clean water? 'It is a lot about money,' says Vedika Bhandarkar, 57, the president and COO of 'If I don't have safe water at home, I know I need to get connected to the utility, or I need to build a water-storage tank and rainwater-harvesting system. But I lack the upfront capital and an affordable way to get that capital.' Bhandarkar is on the forefront of clear-cutting a path to financing for those who have none. Before she started working at in 2016, Bhandarkar had never heard of the organization and knew very little about how water was provided around the world. But she was pretty adept at working the levers of finance, having worked in the sector for 25 years and headed up Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse's investment-banking divisions in India. Her success and the rise of India as an economic force grew in tandem, but she was aware that the growth had not lifted the fortunes of everyone. 'Irrespective of where you live, you sort of enclose yourself in a bubble,' she says. 'But it's much harder to do that when you see your own country, women and men, the way they live, and how wrong that is and how unfair that is.' When she decided to leave banking, partly because it 'is all about being younger and leaner and hungrier and meaner, so you should move out before somebody moves you out,' she says, she wanted to find a way to make a different kind of impact. She started by volunteering at the Jai Vakeel Foundation, an Indian organization that works with people with developmental disabilities. But pretty soon philanthropy recruiters came sniffing. She got offers from two organizations, and she discussed them with her husband and two children. When she got to the part about how was co-founded by Matt Damon, her kids had heard enough, she says. 'They turned to me and said, 'Mom, why are you even thinking about the other one?'' While her children's advice was heartening, what really motivated her was realizing how the lack of access to water exacerbated many other problems that impoverished communities faced, especially among women and girls, who use up a good portion of their day fetching water. 'They don't have time to spend either looking after their families and/or engaging in other economic activities,' says Bhandarkar, who, with her husband, had focused their philanthropic giving on women and girls even before becoming a professional in the aid world. 'Girls drop out of school because they're helping their moms collect water, or you have health issues because you don't have access to safe water. When we solve this, we'll also make progress on so many other aspects.' Providing water is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Some places have plenty of rain, but it's seasonal. Householders there would benefit from a tank. Others have groundwater but need a treatment plant or a pump. For many, fecal contamination is the main issue. In 2016 the World Bank estimated it would cost about $114 billion annually to meet the globe's basic water needs, and annual expenditure was about $20 billion—and that was before Western countries including the U.S. and the U.K. began to shrink their foreign-aid budgets. way of addressing that shortfall is to help provide funds to kick-start local water programs that the recipients pay for, via loans. has created several avenues to entice people to fund water access. One of these is a group of five funds, known collectively as WaterEquity, from which donors and investors supply capital to local banks and credit providers, who then make loans to people who need water infrastructure, whether for drinking or sanitation. Bhandarkar's expertise and contacts have helped mobilize the whole spectrum of finance from philanthropists to investors to put this capital together. 'In an ideal world you could say, well, this should be funded by the government, but today there is a big funding gap, and it needs everybody to lean in,' she says. The organization also operates WaterConnect, which offers early-stage funding and technical know-how to local developers to build water infrastructure, and WaterCredit, which provides microloans to families in the developing world for safe water and sanitation. Initially, some of local partners resisted facilitating loans as opposed to grants. But Bhandarkar believes loans are a more sustainable model and allow many more people to be helped. declines to dictate the interest rates charged on the loans, although they are careful about their collaborators. 'You need to leave that decision to the financial institution,' she says. 'If you start telling them 'Charge X and not Y,' then you start distorting the market, and they will do water and sanitation lending only as long as you're partnering with them, and when you step away, they will stop.' So far, 179 partners in 16 countries have made 16.9 million loans, and the organization believes it has had an impact on 76 million people. As the developed nations begin to withdraw most of their support for their impoverished neighbors, Bhandarkar feels the responsibility of her work more keenly. 'There are so many great organizations who aren't able to work or whose ability to work is so severely curtailed right now,' she says. 'So the responsibility on us to put our heads down and work harder to achieve impact at scale is even more today than it was a year ago.' But she's optimistic. 'I do have hope that this problem can be solved,' she says. 'And I do have hope that this problem can be solved in our lifetimes." Contact us at letters@
