By Sheila

Jason proposed to me at sunset, on the beach, in Mallorca, Spain on June 7, 2007. Jason proposed with a "placeholder" mood ring that traveled hidden in his wallet (from Boston to Paris, to London, to Barcelona, and finally to Mallorca) during the first two days of our European vacation. Jason originally intended to let me pick out a "real" engagement ring after our return home.

We had many discussions about engagement rings on our vacation and during the weeks following. Finally, we decided on an engagement gift that symbolizes our love and commitment to each other, and also reflects our commitment to the world in which we live.

Jason made a $1,000 donation to KickStart International as an engagement gift to me.

KickStart is a non-profit organization that develops and markets new technologies in Africa. Local subsistence farmers buy these tools and machines to help establish highly profitable small businesses. I learned about KickStart in my class at Harvard Business School called "Business Approaches to Serving Base-of-Pyramid Markets."

With our gift, the money that would otherwise have purchased a modest piece of conventional jewelry is being used to help 20 people permanently lift themselves out of their poverty. Read more about how KickStart makes a difference on their website: