TOWAMENCIN – The desire to have a global impact is a feeling shared by many students because today’s news outlets allow them to stay easily and frequently informed about the world around themselves. But the difference between these students and one North Penn sophomore, Palak Shah, is that Shah decided to act on her feelings. Instead of struggling with a way to put herself out into the world, Shah brought the rest of the world into North Penn with the implementation of the Girl Up Club.

After a visit to India two years ago, Shah was old enough to understand just how much poverty affected entire families. She witnessed mothers and children, fathers and grandparents, begging on street corners, forced to place their survival into the hands of kind passerby.

“I started to wonder what I could do about that,” Shah expressed, “because it shouldn’t matter where you’re born; everyone should have the right to education and the means for a good life. I wanted to do something to help out the people [in India], and I thought the Girl Up Club was a good way to do that.”

Despite how the name may come across, the Girl Up Club is not necessarily another Shakespeare Sisters. Rather, the club is a satellite addition of the Girl Up program, which is sponsored by the United Nations. Shah plans to use the club here at North Penn as a way to involve not only the students but also the community as a whole.

“I want to help girls and teenagers become more aware of the situations that happen [to women] in underdeveloped countries, so we try to get people to come together, raise money, and increase awareness. The club itself is more for the local community, but we raise money for the national and international organization.”

India, Guatemala, and other countries in Africa are just some of the main areas for aid that have been targeted by the Girl Up program. Because they are primarily a fundraising and advocacy group, anyone can join should they feel the inclination to help out those in need, regardless of political views or gender.

“We are looking for people who are passionate and have good ideas,” explained Shah. “It’s one thing to join the club just because of its global name, but the people who care the most will have the most impact, which is what the club is all about.”

Meetings take place every other Friday in club supervisor Ms. Brittany Atkiss’s room, B121. So far the club has only met three times, which means there is still plenty of time for new members to jump right in, as the club is still fairly new itself.

In regards to what happens during club meetings, Shah emphasized how much the club strives to get involved globally. “We usually start with any new fundraising ideas, and what we plan to do with those in the future. Then we talk about current events that affect the Girl Up community as well as girls in underdeveloped countries.”

“Because I’m one person,” Shah concluded, “I may not have a big impact, but if I work with other people and other people around the world, then together we can have a much bigger impact.”