I managed to make a quick trip back to the motherland, Bangladesh last month to visit family. It’s always a shock to the system to go back to where I come from and then zoom back into Washington life, but the perspective I gain is invaluable.
One of the best things I managed to do this time in Dhaka was meet the fantastic team behind the Maya Apa mobile app, the same program I wrote about in The New York Times.
On the eve of the company’s official launch with Bangladesh’s BRAC organization, I got to speak with the Maya staff about everything ranging from their personal security, what the media exposure has done for the app, and what they consider the most challenging aspect of working in a tech startup in Dhaka.
It was great to see in person one of my favorite aspects of Maya Village which is that though the service is designed to empower women with access to information about their health and rights, Maya Apa sees a significant amount of questions from young men as well.
I loved meeting the male members of the team behind the app which fortified my belief that the millennial generation has just as many feminist men as it does women.
In case you missed it, the article can be found here and you can learn more about Maya Apa here.