Tag Archives: half the sky

Join our Google+ Book Club: Half the Sky

Make plans to join us this Monday, November 14, at 7 pm for our second She’s the First Book Club meetup! It’s easy to join: Just tweet @shesthefirst and @erinleighNYC that you’re attending, then add She’s the First on Google+. We only have 10 spots, so be sure to RSVP before we fill up.

We’ll be discussing “Half the Sky” by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, so pick up a copy and get reading! If you haven’t read the book, no worries–we’d still love for you to join. See you on Monday!

Posted in Google+ Hangout | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Next Google+ Book Club: Half the Sky

We'll be discussing Half the Sky on November 14!

Since the inaugural She’s the First book club was such a success, we are moving on to round two! Please join us to discuss Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn on Monday, November 14, at 7 pm EST. We’ll be meeting via Google+, so tweet @shesthefirst with your gmail address to add you to the meetup, or email erinleigh.patterson@gmail.com. New to Google+? Not to worry! Check out more details here, and if you’re still feeling a little lost, just send me an email and I’ll make sure you know what to do.

“Half the Sky” is a journey through the developing world with two Nobel Prize winners seeking to understand the power held by women. By meeting women who have been trafficked into sex slavery or live and suffer with preventable diseases, the authors depict the world with an edge of anger but ultimately a view of hope. With a little help women all across the developing world are making a difference in their communities for their daughters. This issue of women’s emancipation, we learn, is not just the right thing to do, this is our best weapon in the combat on poverty.

Check the book out at your local library (or if you want, you can buy it here), and we’ll see you November 14th!

Posted in Arts & Books | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Kristof & Wilde Visit the Kibera School for Girls!

Kristof and Wilde visited Shining Hope for Communities while shooting the Half the Sky documentary

Kristof and Wilde visited Shining Hope for Communities while shooting the Half the Sky documentary. Photo from @NickKristof

Our friends at the Kibera School for Girls were visited by Nicholas Kristof and Olivia Wilde this week!  Kristof, an op-ed journalist for The New York Times and champion of girls’ education, is currently in Kenya working on the PBS documentary of his book, Half the Sky.  He co-wrote the internationally acclaimed book with his wife, Sheryl Wu Dunn.  Since September 4th, Kristof and Wilde have traveled through Kibera interviewing female entrepreneurs and, as Wilde tweeted, “starting spontaneous dance parties.”  More than 1,000 Facebook fans expressed excitement for their visit and showered the Kibera School for Girls with support. Kristof tweeted that despite the fact that malnourishment and worms are rampant in the Kibera slum, the girls at the Kibera School radiated hope.  Wilde added that the school was “extraordinary” and that the girls were “fantastic!”

Posted in Kibera School for Girls | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

We Saw Nicholas Kristof at Internet Week New York!

Nick Kristof @ IWNY 2011

Nick Kristof, the New York Times columnist, co-author of Half the Sky, and a huge role model of She’s the First, teaches us what it means to simultaneously be a journalist and a humanitarian. That’s why, next to the GIRLS WHO ROCK benefit concert on Friday, June 10th, he was our highlight of Internet Week New York!

Internet Week New York had a special first this year. For the first time in its four-year history, they hosted Fireside Chats, intimate discussions from its HQ at the Metropolitan Pavilion. Kristof was the honorable keynote on June 7th. He talked about his reporting experiences and discussed how the Internet can change a conflict, not in the sense of warfare, but in the spread of information. He poignantly stated that it is the job of media and IT companies to enforce ethical practices concerning malignant governments. Transparency of information in distressed areas is crucial to motivating change, he said.

“The more education, the more likely a change in government structure.”

Mr.Kristof with Opal Vadhan, GIRLS WHO ROCK creative operations assistant (and Class of 2011 grad from Archbishop Molloy High School!)

As a vocal supporter of girls’ education in his book Half the Sky, co-authored with his wife Sheryl WuDunn, Kristof has already taken a liking to She’s the First! GIRLS WHO ROCK intern Opal Vadhan and myself briefly spoke to Kristof after he spoke. His encouraging words left us with a sense of awe at his achievements and feeling more enthusiastic than ever. The cause of She’s the First will impact the experiences of these girls for the rest of their lives and the opportunities we provide them will affect their local community and, eventually, our global community.

