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Raja Bobbili
“Amidst hunger, disease and utter helplessness, I discovered my passion to change their lives.”
- Program: 2008 Graduate Scholarship Recipient
- Hometown: Lusaka, Zambia
- Four-year College or University: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Graduate School: Harvard University
Biography
PROFILE: Eight years ago, Raja Bobbili was living the comfortable life of an expatriate in Zambia when his family underwent a sudden and massive financial crisis. Suddenly, his family was evicted from its luxurious mansion; soon thereafter, Raja was involved in a horrendous car accident that depleted all of the family’s remaining financial resources. For Raja, this was the beginning of a two-year journey into the darkest corners of Zambian life. “My eyes opened to the suffering that I had so easily overlooked during my years in the enclosed walls of my expatriate bungalow.” His goal since then has been to help alleviate poverty and suffering in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Home-schooled after his family’s financial upheaval, Raja skipped more than four years of school, showing tremendous academic aptitude and determination. He went on to major in electrical engineering, computer science and economics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he founded a nonprofit organization to bring sustainable technological solutions to communities in Africa.
INSPIRATION: Raja has been greatly influenced by the example of Paul Kagame, the President of Rwanda, who in the 15 years since the genocide in his country has focused on lifting Rwanda from its bloody past, becoming one of the most progressive presidents Africa has ever seen.
ASPIRATION: After completing the J.D./M.B.A. program at Harvard University, Raja will work to advance development in Sub-Saharan Africa through sustainable technology. He plans to complement his development efforts by working in the legislative arena to advocate for more effective legal entitlements. Ultimately, he intends to pursue appointed or elected office in the Zambian government.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Raja has organized community service programs and founded an anti-AIDS club in Zambia. Through the nonprofit he established while at MIT, Raja created partnerships with 120 students and faculty from MIT and other American universities and eight African countries to develop sustainable technological solutions.
ACCOLADES: Raja won the Karl Taylor Compton Prize, MIT’s highest public service honor for students, in his junior year – a rare accomplishment. His other honors include MIT’s Undergraduate Leadership Award, MIT Federal Credit Union “People Helping People” Award, the Laya Wiesner Community Award, MIT Experimental Study Group’s Todd Anderson Teaching Award, MIT Legacy Award and the MIT Public Service Center Fellowship. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Tau Beta Pi.
INTERESTING FACT: Raja played tennis at the national level in Zambia when he was 12.
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