BRAC USA Intern – Mel Bandler

Last year, I read Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s Half the Sky. Throughout the book, I was presented with stories of women who are victims to sex-trafficking, prostitution, rape, and maternal health issues. In reading the book, I could not help but feel moved to act, to be part of the movement to end these injustices. At the end of the novel, Kristof and WuDunn list organizations that work to alleviate these problems and give women voice. It was through this that I learned about the work of BRAC.

My high school runs a program where graduating seniors are permitted to participate in an internship during the month before graduation. After looking over BRAC’s website and learning about BRAC’s mission to alleviate poverty by empowering women and men with the tools they need to succeed, I could not think of a better way to spend my time.

During my sophomore year, a former Grameen Bank employee spoke at my high school on the topic of microfinance. Since hearing her speak, I have been fascinated by the concept of giving small loans to individuals at the benefit of the whole community. I have a Kiva account and always find it exciting when I am repaid so that I can choose another enterprise to invest in. The idea that a small investment can allow a woman to grow her business and then repay the small loan only to take out a larger one is inspiring. I look forward to learning about how BRAC uses microfinance as a means of alleviating poverty in its programs around the world and I feel excited to be able to lend a hand to such a great organization. I will be a college freshman next year and my major is undecided. I hope that after this experience I will have a better idea about what field to pursue so that, in the future, I will be able to help others as effectively as I can.