The She’s the First team has had the privilege of meeting Mr. Kristof in the past as well. Co-founder Tammy Tibbetts exchanged a few words at a book signing in September of 2010, and the She’s the First*{Syracuse} chapter spoke with him in November of 2010 and January of this year!

You might enjoy seeing what Kristof’s talk looked like visually. Check out what master sketcher Craighton Berman created below, or download the sketchnotes here!

Posted in Events We Attend | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

What’s Next for She’s the First*{Syracuse}

STF*{Syracuse}'s Nina Keehan, Christen Brandt, and Chelsea Orcutt with Nick Kristof in November

The fall semester was a busy one for all of us in She’s The First*{Syracuse}. Our first goal was to become a recognized student organization. This process consisted of filling out forms, creating a constitution (STF Vice President/Exeuctive Director Christen Brandt was a huge help with this!), assembling an awesome team of officers, and meeting with the Office of Student Activities. All the work was worth it when we were granted official recognition at the end of the semester! We also had our first general interest meeting, and we are planning to hold another one when we return to campus later this month.

Of course, the highlight of the semester was meeting Nick Kristof when he came to SU to speak about  his book,Half the Sky. Not only were we inspired by his presentation, but we were amazed at how many of the attendees were involved with local Syracuse organizations that are devoted to promoting education in the developing world. (For example, Christen later enjoyed meeting with Yassin from Starfish International!)

At our end-of-semester officers meeting, we brainstormed a number of creative fundraiser ideas for the spring, and our favorite was a benefit concert, similar to GIRLS WHO ROCK. We’re currently working on securing a venue (we’re considering Funk N’ Waffles, a popular hangout for SU students that features live music), and reaching out to other on-campus groups that are focused on music, international aid, and community service, as well as Syracuse Women in Music. The Office of Student Activities encourages student organizations to partner for large-scale events, so we thought this would be a great opportunity to create some valuable relationships with other student groups.

In addition to the benefit concert, we’re considering holding a fashion show fundraiser, and partnering with fashion design students looking to share their work. We also discussed holding film screenings, organizing a book club where we read books that address the value of girls’ education (Three Cups of Tea, Half the Sky, etc.), and having dinner parties and collecting donations from guests.

Our long-term goal is to eventually hold a summit for campus leaders and members of the community to educate them about the importance of girls’ education. This would include speakers, screenings, and other activities that will spread awareness.

We’ve got a lot on our plate for the upcoming semester, but we’re excited about it. We’re looking forward to sharing ideas with the other campus chapters and developing STF*{Syracuse} into a true force of nature on the SU campus!

We are grateful for any suggestions or feedback you have, which you can leave in the comments below, on our Facebook wall, or tweet @STF_Syracuse!

Posted in Syracuse University | Tagged , | 1 Comment

We Met Nick Kristof!

Kristof signed books

Kristof autographed copies of "Half the Sky" for those who attended his lecture.

If She’s the First created a list of our heroes, the top of the list would probably be filled with the directors and founders of our partner organizations, who have shown their passion through the sweaty days spent on the ground, working to ensure a sound education for girls across the globe. Our role model non-profit, charity : water, would be up there, as would Queen Rania and some of the many nonprofits we’ve met here in the States. Also on that list would be Nick Kristof, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for the New York Times and advocate for girls’ education — and tonight, the members of STF*{Syracuse} and I met him!

First up was a Q&A with a small group of students, which I attended with Chelsea Orcutt, President of STF*{Syracuse}. Kristof hit on the importance of social media — in his words, he thinks “conventional media will drop the ball;” social media can fill in the lapses in mainstream media that can result from the ratings game. He’s also interested in social media as a new business model for journalists. You know he’s taking advantage of it, if you follow him on Twitter, and you’ve probably also realized how strongly we agree with him on that point!

Nick Kristof at Syracuse University

While lecturing at Syracuse University, Kristof shows a picture of a girl who was first in her family to graduate.

