Profile
Updates
-
30 MAR 2010
Feature Partner of the Month: La Vallee Alliance
Feature Partner of the Month: La Vallee Alliance I’ve read numerous articles in the Times and the Post about the dire state of the Haitian education system namely the schools and the abandoned pupils. In my last post, I blogged about the meaning of education to these Haitian children struggling everyday to break the cycle of poverty. All the while I’ve pondered the question of how I can help in an action-oriented, deliberate way that would most effectively make an impact. Fortunately, Givology recently established a partnership with a local NGO called La Vallee Alliance, and it just so happens that the founder and inspirational leader behind this project were in town a few weeks ago near my home in Northern Virginia. Fate has a way of making a point. One great thing about ‘working’ for Givology is meeting new people and making new connections (shameless pandering for those of you out there thinking about volunteering for Givology). It turns out only one degree of separation stood be... -
08 NOV 2009
My Tuesday Conversation with Joanita
When the phone rang, it was approximately 7pm EST. A kind, patient voice answered on the other end. After a brief introduction, my interview with Joanita Senoga, the founder of the Circle of Peace School in Uganda, began. What followed was not a high profile interview conducted with a tape recorder, pen and notepad, in a dimly lit office space, but an impromptu conversation about the power of education to change lives one child at a time. An hour and rounds of inquires later, I discovered the true power of one lies not in one’s noble causes or lofty goals, but in one’s actions and convictions to act accordingly. I learned what Joanita continues to inspire in others - that the gift of education transcends boundaries; it is a universal cause proven to generate significantly high ROI with little monetary investment but an invaluable amount of investment in time, energy, and compassion. We started in the present, as I wondered out loud what Joanita has been up to since she enrolled in t... -
25 OCT 2009
My 22nd Birthday Pledge
Today was my 22nd birthday, and as a birthday present to myself and many others, I pledged $50 to 3 students and 3 projects on Givology. As a first time user of the giving functions on the site, I must admit I was quite overwhelmed and humbled by the overall experience. As I scrolled down the Giving page, the faces of young children appeared one-by-one, each of them pleading for the five ten dollar bills in my wallet. The promising faces invariably caught my attention yet at the same time confused my focus. Where do I even begin to pick and choose? How does one determine the opportunity costs of giving to one student as opposed to another student? Reading the student profiles made my decision even more challenging. Fifty dollars was simply not enough to help all those who need my help. Finally, after many rounds of indecisiveness and deep sighs of resignation, I settled on adopting three students (Guangen Shen (???), Mwesigwa Benon, and Ranjita Sampange) and three projects (Light fo...