Lift Up Mankind

Mafraj Radio Episode 14: an accidental war correspondent, and two Yemeni-Americans making a difference

On this episode, we speak with journalist Laura Kasinof about her forthcoming memoir, which details her experiences covering Yemen's 2011 revolution for the New York Times. We also meet Rawan al-Halali and Jenna Zabarah, two young Yemeni-Americans who are working to make a difference in Yemen and beyond through their new organization, Lift Up Mankind.

Laura Kasinof began filing stories from Yemen as a freelance reporter in 2009. During 2011 she covered Yemen's popular uprising for the New York Times and other publications. She was also part of our panel of foreign journalists on episode 4 of the podcast. She tweets at @kasinof.

Laura's memoir, Don't Be Afraid of the Bullets: An Accidental War Correspondent in Yemen, is available in stores on November 11. You can pre-order the book from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Laura says that anyone in Yemen who wants a copy of the book can contact her; send us an email and we'll pass it along.

Rawan al-Halali is the founder of Lift Up Mankind, and a student at George Mason University.

Jenna Zabarah is a recent graduate of George Mason University, and a founding member of Lift Up Mankind. She is also a photographer; her work was featured in our 2014 International Yemeni Film & Arts Festival. She tweets at @notaphotographr. You can see more of her photos on her blog.