Room to Read Blog

Through Story and Song: A Student and Her Ukulele Make a Universal Connection in India

Ellen Blanchard, a junior at Kenyon College in Ohio, spent a semester abroad in India participating in an internship program. She discovered how connected the world can be, especially if you happen to have a ukulele in hand.

* * *

Have ukulele, will travel. This seemingly frivolous carry-on to India was the most important tool to have with me during my field experience at a local NGO in the state of Rajasthan in India. I chose to do my internship with the Urmul Marusthali Bunkar Vikas Samiti, a weaving cooperative and sponsor of various Indian development programs, including Room to Read. I had heard all about the Room to Read organization this summer from my mentor. It was so exciting to see the local work Room to Read does and to meet all the librarians from Urmul.

After staying in Phalodi at the Urmul foundation office, I moved to the village of Bhojesar and lived with a family for sixteen days. Coincidentally, one of my host brothers, Hukuma Ramji, was one of the librarians I had previously met in Phalodi! I was excited to have the opportunity to go with him to the schools in the neighboring villages and see the Room to Read libraries. The libraries were the biggest and most vibrant rooms in the school building—the walls covered in posters and shelves filled with books. At my visit to a school in Moriya, I brought along my ukulele and played my first concert in a Room to Read library. After my performance, the students shared poems and songs with me. Then everybody went outside to play a Hindi version of “Duck, Duck, Goose.” Hukama Ramji facilitated the game and I got to join in and play!

The ukulele was a big hit in Rajasthan. During my visit to a school in the village of Khitchan, which coincided with the official opening of their Room to Read library, I was the special guest from America with a ridiculous little instrument that wasn’t a familiar tandura (a local 5-stringed instrument). I practiced saying “ukulele” with the students after writing the Hindi pronunciation on the board. Then it was time for my second Room to Read library concert and my largest audience ever!

The students wanted me to read to them, but since I couldn’t read their local language, and they couldn’t understand my English, I resorted to using the illustrations and some silly character voices to entertain a very captive audience. After that, it was Library Time! In small groups, the students returned last week’s books and perused the shelves to pick new ones. They had to present their choice to Hukama Ramji, identify the book title and number and then sign their name on the book register. Every step of this process is an agent for empowerment: individual freedom to pick a book, the ability to sign their name, teaching responsibility and accountability and all the while interacting with a superb library teacher.

I took my ukulele on my semester abroad and had no idea the impact it would have on my interning experience. I only spent a short time in Room to Read libraries and I can’t stop thinking about what other new things the students are discovering in their libraries.

Learn more about our Reading Room program and our work in India by visiting our website.

Library Supplies Hit the Road: Zambia Team's Creative Transport Solutions

At Room to Read, our entire staff subscribes to a roll-up-your-sleeves work ethic that we refer to as “GSD” (Get Stuff Done). Because many of our programs exist in very remote areas, even the most basic tasks, such as delivering furniture and books, become incredibly challenging. In order to get stuff done, our country teams often have to be creative and innovative in their implementation approach. Arnold Mumena, Reading Room Program Officer in Zambia, shares some of the creative transport solutions he devised in order to ensure the children in Zambia have well-stocked libraries.

* * *

As a former teacher for almost 18 years, I was very excited to be hired as one of Room to Read Zambia’s first employees in 2007 because I firmly believe that access to education is critical for all children. However, the cost of doing business in Zambia is very high, which means our library program expenses can be costly, including the transportation of our supplies. Though most Room to Read offices can rely on community partnerships, in Zambia, we generally use the direct implementation approach and, except for limited help from the government, we do it all ourselves.

In 2010, we expanded into Kafue, a district south of Lusaka. The district is vast—almost 500 km, butting to the east with the Republic of Zimbabwe and to the west with Zambia’s central province. The eastern part is hilly with mountainous features such as the Zambezi escarpment and Munali hills, creating scenic beauty but also pushing the costs of road construction and maintenance very high. To get to our projects in the east, one has to first travel along the bumpy hill roads, then cross the Kafue River by river pontoon and drive through a wild animal park before finally reaching the schools where our libraries are situated.

