My Personal Story
by Jensine | March 25, 2009 at 3:29 PM
When I was a young girl, I would lie on my stomach on sun-warmed grass covering the hills of Southern Wisconsin and absorb stories. I was shy and preferred to run away from the ordinary chaos of our family’s old farmhouse into the ancient rolling fields. As long as I can remember, I have always wanted to “see” the truths of the human experience, even if it meant terrible pain. But the burning questions that would carry me to the last page were “What now?” “What is the way forward?”
As I grew older, my knowledge of the world’s suffering grew larger than my child’s imagination could ever hold. I knew, for example, that millions of people, especially girls, were born and die, beaten down in spirit and body, never knowing that they could dream. I wondered more urgently: “How can we ever heal?”
At the age of 18 I left home to work as a freelance journalist covering indigenous movements and ethnic cleansing in Southeast Asia. By 23, I was living and working in Thailand, near the Burma border as an undercover journalist, searching for clues to understanding one of the world's most enduring and heartbreaking tragedies. I already knew many of the tales I would hear—the agony these women, young and old, felt while fleeing grinding poverty, rape, and ethnic cleansing. At night, I tossed and turned knowing that many would end up like the tens of thousands of women and girls from Burma in underground brothel death traps.
I daydreamed of time-stopping the perpetrators—the troop movements frozen. I envisioned the women and girls stepping out from their dark lairs, tentatively poking their heads into the quiet streets, grasping hands, finally free. I saw them congregating, reuniting, embracing, talking, and crying, building small communities to heal and care for each other. I heard them eagerly discussing and creating blueprints for a society where the horrors they had faced would never again take place.
When I returned to the US, I longed to start a media company that would broadcast the voices of the women leaders and refugees I had met. Their voices endlessly pulsed in my mind. But I was terrified—my own voice somehow caught in my throat. It took me years to gather the courage and strength to step forward and find the help I needed to give this World Pulse life. I drew from my experiences as an international journalist witnessing the unsung Gandhis, Aung San Suu Kyis, and Martin Luther Kings moving forward in country after country, sometimes risking their lives to speak their truth. These are ordinary people like you and me, who simply said to themselves and others—"It's possible."
Today I am proud to bring you a media enterprise that illuminates the world around you. With coverage that transports you to the streets and villages of distant lands. Exposing us all to the human forces creating courageous solutions for our future and beckoning you to join us.
Comments
Reply
It takes a brave person. I know all of ours voices will come out. This ambition we will reach all together. The more we know, the more we can conquer what we face.
Thank you for sharing this post.
My inspiration
Jensine,
Your posts continue to inspire me and stir some of my dreams within me, and all I see are possibilities around me, things I have wanted to do, I can do but my voice, my energy is drowned by fear and uncertainty and what ifs. Thank you for being that voice that is currently confirming to me that it is doable if only I get it started.
Blessings,
Purity
wow!!!
wow, I would love to read more of your story.
You have spoken to the hearts of many young women including I with these few words, and with your achievements.
DREAMS
Jensine,
Your stoy has just confirmed my personal belief that everything that happens to us-all our childhood experiences and our backgrounds is for a purpose. God bless you for your courage and the disciliplines like dedication, commitment and hardwork to make this dream a reality and to give opportunity to the voices of people from different lands, streets and villages to be heard. Some of the us these people and from these different parts ofthe world, you may never meet or see. Some of the villages you may not be able to pronounce its names but your dream and vision will reach that village and people.
I salute you Jensine! In one of our local languages in Ghana we say "Ayeekoo"! meaning well done.
You have given me so much hope in believeing in my dream and working to realise. you are an inspiration to so many young woman including me whom you may or may never meet. Anyway, we will meet on line.
Keep the good work up!
Gifty Pearl Abenaab
Co-Founder
Greight Foundation
Accra-Ghana
Your life
Jensine,
I was just thinking if you could share with us what are challenges are now. what your life is. are you married? do you have any children? how do cope? etc
Gifty Pearl Abenaab
Co-Founder
Greight Foundation
Accra-Ghana
Jensine, Every entry I read
Jensine,
Every entry I read on the VOF forum ignites more passion and a sense of purpose in me. The way you bring your writing to life...well, let's just say, we need more journalists like you in our world. Journalists who don't just project words, but who instill awareness and incite action, who take others voices as seriously as they take their own, and who recognize that, regardless of education, creed, or race, every woman can be a messenger and a visionary.
