In an effort to improve the lives of impoverished Bangladeshis by providing them with a clean water supply, the recently-founded student organization Brighter Dawns, is amongst the groups competing for the $50,000 prize given by Dell Social Innovation to the group with the most votes.

“Many friends, mentors, told us to apply,” said Chief Inspirational Officer of Brighter Dawns Tasmiha Khan ’12, “It might be ambitious, but we thought ‘Why not? You have to start somewhere.’ Now we are in sixth place.”

It was Khan’s trip to Bangladesh as a sophomore that inspired the creation of Brighter Dawns. During the trip she observed the water situation in one of the largest of the Bandadeshi slums. However, she did not come up with the idea to create the organization just on her own.

“The organization did not materialize until I told my friends and colleagues, and since then, it has constantly been growing,” Khan said. “I’ve had people tell me to stop, but I felt that we had gotten so far in the process that there was no way to stop.”

Though stopping is not an option for the group, there is a question of what will happen to the group after two of the executive members graduate in 2012 and Chief Programming Officer Bonnie Quach-Wong ’11 graduates later this year.

“Our cause is pretty sensitive, timely, and complicated,” said Development Director of Brighter Dawns Jason Lee ’12. “We’ve had conversations about how long [the organization] will last. A fellow executive once said that she would rather have our organization be very successful and die off as opposed to having lots of commitments and plans for the future and not do exactly what it’s meant to do.”

Winning the $50,000 in the Dell competition would be the success the organization needs. The money would merely be a means by which the organization could get publicity for its cause and advance its mission statement. On a smaller scale, the group organized a gingerbread house competition to raise money and support last semester.

“The $50,000 that we may or may not win, it’s a stepping stone,” Lee said. “It is a large amount of money, but from a broader perspective, there are tons of donors out there who have tons of money and are looking for very good and genuine causes. If we don’t get it, it would have been a great experience.”

Should they win first place, Brighter Dawns would be the second University-affiliated group to win the prize money. In 2010 the Shining Hope for Communities led by Kennedy Odede ’12 received the $50,000 to go towards the Kibera School for Girls.

“With the Dell Social Innovation Grant, we will impact approximately over 33,000 people for a period of at least 10-15 years,” the group wrote in an e-mail to The Argus. “Currently, there are over 100,000 children dying yearly without access to clean, safe water in Bangladesh. With YOUR vote, you can support us in improving conditions for these people. After all, water is a necessity, not a luxury.”