My heart is pumping.
Adrenaline levels are high.
My life is about to change…with your help.

A few months ago, I noticed Nicholas Kristof’s twitter announcement for the Win-a-Trip 2011 competition where he takes a student with him to Africa on a two week journalism trip. Considering my exciting photography experiences in Dhaka, I decided to give it a shot. With a little bit of heart, a few DSLR photos, and a short (phone) video footage…I made this video.

I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve been selected as one of the 5 student finalists this year! But this is only the beginning. Mr. Kristof has posted our submissions on Facebook with the hopes of the gaining public input to help him decide. If you liked my submission, my previous Jolkona blog posts, and what I stand for, I ask you to go to this Facebook link and “like” and post a meaningful comment. It only takes 10 seconds and can totally change the course of my life!

I’m very impressed by the other finalists this year. You can check out the full article on New York Times.

Follow me on www.twitter.com/someaunty for all the latest updates!

Taylor Corbett is a student at Occidental College in Los Angeles, CA, pursuing a double major in Economics and Diplomacy and World Affairs. This post is part of a series he wrote as part of an internship with BRAC’s Targeting the Ultra-poor program in Bangladesh.

As an American student in Bangladesh I have quickly learned that there is one question that I inevitably face in every greeting. Wedged somewhere between the handshake and friendly smiles slips the question, “What are you doing here?” It’s something I have been asked by customs agents, taxi drivers, chai wallahs, school teachers, businessmen, village leaders, and even friends. In Bangladesh this is a completely justified question. With virtually no tourism industry and monsoon season fast approaching, many wonder why someone would come to their country to tromp around isolated villages for days at a time. The simplicity of my response has, thus far, never failed to solicit a smile. “I have come to learn from you,” I always tell them.

The context of my response can be found eight months prior as I read Nicholas Kristof’s column titled “More Schools, Not Troops.” In his column, Kristof compares the different developmental paths of Bangladesh and Pakistan in the 30 years since their partition in 1971. Pakistan, choosing to spend its aid dollars on military spending has come to face a militarized and divided society. In contrast, Bangladesh has chosen to focus on educational and societal development, which Kristof argues, has led to healthier, better educated, and less radicalized society. He went on to attribute this progress, in part, to an NGO called BRAC for their education and development initiatives. As an international relations and economics major, studying how development organizations can provide effective solutions to pervasive transnational issues (such as terrorism or insurgencies) is my academic dream. Clearly interested, I did what any information hungry American does, I Googled-it. Read the rest of this entry »

This post was written by Danielle Rind, a member of the Jolkona team.

I was first introduced to Half the Sky by my mother after she attended an event featuring Nicholas Kristof. When I received Kristof’s book I had very recently become involved with the Jolkona Foundation, a non-profit that provides a platform for individuals to donate money to causes and organizations around the world. I quickly learned about Jolkona’s partnering non-profits and the help that these organizations provide. But this was only the beginning of what I was soon to learn regarding the endless needs and human rights violations that exist around world. Kristof’s book helped educate me further…

Each page of Half the Sky was a bigger eye opener than the last. Kristof provides detailed and moving stories of women who have suffered more than I ever dreamed possible.

Read the rest of this entry »