Waldemar Haffkine At the turn of the 20th century, Waldemar Mordecai Haffkine created the world’s first vaccines for cholera and plague and used them very successfully in India. Yet, one contaminated bottle of vaccine ruined Haffkine’s career. A Russian Jew by birth, Haffkine studied zoology in Odessa. He had to leave Russia because he took…
082. Anonymous donor pays off layaways at a Walmart store
Millions of people all over the world have been hit hard in economic terms by the pandemic. Since sales have been down even during the festival season, American supermarkets such as Walmart have revived the layaway scheme. Layaway works differently than shopping with credit cards or using installment billing plans. With layaway you make payments…
081. Favio Chavez and the recycled orchestra of Paraguay
Favio Chavez and the Recycled Orchestra Caterua in Paraguay houses one of the largest landfills in South America. The landfill receives more than a tonne of waste daily from Asuncion and the surrounding areas. More than 40,000 families live in the slum that has come up on the Cateura landfill. For most of the residents,…
080. Jose Mujica: Poorest President in the world
Jose Mujica José Alberto “Pepe” Mujica Cordano served as the 40th President of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015. In the 1960s, he was a guerrilla with the Tupamaros movement, an armed political group inspired by the Cuban Revolution. During the military dictatorship in Uruguay during the 1970s and 1980s, he was imprisoned for 12 years….
079. Vicky and Ken Monize: Selling dream properties to pay employees
Vickie and Ken Monize with their staff Ken and Vickie Monize are the owners of the 93-year-old Ole’s Waffleshop in Alameda, California. It was Vickie’s parents, Bob and Christie Adams, who purchased Ole’s Waffle Shop in 1972 from the founder. Vickie has been working here since she was 17. After working seven days a week…
078. E S Reddy: Crusader against apartheid in South Africa
E S Reddy Enuga Sreenivasulu Reddy died in Massachusetts, US, on November 1, 2020. He was not well-known in India, but the New York Times carried his obituary on November 5, 2020. What did he do to attract that much of interest? Reddy was born in 1924 in the village of Pallapalli, Andhra Pradesh, India….
077. Brandon Woolf: Writing letters for people feeling blue
Brandon Woolf talking to Cole Whipps Brandon Woolf sits on a foldable chair, in front of a foldable table, next to a Brooklyn mailbox in New York. For any passerby, he is ready to write a letter on a vintage portable Royal typewriter. A chalkboard sign in front of him says: “Free Letters for Friends…
076. Mulla Nasruddin and the end of the world
Mulla Nasruddin Nowadays, what with the pandemic, climate change, authoritarian rulers and so on, it seems sometimes that the end of the world is coming. Here are two Mulla stories on this topic. A friend asked Mulla, “Are you not scared of the end time that is coming?” Mulla said, “Which one?” The friend replied,…
075. Udaybhai: The rickshaw driver who practises gift economy
Udaybhai Jadav If you are in Ahmedabad in the state of Gujarat, India, and you engage Udaybhai’s autorickshaw, you will be in for surprises. You will find newspapers and magazines to read, free snacks and water, and even a dustbin. But the biggest surprise comes when you get off at your destination. Udaybhai’s meter reads…
074. Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Notorious RBG!
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on September 18, 2020, served as a judge of the US Supreme Court for 27 years. Only the second woman to be appointed to the Court, RBG (as she came to be known) was outspoken and instrumental in advancing reproductive rights, gender equality, healthcare access, and…