You have given us a platform for greatness, and the story of how you have achieved this is a special one.
Thank you.
Jackie
I admired you, Jensine
Dear Jensine,
I admired you and inspired from you. Though you were a shy girl in your young age but today you are shaking the world. One small help and some a single situation will courage us to raise our voice. A girl who run away because of people is now gathering all the people to bring peace and equality. I really admired you.
Sunita
With Love and Regards
Sunita Basnet
Asian University for Women
Your daydreams
have turned into reality.Now i face everyday with hope and courage,knowing that dreams can turn to reality...mine are turning into reality too.
I have promised myself to do all i can to help others turn their dreams into reality too.
Cheers!
Leah.
Your Courage
I admire that you were able to act in the face of your fear. Kudos. Many thanks for founding world pulse. Its so great.
Okun O! (That means more power, strenght etc in my language)
Olakitike
Thank You.
Thank You Jensine,
For sharing your story and giving us the opportunity to share ours.
Thank you also for your courage, your inspiration, your vision, your example, for Pulsewire and for your fabulous magazine...
Blessings
Tina
Source of inspiration
Jensine, You have really touched many with this post. I am particularly reminded of how Woman Hope came into being. I had a vision of having a media that does Not classify women into the haves and have Nots, Thus thought of a Free magazine that will be read by all women across board. I am Not yet there but I trust God will guide me the rest of the long journey. Thanks so much for giving us a flatform where we are able to express our success and heartbreaks.
Lots of Love,
Consolata
It's possible
Jesine, your story inspire me and speak volumes. I do beleive that there is nothing impossible, with determination and
staying focused never looking behind ourselves with fear but to draw from our experiences, every thing is possible.
Together, with our fingers, in tears and Love we can be heard!!
Love you all
Ibiye
You are blessed for that step of faith
Jensine dear,
You took a step of faith and God would bless you for it because what that your step would achieve you yourself would marvel by the time we all raise our voices, the whole world would shake. I am encouraged by your story that i can do better.
Thanks
Love
Busayo
True inspiration
Hi Jensine,
Thank you for daring to dream and much more for listening to the inner voice....this has helped make the voice of many women be heard. A truly inspiration story!!!!!
possible pilot
Jensine,
You are amazing and every day I am seeing the great potential you have brought forth with pulsewire. I have recently connected with Nalubega who is looking to start a rural poultry project in Uganda. I was wondering if this might be a potential pilot project to work on with PW partner Global Giving. Just a thought.
Let me know if you need any help from me with the bay area fundraiser.
Love,
Genice
Genice Jacobs
Profluence
genice@profluence.net
Your personal story
Jensine:
Your story is moving and inspiring. It painted a picture for me of your experience as a young girl, as a international journalist and now has the force behind World Pulse. It also compelled me to explore what Burmese women are experiencing today and how that situation has changed. I am curious about why you were terrified when you came back to the states and how you overcame that emotion. What finally gave you the courage to start on this endeavor?
Keep up the great work.
Gemma
Stirring
I was stirred reading this piece Jensine! World Pulse=Pure Beauty
Amazing beginnings
Hie Jensine
Thank you for sharing the the humble beginnings of Pulsewire with us. It gives us all hope that there are lots of caring hearts out and that every little effort we put towards making the world a better place counts because it is out of those small efforts that big things like pulse wire are made. If you had not taken those first small steps towards realizing your dream they would only have remained dreams and nothing else. We are very proud of you and the great opportunities you have created for all of us as women through the Pulse wire idea. May it grow from strength to strength and may you never stop dreaming how best you can make the voices of the voiceless heard. By the way you are very good at drawing out the sounds "stuck in our throats".God Bless always!!!!!
Liba
"Its not by might nor by power, but by my spitrit , says the Lord"
Inspirational
Hi Jensine
Your story is really inspiring. Most of the people in "third-world" have this perception that people from the "first-world" dont care. All they want is the material pleasure, but you defy all those perceptions and it is amazing to know the kind of work you all are doing. It is beautiful to see how PulseWire and WorldPulse are bringing the change in the world of journalism. Women getting to share their story in their own words is a great initiative, and nothing can be better than this experience of sharing our stories with women from around the world, who have gone through the same path...
With love
Khushbu
Khushbu Agrawal