Tuesday, June 3, 2014

SED: The co-founder of RISE shares "My father always told me that you should burn with passion and love for the rest of the world."


At 24 years of age, Shivani has accomplished a great deal in establishing her future as a student of global health and economic development at University College London, health policy at Cambridge University, and infectious disease control at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.  While attending a university in Georgia, her love of cooking inspired her to organize a culinary club that served the homeless and supported organic farmers. Her interest in theater inspired her to direct, produce and act in a play aimed at women's issues and preventing sexual violence. Her involvement on a debate team moved her to teach debating skills to youth in the inner-city of Atlanta.  Her international travels and field work motivated her to create a non-profit organization, RISE Glocal.  

The mission of RISE Glocal is:

The empowerment of communities with a focus on women and children, through education, community recreation, water sanitation and hygiene activities, nutrition, and health-based programs, based on complete community involvement and participation. RISE's vision is a world where communities are enabled to determine their futures. 

RISE provides, for example, libraries for needly schools, organizes sustainable health clubs in primary schools, and spreads health education through soccer.  It also uses creative arts to bypass culture and language barriers and connect people to health and environmental education through indigenous music, poetry, and drama.  Though based in the United States, many endeavors of RISE Glocal now operate in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Jordan, and Mexico.  Learn more about RISE at http://www.rise.moonfruit.com 

Shivani shared what inspired her on the path of social and economic development. 

"My father always told me that you should burn with passion and love for the rest of the world. You should take what you learn outside of yourself and apply it.”
As an enrolled member of the Bahai Faith, Shivani is currently pioneering internationally.

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