What would you say if I gave your donations to someone whom (until recently) I never met, who used it on a country I've never been, and helped people I've never seen?
What you would get is this video:
First, it must be said that this is far less sketchy than it seems. Rohan was a friend of mine long before I sent him a dime. I trusted him enough as a friend before I entrusted him with part of this project. That, of course, does limit how often I can do things like this.
Second, there is a specific reason I wanted ...
Why I Went to VidCon
[caption id="attachment_2489" align="aligncenter" width="481" caption="Hank & John Start VidCon Early in the Morning (thus the rare shot of empty seats)"][/caption]
VidCon. In a word? WOW. As one friend put it, "it's like the internet exploded into real life". It was surreal, amazing, & awesome to meet people that I've only been able to see through my computer screen.
Even though there wasn't nearly enough time, I'm in awe at how seamlessly online friends turned into "real life" friends. In most cases it's like you've known someone for ages and are just hanging out.
[caption id="attachment_2488" align="aligncenter" width="482" caption="This photo makes me look more ...
My 5 Fact Pitch to Save the Children
It's the first of April, and I'm standing in a dimly lit room with a bright projector light blinding me. In front of me, some high ranking officials who came to hear me speak. This is no April's Fools joke: this was my presentation to Save the Children USA's Global HQ.
[caption id="attachment_2423" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Save the Children's USA HQ (pic by Madge Canning)"][/caption]
After an hour of Keynote slides, graphs, and videos I was pleased to see that my presentation was well received. Lots of nodding heads. But I needed one more thing. I need to drive the message home. It ...
Does Steve Jobs Care about Global Poverty?
Less than 24 hours ago, Apple surpassed Microsoft to become the world's biggest tech company. As someone who used to spell Microsoft with a dollar sign, I can't believe what I'm about to say: this is a bad thing for the world.
The only thing I love more than Apple is what I use my Mac gear for: fighting poverty in developing countries. In this regard, unlike Microsoft & Bill Gates, Apple & Steve Jobs don't seem to care much about poverty and global development.
[caption id="attachment_2235" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="One runs the biggest tech company in the world, the other is a global ...
During these Christmas Holidays, there is one person in particular who will never be too far from my thoughts and prayers. His name is Adam and he’s one of the many people from within the YouTube community that have been supporting this little project that I’m doing.
Unfortunately and tragically, recent events in Adam’s life have shown me he is a far stronger person than I will ever be. This holiday season has brought a lot of bad news to Adam and his family. During the Thanksgiving Holidays, he learned his parents were getting a divorce. This sad event was compounded by the tragic and sudden loss of his mother who recently died in a car crash.
I can’t even type this without getting a knot in the pit of my stomach. I can’t imagine what Adam and his family is going through right now. Some people think I’m pretty strong to have endured the kinds of challenges and sacrifices this project has demanded. But quite honestly? I don’t think I would have had the strength or composure that Adam is clearly demonstrating during this trying time.
If you’d like to convey your condolences to Adam and his family, you can see his YouTube channel (where many in the YouTube community are leaving their condolences and prayers).
The good news: the city of Dhaka seems to have completely recovered from the effects of Cyclone Sidr. The bad news: the lives of many Dhaka residents will never be the same as many go out to search for lost loved ones.
On the day the storm hit, a car I was in got covered in glowing sparks from a transformer that had exploded next to it. That weekend, during daylight, I went to take a photo of the damage – but there was none. Where once was an exploded transformer now apparently had a newly repaired and replaced transformer. A giant tree had collapsed near Mohakhali DOHS that very night. By the time I heard of it, it was already taken care of and the road was cleared. A cook that works for my aunt explained how the roof of her bosti (slum house) had been ripped off. When my aunt asked if I could go document the damage – the cook explained they had already repaired it.
Unfortunately, things aren’t back to normal – and they may never be. Many Dhaka residents, especially the working poor, are now wondering whether their loved ones are lost or dead. Many who can afford it have taken time off to go to the cyclone affected areas to search for loved ones. My grandmother, a lady in her late 80s who hired someone so that she can go from place to place, has been home-bound these past few days. Her driver cannot get in touch with his mother – he doesn’t know if she’s alive or dead. He taken a three day leave to go search for her. His story is not uncommon. A friend of mine – Shaidul, a government employee, recently took leave to go to Barishal to search for his lost loved ones.
People like my grandmother’s driver and Shaidul go not knowing whether they are going to be reunited with family members or are going to bury them. As a I wrote before, this is a tragedy that is – in some, way, shape, or form – touching the lives of every resident in this country.
[A slightly more "news-ish" version of this blog post has been cross-posted at NowPublic.com as a news item. Check it out here.]
About this Project
This is not a charity, organization, or anything formal. It’s my journey to try and make the world a better place - one meaningful difference at a time. It’s about inspiring others to believe that we can be the generation that ends extreme poverty. Hopefully, this project can also show the big multinational organizations that there is a better way to engage people on the issue of global poverty.
About Me
I'm Shawn - a 29 year old Canadian from Toronto. Before starting this project, I was a graduate student on scholarship at Notre Dame University. My life took a turn after I met Dr. Jeffrey Sachs (author of the book "The End of Poverty") when he came to give a speech at Notre Dame. That speech inspired me to withdraw from grad school, liquidate my savings, and begin this journey to try and make the world a better place - one meaningful difference at a time.