Time Magazine
01-05-2025
- General
- Time Magazine
Vedika Bhandarkar Believes We Can Solve the Water Crisis in Our Lifetime
While her children's advice was heartening, what really motivated her was realizing how the lack of access to water exacerbated many other problems that impoverished communities faced, especially among women and girls, who use up a good portion of their day fetching water. 'They don't have time to spend either looking after their families and/or engaging in other economic activities,' says Bhandarkar, who, with her husband, had focused their philanthropic giving on women and girls even before becoming a professional in the aid world. 'Girls drop out of school because they're helping their moms collect water, or you have health issues because you don't have access to safe water. When we solve this, we'll also make progress on so many other aspects.' Providing water is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Some places have plenty of rain, but it's seasonal. Householders there would benefit from a tank. Others have groundwater but need a treatment plant or a pump. For many, fecal contamination is the main issue. In 2016 the World Bank estimated it would cost about $114 billion annually to meet the globe's basic water needs, and annual expenditure was about $20 billion—and that was before Western countries including the U.S. and the U.K. began to shrink their foreign-aid budgets. way of addressing that shortfall is to help provide funds to kick-start local water programs that the recipients pay for, via loans. has created several avenues to entice people to fund water access. One of these is a group of five funds, known collectively as WaterEquity, from which donors and investors supply capital to local banks and credit providers, who then make loans to people who need water infrastructure, whether for drinking or sanitation. Bhandarkar's expertise and contacts have helped mobilize the whole spectrum of finance from philanthropists to investors to put this capital together. 'In an ideal world you could say, well, this should be funded by the government, but today there is a big funding gap, and it needs everybody to lean in,' she says. The organization also operates WaterConnect, which offers early-stage funding and technical know-how to local developers to build water infrastructure, and WaterCredit, which provides microloans to families in the developing world for safe water and sanitation. Initially, some of local partners resisted facilitating loans as opposed to grants. But Bhandarkar believes loans are a more sustainable model and allow many more people to be helped. declines to dictate the interest rates charged on the loans, although they are careful about their collaborators. 'You need to leave that decision to the financial institution,' she says. 'If you start telling them 'Charge X and not Y,' then you start distorting the market, and they will do water and sanitation lending only as long as you're partnering with them, and when you step away, they will stop.' So far, 179 partners in 16 countries have made 16.9 million loans, and the organization believes it has had an impact on 76 million people. As the developed nations begin to withdraw most of their support for their impoverished neighbors, Bhandarkar feels the responsibility of her work more keenly. 'There are so many great organizations who aren't able to work or whose ability to work is so severely curtailed right now,' she says. 'So the responsibility on us to put our heads down and work harder to achieve impact at scale is even more today than it was a year ago.' But she's optimistic. 'I do have hope that this problem can be solved,' she says. 'And I do have hope that this problem can be solved in our lifetimes."
WIRED
31-01-2025
- Lifestyle
- WIRED
Best Sock Subscription Services for People Who Hate Shopping
Skip to main content Never run out of socks again. These subscription services deliver premium pairs right to your door. If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. Learn more. The best socks will make your day. There's nothing worse than scrambling for a clean pair when you're running late, and nothing quite beats the feeling of slipping into a fresh, cozy set. And though socks might not be the star of your outfit, they sure can make a statement. You don't want to be caught in the boardroom with a mismatched pair—what would your mother say? Plus the right pair of socks can give you a surprising boost of confidence. Just look at that one coworker with the zany socks; isn't he just the life of the break room? To be fair, socks aren't exactly the most thrilling garment to shop for. That's where sock subscription services come in. I've rounded up some of the best options to deliver fresh pairs right to your door—whether you prefer a monthly mystery box or a pair