Kids today. Why, when I was Tara Suri's age, I was…well, doing not a whole hell of a lot, actually, compared to what she's accomplished.
When she was 13 years old, Tara went to India with her family. She was profoundly saddened by the poverty she observed, and wanted to do something to help the orphaned children she saw there and the Sudan.
"It was somewhat of a revelation for me," Tara, now 16, told CNN. "It was the first time I recognized the economic disparities and the gender inequalities that were there. And that really touched me and I knew I had to do something about it."
So she began HOPE, for Helping Orphans Pursue Education, which helps kids with housing and other needs so they can go to school.
Since its founding three years ago, Tara has parlayed bake sales and recycling drives into two other charities, Turn Your World Around, which aims to link teens with grassroots projects, and Connect a Kid, which works to improve access to education in developing countries as well as an umbrella organization, Aandolan, which means "movement for change" in Hindi.
Tara's gotten all sorts of well-deserved accolades for her work including being named CosmoGirl! Of the Year 2007 and a "Very Best In Youth" by Nestle (is it wrong that I am irked that the Cosmo award included a makeover? Like, you're totally great and doing amazing things and all, but you'd better put on some eyeshadow, honey).
Damn world-changing, idealisitic kids, making it impossible for me to be cynical….