After surveying more than 50 schools in the area, I decided that in order for the Reading Room program to succeed—especially in the remote lower Zambezi area—our team needed to get creative, which meant it was time to involve partners! I organized meetings to introduce the Reading Room program to the local community and invited many people, including the staff from ZAMBEEF. ZAMBEEF is an international food production company in Zambia and West Africa. They have vast estates where they grow soy beans and corn and also have many cattle ranches all over Zambia.

Their engineering manager, Mr. Banda, attended one of our meetings and was so excited about the library program, he offered to help. ZAMBEEF trucks come to Lusaka fully loaded, but then generally head back out to the provinces empty. Why not fill the empty trucks with library furniture to distribute to our new libraries?

In September, the first batch of furniture was ready for dispatch. I called Mr. Banda and asked if they could help with transporting the furniture. He didn’t hesitate and immediately asked for quantities, location of our office and when the trucks could come. The next day, a huge truck pulled up in front of our office, so I gathered as many people as I could to load the truck with tables, chairs, bookshelves and boxes and boxes of books. ZAMBEEF delivered the furniture to all schools, traveling over hills, across the river and through the wild animal area without any breakage. They even paid the pontoon fees!

We received a larger, second batch of furniture in October. The rains were threatening, and we had no storage space, so we had to get the furniture to the schools before the rains wreaked havoc. I decided to make a trip to the Zambia army headquarters and request transport assistance. Major Chipili called back the next day and committed to send a truck the following week. As promised, a military truck with a group of soldiers pulled up to our office—coincidentally, two were librarians from the base—and soon the truck was loaded with furniture and on its way to make deliveries to several schools. They even returned to our office for a second load!

While great progress had been made, there was still furniture to be delivered. Next, I called the Zambia police, who responded by making a delivery to a school. Then I thought of the schools themselves and contacted the head teachers, some of whom worked with the PTA and community, to pay for a truck to deliver the furniture and books for the children anxiously awaiting access to their new library.

Looking back, our team not only saved on transport costs and prevented our furniture from getting ruined by the rains, we also learned an important lesson about asking for help—from local business, the military and the schools themselves. Partnerships make us more effective in our work and connect us to our community. The Zambia team will continue to walk on the partnership path.

Learn more about our programs in Zambia on our website.

Trek to India: Chapter Leader Trip Brings Renewed Commitment to Education

Room to Read boasts a network of over 40 volunteer chapters, groups of individuals who raise funds for and awareness of Room to Read around the globe. In 2010, the chapters raised approximately 30% of Room to Read’s total operating budget. Last December, several chapter leaders joined in the inaugural Chapter Leader Trek to Rajasthan, India. Sherrie Nguyen, co-leader for the Austin Chapter in Texas, shares her impressions and experiences of meeting some of the girls participating in Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program in India.

***

We marched onto the school grounds to the beat of a drum and trumpet. There we were adorned with garlands of flowers, newspaper hats made by the students and marks on our foreheads. The entire village had come to watch, as if we were stars on the red carpet.

It wasn’t until we stepped into the classroom and were met by a resounding “Namaste” that I came floating back to reality. As we took turns introducing ourselves, I told the girls that I like to surf, which was loosely translated as “playing in the water.” I later realized we were the first foreigners these girls had ever seen, and how vastly different our worlds must seem.

When I interacted with the scholars in a small group, I learned that each wanted to be either a teacher or policewoman when she grew up. Curious, I asked why and got an insightful and direct response from one of the girls: "Because they can affect change." In this tiny village where most people make a living in agriculture, policemen and teachers are seen as authority figures with reputable careers. In this particular school, the headmaster and teachers are all male. I was stunned that, in a world where most girls never advance past 8th grade, each girl here had hope in her eyes and the aspiration to break the status quo.

