Just Peoples has been one of our foundation partners since the early days of Common Goods. Deciding to base our business on a ‘shop your impact’ model, Just Peoples was one of the first organisations that came to mind. 

Just Peoples uses a crowd-based approach to raise funds from businesses and everyday New Zealanders to make a direct impact on global poverty. Started by a small team in New Zealand in 2015, they have already successfully funded 48 poverty-reducing projects and have had a major impact on thousands of lives.

Vante's school in Thanchi

How it works

Just Peoples posts a range of global micro-projects that are currently in need of funding. The carefully selected projects span across education, healthcare and job creation. Each of these projects requires between $500 and $1500 of funding. By giving people the ability to choose a micro-project to support, Just Peoples connects donors directly with the local heroes that are making a big impact in their communities.

Donors are regularly provided updates about the impact they have made on the lives of the people they have chosen to support. 

Vante's school in Thanchi

Vante’s Story

In Bangladesh, one in three live below the poverty line and one in five kids don’t attend primary school. Vante Rasa from Thanchi in Bangladesh is a Buddhist Monk who is running a free school for children in the area. Students at Vante’s school are from extremely poor families where the children are often required to take extremely long and dangerous journeys to reach the school. Because of this, many students are required to live at the school during the term, generously supported by the local villagers who believe that education is the key to breaking the cycle of rural poverty in rural Bangladesh. 

A previous Just Peoples fundraiser provided the school with their first computer and internet connection which has allowed the students to be taught remotely by teachers in Dhaka. Seeing the results that technology has had on the education of these children has inspired Vante to establish three clubs at the school:

• Reading and Speaking Club: remote teaching from Dhaka in English and their local language
• Sports Club: an all-inclusive physical eduction club with a focus on involving female students in sports they want to do.
• Science Club: using science, technology, engineering and maths kits to study environmental solutions and other technical skills.

In order to set up these clubs, Vante required $1,015 to purchase the equipment and run the clubs for 80 students. Just Peoples successfully fundraised for the micro-project, helping the children to not only escape poverty, but to thrive in the future.

Get involved by funding a micro-project.