D.I.Y. Foreign Aid

Elaine, a friend of mine working in American politics, alerted me to a New York Times article entitled "D.I.Y. Foreign-Aid Revolution". In it, Nicholas D. Kristof, co-author of the book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide introduces women of all ages, who have accomplished extraordinary achievements for communities all around the world - often making immense personal sacrifices. One of the women portrayed is Maggie Doyne, 23, who extended her gap year indefinitely and - instead of going to college - founded her own school and orphanage for Nepalese children. On Maggies blog, I found the video of a presentation she gave, letting us in on her motivation, progress, and aspirations. Other projects portrayed in the article include Elisabeth Scharpf's initiative to provide sanitary pads to women as to curb absenteeism at work or school during menstrual periods (Sustainable Health Enterprises or SHE Innovates Blog), or Lisa Shannon, who started Run for Congo Women, an NGO raising money for women suffering from war and rape in eastern Congo.