I asked to learn a Hindi word, and was taught “home” and “work." Just by this casual interaction, it was evident that family is central to the lives of people in this village, and even a 10-year-old girl has to work incredibly hard to help out. For one girl, this meant waking up early every morning to fetch water from the well. When it came time to go to school, her parents would tell her to just stay home and finish her chores. She would beg to leave, sometimes just running to school to seek refuge; she was that determined to continue her education, with or without their support.

Despite the factors against them, these girls are determined to improve their circumstances, and Room to Read has helped tremendously. We played a life skills game with an older age group, covering everything from how AIDS is contracted, to the effects of puberty, to how to be an effective communicator. These were very progressive and sensitive subjects, but the girls’ confidence shone. When asked if they wanted to finish secondary school, every single head nodded "yes" with enthusiasm.

As a chapter leader, I felt blessed and humbled by the Chapter Leader Trek—not only by seeing our work, but seeing how these girls fight daily for things we take for granted. Attending this trip reaffirmed my desire to make a difference in the world, and after seeing the success of Room to Read’s work with my own eyes, I’m confident we’re doing just that. I was awestruck by the children’s zest for learning, undeniable courage, and perseverance to gain an education; I will share their story for years to come. Although we were treated as honored guests and thanked profusely by the community for our efforts, the true stars of the village were right there all along.

Take a quick journey to Rajasthan by viewing Sherrie's slideshow.

Interested in joining a Room to Read Chapter or attending a fundraising event? Visit our website for more information.

 

Visit Zak the Yak in His New Digital Home!

He’s hairy and hoofed
And trapped in a book,
But our friend Zak’s new home
Is on the web; take a look!

With color sheets and mazes
And tongue twisters galore,
Zak’s new site will inspire
Your little ones to do more

Like learn about our work
Or start their own page
Or maybe take Yak-tion since
Giving back’s all the rage

Zak’s online debut is really quite fun,
So hoof on over and enjoy
“For the sooner you start,
Then the sooner you’re done!”

Please give Zak a nice housewarming gift and visit him in his new online home!

Special thanks goes out to the Atlassian Foundation for their site design.

I Cried, Twice: Guest Blog from Bangladesh

Home to 3.5 million of Bangladesh’s poorest, the "char" is a remote region of river islands subject to constant threat of flood. In collaboration with our NGO partner, SHARP, Room to Read has launched operations in this region and now reaches 234 girls through our Girls’ Education program. This firsthand account is written by Mala Saha, a contractor from SHARP, who works closely with several of the girls and has developed strong relationships with them and their ever-challenged community.

***

The first time I cried for the girls living in the char was just after the flooding. I have been working with Room to Read's Girls' Education program for more than a year, and the 39 girls with whom I work have become part of my life and dreams. Two weeks prior, when I met them for our regular weekly education session, some of the girls were extremely upset. The mighty river Jamuna was taking a cruel shape and quickly eroding the riverbanks.The girls were worried about their homes. They had heard from their parents about their families’ past displacements and miseries caused by the loss of home and land to the river, but most of the girls have not had firsthand experience in their 10 – 12 years of life.

The older residents of the area recognized the signs all too well, for almost every decade, they are forced to relocate their families after the ravenous river engulfs and demolishes their homes of tin and bamboo. This time, ten girls from our Girls’ Education program were victims of the river, forced to find more stable ground and build their homes anew.

On my way to the sandbar island upon which the girls and their families had taken shelter, I saw families aboard boats laden with building supplies, once their homes, desperate to find a new safe location.  As I reached the island, one of the girls saw me and ran into the village to gather the other girls. When I entered their new neighborhood, families were busy building their homes. Only one building was complete -– the tin shed in which we held our weekly education sessions!

The parents had determined that their daughters’ education was more of a priority than their own homes. They had lost their homes, but not their dream of getting educated. I couldn’t utter a single word, as once again I was crying -– but this time for joy!

Read more about Room to Read's Girls' Education program and work in Bangladesh on our website.