Roshini Thinakaran facts for kids

Roshini Thinakaran is an amazing person who explores the world, tells stories, and helps others. She is a National Geographic Emerging Explorer, which means she's recognized for her important work. She's also a TED Global Fellow, a journalist, photographer, and a filmmaker. Roshini was born in Sri Lanka and also lives in the United States. She often focuses her work on women, filmmaking, and understanding how war affects people.

About Roshini

Roshini Thinakaran was born in Sri Lanka. When she was seven, her family moved to the United States. They left Sri Lanka because of a difficult civil war happening there.

Roshini went to George Mason University. There, she studied communication and journalism. In 2005, she lived in Beirut, Lebanon, for about six months.

Her Important Work

Roshini Thinakaran's first short film was about Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. She was the president of Liberia. Even though the film was short, it caught the eye of National Geographic. Because of this, Roshini became part of the National Geographic Society's Emerging Explorers Program in 2007. She also received a special grant of $10,000 to help with her projects.

Women at the Forefront

A lot of Roshini's work looks at the lives of women. She focuses on women who live in places that have recently had wars. These places include Iraq, Liberia, Lebanon, and Afghanistan.

In 2005, Roshini started a project called Women at the Forefront. This project uses different types of media to show how war affects women. Roshini spent 14 months in Iraqi neighborhoods working on this project. Her goal was to raise money and awareness for women in war zones. She also wanted to help support schools once the fighting stopped.

Roshini's time living in Iraq for 14 months really inspired her. She saw how women bravely dealt with the tough conditions of war. Her project plans to feature stories from Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and possibly Liberia.

What Was Promised

Roshini's documentary film, What Was Promised, came out in 2008. This film focused on a plan led by the United States. The plan was to help Iraqi women join the Iraqi Security Forces. The film was first shown at the National Geographic All Roads Film Project.

Roshini has said that writer Elie Wiesel inspired her when she was younger.

Helping Others

Roshini Thinakaran started a non-profit organization called Bridge the Gap Media. A non-profit is a group that works to help people, not to make money. This organization helps with education in areas that are affected by war.

Bridge the Gap Media helps women in war zones study abroad. They do this by getting scholarships for them. The organization also provides resources to elementary schools. These are schools that have recently been through war or are just coming out of it.

Films by Roshini Thinakaran

• Women at the Forefront (2005)
• What Was Promised (2008)
• Journey OnEarth (film series, 2011)