THE STORY
I still remember October 9, 2012 very clearly. The headlines said it all: "Taliban Gun Down Girl Who Spoke Up For Rights". Intrigued, I stayed to watch the entire news segment that day. Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani girl born on my birthday (July 12), was hunted and gunned down by Taliban for wanting an education. Watching the news about Malala made me realize what we all take for granted here in the US is a struggle in other parts of the world. That day changed my life forever. As I have gone through high school, I have had the opportunity to visit and observe various cultures and social differences in different parts of the world. My passion for women's and youth empowerment has blossomed because of these first hand experiences. I know that soon I will be a young woman living in the real world and I hope I will have the strength and courage to deal with the issues that affect the young women of our ​society.
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Self-Reliance in Coimbatore, India: December, 2014
As a sophomore, I visited a village in Southern India and participated in a number of women and children empowerment activities. While we were mainly involved in teaching English and Math to little children, we also spent time with single mothers learning how to train them to be self-sufficient and independent. What struck me the most about this trip was how resilient and strong women are and how willing they are to learn new skills to be independent.
Social Change in Cambodia: May - June, 2016
As a junior, I made a trip to Cambodia, where the aim of our trip was to live with host families and work with local people and communities on issues of human rights, women's rights, social justice and international development. We also created a garden to help families on an island on the Mekong to be self sufficient. What impacted me the most about this trip was how the villagers on the island felt rich and content without the need for material wealth.
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Collective Voices in San Diego: July, 2016
As an intern at AjA, I wrote a blog post documenting Collective Voices, a nine-month project that highlighted the identities of eighteen young City Heights female residents. Collective Voices participants, originally from East Africa, communicated themes of identity and contemporary women's issues through photography and narrative techniques. With this project, I was humbled and in awe of the eighteen young women who portrayed strength and a loud collective voice to get their message across.
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I love photography and writing, so I have combined these passions with my skills to take you on a yatra (or journey in Sanskrit). The yatra I am embarking on is to raise awareness and gain more knowledge about the issues and learn about ways we can come up with solutions. As a first step, I have organized a fundraising campaign and I hope that you will support my cause and embark on this yatra with me. Together we can highlight these issues and be the voice that can make a change.
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YATRA - MY JOURNEY