on your own schedule. Forget the hassle, and let someone else take the legwork out of keeping you stocked with high-quality socks. Consider it a little treat to yourself. For more apparel recommendations, check out our guides to the Best Hoodies, Best Running Shoes, and Best Rain Jackets. Power up with unlimited access to WIRED . Get best-in-class reporting that's too important to ignore for just $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe Today. Conscious Step Mystery Box Conscious Step is the most unconscious conscious shopping you can do. Each pair sends $1 directly to the nonprofit it's partnered with. I'm currently wearing my socks that save LGBTQ lives —which support the Trevor Project—while I type this. Other pairs in my collections: socks that give water ( socks that support mental health (National Alliance on Mental Illness), and my personal favorite, socks that protect butterflies (Pollinator Partnership). Next on my list? So glad, you asked: socks that save cats (Best Friends Animal Society), socks that support self-checks (Keep A Breast Foundation), and socks that provide meals (World Central Kitchen). The socks are crafted from organic, Fair Trade Certified cotton sourced in India. They're also vegan-certified and free from herbicides and pesticides. Plans start at $12 a month, with discounts for prepaid 6-month ($84) and 1-year subscriptions ($144). Mystery boxes let Conscious Step select a seasonal crew pair for you, while the build-your-own option lets you choose. Pick your style (crew, quarter, or ankle socks), the number of pairs you want, and the cause you'd like to champion. Subscribers also get an e-newsletter each month to learn more about the impact of their purchase. Conscious Step also offers free shipping within the US, though international shipping is available in some regions if you're gifting across borders. Tip: Instead of cutting the black string that holds the socks together, tug the loose end to release them. I learned this the hard way with one pair, and now they have an unfortunate hole. Made out of roughly 75 percent organic cotton, 16 percent recycled polyester, 4 percent recycled polyamide, 3 percent polyamide, and 2 percent elastane. DeadSoxy Core Dress Sock Subscription DeadSoxy's subscription service is for anyone who needs reliable socks for everyday use. Subscribers snag 25 percent off the regular price and free shipping; you can pause, skip, or cancel whenever. While the brand offers a variety of multipacks to suit different tastes, the Core Dress Sock subscription is the standout for me. Every one, two, three, or six months (your choice), you'll receive a curated rotation of black, grey, charcoal, or navy socks—classic colors that belong in every sock drawer. Funky socks have their moments, but you do need the basics for occasions where the funk may not be so appropriate. DeadSoxy also makes calf socks that stay put. Its 'TrueStay Stay-Up' technology grips your mid-calf to prevent any annoying rolling, so you don't have to adjust them throughout the day. The dress socks are also designed with a Y-stitched heel, which cups your foot for a snug fit, also keeping the fabric from bunching inside your shoes. Other plans include: Fancy No-Show Socks ($17), Fancy Casual Socks ($20), Core Casual Socks ($20), Fancy Dress Socks ($27), and Ole Miss NIL Socks ($23). Made out of 75 percent combed cotton, 20 percent polyester, and 5 percent elastane. Sock Club Sock of the Month Club Sock Club is like a little slice of Americana for your feet. The socks are designed in Austin and crafted from cotton grown in the southeastern US. The designs are anything but ordinary, and they supposedly never repeat. The subscription starts at $12 per month, or you can prepay: $36 for three months, $72 for six, or $132 for a full year. You can choose between a 'modern classic' or 'bold and funky' pair. I think every pair has its flair. Sock Club also lets you browse the archives; you can shop designs dating back to 2015, which makes for a fun trip through the brand's history. They ship across the US and to over 230 countries via Asendia International Mail. Made out of 80 percent US-grown combed cotton, 16 percent nylon, and 4 percent Lycra. Sock Box Sock of the Month Sock Box was founded by a former corporate worker who grew tired of the monotony of office attire. He's the zany-sock coworker turned sock entrepreneur! You don't get to pick your socks, which is part of the charm. Past designs have featured eccentric colors and geometric patterns that are sure to be a conversation starter anywhere. Starting at $12 a month, you can choose between one or two pairs, with the flexibility to pay monthly or prepay for six, 12, or even 24 months. Based in Calgary, Alberta, Sock Box ships to Canada and the US. For Canadian residents, the company also offers a lifetime subscription for a one-time payment of $1,095. According to the company's FAQ page, 'the membership is nontransferable and expires upon death of the member, or closure of the business; whichever occurs first.' How grim. Made out of roughly 70 to 85 percent combed cotton, 10 to 28 percent nylon/polyamide, and 2 to 5 percent spandex/elastane.