When it came time for his lecture, Kristof hit on the importance of educating girls. “There are no quick fixes in the developing world,” he said, “but maybe the closest we have is education.” The ripple effect of educating girls extends to improving all areas of poverty. He even showed a picture of a girl who was the first in her family to graduate!

At the end of his lecture, Kristof talked about how the audience can get involved and make a difference — and he mentioned She’s the First! We’re only a few days into our second year, and Nick Kristof himself mentioned us to a crowd of over 1,000 people! I was (and am) grinning from ear to ear.

There will be more pictures soon, but in the meantime, check out the hashtag #KristofSays on Twitter to see some of his quotes throughout the day. And of course, don’t forget to check out Kristof’s weekly column!

Posted in Syracuse University | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Inspiration for Sponsoring a Girl in Nepal: Maggie Doyne

Maggie Doyne and the Kopila Valley Children's Home graced the homepage of the nytimes.com today!

She’s the First is thrilled to report that Maggie Doyne, founder of the Kopila Valley Children’s Home and School, was just featured in the NY Times Magazine and on the homepage of nytimes.com this morning!

Well-deserved! We are so proud because Maggie’s school is in our directory,  one of our carefully selected partner programs of where you can sponsor a girl. In his article “D.I.Y. Foreign-Aid Revolution,” Nicholas Kristof applauded the efforts of young women like Maggie who are “driven by a passion to create a better world…in particular, a better world for women.”

After high school graduation, Maggie embarked on a “gap year” to work with impoverished children in India, and then traveled to a rural Himalayan village that changed her life.  In this village, Maggie found that school was a luxury most children couldn’t afford.  She befriended a young Nepalese girl named Hema who couldn’t attend school. Maggie resolved to pay for Hema’s education.  For just $15, Maggie sent Hema to kindergarten and asked herself, “If I can help one girl, why not five?  Why not 10?”  In a life-changing move, Maggie telephoned her parents and asked them to send her life-savings to Nepal.  Immediately, Maggie began working with locals to construct an orphanage in rural Nepal.  In just a few months, Maggie raised $25,000 to continue construction.  After winning the DoSomething.org $100,000 grand prize and being named CosmoGirl of the Year, Maggie’s efforts quickly became nationally recognized.

At just 23, Maggie is now fluent in Nepalese and serves as principal and founder of a school that houses 200 young Nepalese children.  If you’re moved by Maggie’s story and would like to sponsor a young girl at the Kopila Valley Children’s Home, visit http://shesthefirst.org/directory.  For just $300, you can help empower a community by educating a girl.

Journalist Nicholas Kristof, who wrote the article, has been a long-time advocate of girls’ education in the developing world.  In the phenomenal book he wrote with his wife Sheryl Wudunn — Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity — he hopes to instill in readers the idea that “the best way to fight poverty and extremism is to educate and empower women and girls.”  Last month, I attended New York Women in Communications’ “A Conversation with Nicholas Kristof” event and book-signing with She’s the First President Tammy, where we were able to make a brief introduction to Mr. Kristof. Next up, a few She’s the First team members will be attending his lecture at Syracuse University on November 3rd and have the chance to meet him!

Read the full article on Maggie’s amazing work here. Maggie, we will continue to do all we can to support you. We hope to bring many more sponsors your way — Mackenzie Olson was the first!

Posted in Kopila Valley Children's Home and School | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

We Met Nicholas Kristof on Monday!

Nicholas Kristof speaking to members of NY Women in Communications at Time Inc. Building, Monday, Sept. 13

Team She’s the First and our supporters are naturally big fans of Nicholas Kristof. Would you call him anything but the greatest humanitarian journalist of our time? His column in the New York Times and book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide (written with his wife and fellow Times reporter, Sheryl WuDunn) tell us the stories of individual girls and women behind the overwhelming statistics of gender inequality and abuse. We’ve admired his work from afar, follow his Tweets daily, and last March, we even went to the Loews theatre to watch the one-night-only, nationally screened Half the Sky Live event [see blog post]. This past, Monday, we finally had the chance to meet Mr. Kristof and introduce She’s the First!

Tammy Tibbetts (2nd from left) with She's the First Fans Allison Rapson and Daphne Foreman, and our Researcher at Ithaca College, Elizabeth Stoltz

Mr. Kristof was speaking at an event for New York Women in Communications, Inc., a  professional organization that has awarded scholarships to three of the She’s the First leadership team members (Tammy, Christen, Elizabeth), and to a few of the young women who have planned grassroots fundraisers for sponsorships, like Sammy Davis. (Having received money for our own education, we want to pay it forward.)

After Mr. Kristof’s brief but engaging talk about women & girls worldwide, followed by a Q+A, he signed copies of his book. President Tammy Tibbetts presented him with one of our She’s the First postcards at that moment, and said how STF is a grassroots solution to increasing girls’ access to education access worldwide. Mr. Kristof had said that education issues can be solved in grassroots ways, whereas health issues usually require a top-down approach with government mandates (think of what it takes to implement vaccinations).

As we grow, we hope that Mr. Kristof might visit a She’s the First partner program — like Maggie Doyne’s school in Nepal, GiveHaitiHope.org‘s primary and secondary schools, or the Shanti Bhavan school in India. Certainly if he did, he’d have quite a following behind him to Tweet, post, and make his stories go viral for change.

Have you read Half the Sky? Which part had the most impact on you?

Posted in Arts & Books | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Why We Need Guys to Support Our Girls

Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas Kristof, authors of "Half the Sky," Pulitzer-Prize winning journalists, and world-changing spouses

Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas Kristof, authors of "Half the Sky," Pulitzer-Prize winning journalists, and world-changing spouses

Thursday night, I attended a showing of “Half the Sky Live,” the one-night-only, nationally screened event that brought the book Half the Sky by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn to life. Half the Sky follows the stories of extraordinary women around the globe as they struggle to overcome oppression. It calls for the education of girls as the solution to the world’s problems. This event, originally taped at NYU in February, featured musical performances, celebrity commentary, and the world premiere of a short film “Woineshet,” co-directed by Marisa Tomei.

As we watched “Half the Sky Live” at the Loews of Union Square, what I most admired was that it didn’t feel like a girl’s club…it was a co-ed show of concern and call for action. That’s exactly what we want for She’s the First. Yes, our name is feminine but the campaign isn’t exclusive to women — the action we encourage needs guys’ support too, because when all are educated, families have higher incomes, healthier children, and greater happiness. Here’s where I think “Half the Sky Live” triumphed in sending this message:

1. Most obviously, the book backing this movement for women and girls was authored by a male, Nicholas Kristof, who’s dedicated his career as a journalist to shedding light on the most neglected women, whose own countrymen have cast them in the shadows.

2. The show opened with a call to action by CARE Ambassador Michael Franti, an American musician. Many high-profile women participated in the event — Marisa Tomei, Sarah, Dutchess of York, Maria Bello, India.Arie — so the choice of a male opener was definitely strategic.

3. In Marisa Tomei and Lisa Leone’s short film “Woineshet,” which reenacted the true story of an Ethiopian teenager who was raped and then protested a forced marriage to her rapist, special emphasis is placed on Woineshet’s father supporting his daughter despite cultural taboos. As The Washington Post had reported, “Woineshet’s father recalled that he felt caught between the draw of the modern world in the capital and the traditions of the village. He said he was offered bribes of cows and cash by local elders to keep quiet. He also endured pressure from some members of his family, who thought that Woineshet should marry her abductor. Ethiopian law absolves abductors of their crime if they marry their victims.”  But because he stood by Woineshet, she was saved and a new law precedent was set, protecting many other victims. Both Woineshet and her father were at the live event and received standing ovations.

She’s the First is incredibly inspired by Half the Sky‘s growth since publication last year. Just as the book ignited a whole movement that now incorporates music, film, educated panel discussions, and grassroots book clubs to spread awareness in the mainstream, we hope our small beginnings with a PSA video take on a multiplatform presence in the artistic, political, and online worlds as well. But we need you too, guys! So ladies, send this to your guy friends on Facebook and encourage them to link up to the campaign.

Posted in Arts & Books | Tagged , , | 1 Comment