Room to Read Blog

Show & Tell: Postcards from Vietnam's Mekong Delta

This post is part of the ongoing series, Show and Tell, where we bring you photos and stories collected by Room to Read team members on the road. 

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Today’s show and tell comes from Danielle Reichner, senior global program operations officer.  

Along with colleagues John Beaulieu (regional director for Asia) and Steve Wisman (director of international operations), Danielle had the chance to visit a Room to Read library in the Tieu Can District of Vietnam's Mekong Delta earlier this month. 

Danielle sent back these photos from her visit:

Learn more about our School Library program and our work in Vietnam.

Elephant Mobile Library Treats Young Readers in Laos to a Day They Will Never Forget

“Elephants are coming! Elephants are coming!” Hundreds of young voices shout in chorus, the excitement palpable. But these are not just any elephants—they are four-legged libraries!

In Laos, the Asian elephant has long been a national symbol. Since ancient times, the loveable giants have been extremely useful—from battlefields to agricultural fields—but now they’ve found a new home on the endangered species list.

In an effort to both increase public awareness of the elephants’ plight and support literacy in rural communities, Room to Read Laos teamed up with two other NGOs (Action with Lao Children and ElefantAsia) as well as the local government to implement the first ever Elephant Mobile Library.

The perfect mode of delivery for remote communities, the Elephant  Mobile Library has been an instant hit. Stocked with 640 Lao-language children’s books (many featuring elephants) and supplementary educational materials, the library’s maiden voyage included four primary schools that serve more than 1,000 students in the northern province of Xaybouly.

Today, the Elephant Mobile Library has made its way to one of those very schools, greeted by hundreds of young readers. As the elephants enter the school gates, scores of students line up dutifully—eager to get a closer look at their unusual guests. With bright eyes and wide smiles, the youngest students strain to wait their turns, bouncing up and down with excitement. Our team is surprised when none of the students seem afraid of the giant creatures, carefully approaching the elephants one-by-one, and accepting a book from the “librarians” seated atop them.

The day’s events continue with literacy games, songs, storytelling circles and comprehension exercises lead by the Room to Read team, all with a focus on elephant conservation and what individuals can do to help these creatures thrive. It’s clear from the laughter ringing through the air and enthusiastic participation that for these young readers, the Elephant Mobile Library is a welcomed addition to the curriculum.

Learn more about our School Library program and other innovative in-country partnerships.

Making the Most of a Second Chance in Nepal

“I want to lead a worthwhile life, and I know for sure that my education will take me places,” says 15-year-old Phulmati Tharu, but her future hasn’t always looked so bright.

At the age of eight, Phulmati was forced to leave the second grade, her family and everything else she’d ever known to enter a new life as an indentured servant for a family wealthier than hers in a village far away. She spent four long years as a Kamlari—an illegal but culturally accepted practice in some parts of Nepal by which parents enter a contract to have their daughters work as bonded laborers. As a servant in Nepalgunj for a family of five she was expected to work around the clock, leaving no time to attend school. “Those were indeed dark days,” she says.

Then, in 2008, Phulmati received some very good news. The local government and several nonprofits in the area were cracking down on indentured servitude and called back hundreds of girls working as Kamlari. “Coming back home after four arduous years of labor was a memorable moment,” says Phulmati of her return. “I recall walking down the lane to my house and seeing all of my family members who had gathered to welcome me back.”

After her rescue, Phulmati was accepted into Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program, and immediately began an intensive bridge course to help her catch up to grade level. She finished the bridge course, which normally takes 6-9 months to complete, in just four months—driven to use her second chance in school to create a better life for herself.

“One day when I was working as a Kamlari in Nepalgunj,” she recalls, “I had to do all the grocery shopping and felt ashamed that I couldn’t do simple addition.” She believed she had been shortchanged, but couldn’t be sure. “At that moment,” says Phulmati, ”I realized how important education was, and made up my mind that if I should ever go to school again, I would make the best of that opportunity.”

Now a seventh grader at Shree Prithivi Lower Secondary School, Phulmati has become a dedicated student and avid reader. “I was devoid of the company of the books for four years,” she says. “Our school now has a beautiful library with scores of books that have helped me a lot to progress in my studies.”

And that’s not all that has changed in her life. Phulmati says her family now supports her 100 percent in pursuing her education. Two years ago, when her school partnered with Room to Read’s School Construction program to add more classrooms, her brother was first in line to volunteer labor to the project.

“He dedicated most of his time to constructing the new building, even though he had other commitments,” she recalls. “He said that no sister of his belongs in a school without decent buildings.”

Learn more about our Girls’ Education and School Construction programs.

Dino's Story: Going the Extra Mile to Help Young Readers Succeed in Cambodia

“I work as teacher because I love children,” says Kea Dino, a bright 22-year-old from Kampong Thom, Cambodia.

Her enthusiasm for teaching is palpable immediately as is her dedication. In addition to working as a teacher and librarian at a local school, Dino is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Accounting at nearby Kampong Thom University.

Given all of her existing commitments, Dino knows that her decision to join Room to Read earlier this year as a field facilitator for the School Library program might come as a surprise to some. “I want to share my experiences and knowledge with other librarians,” she says of her newest endeavor.

Born one of three children to an illiterate mother and a father who works as a soldier, Dino knows first-hand the power of a good education. Despite her full schedule, she remains optimistic about her work, calling each of her jobs in its own way an “agent of country development”.

In her new role as field facilitator, Dino’s primary responsibility is to follow up with completed libraries that are under Room to Read’s three year period of support—providing both technical assistance and training to ensure the project’s long-term success. As an added bonus, the site visits provide an opportunity to see up-close the impact each library is having on students’ reading habits. “I am happy when I hear them telling stories and singing songs, and especially to see them able to read,” she says.

Before starting as a facilitator Dino had her share of doubts. “I was really enthusiastic to start the job, but worried about failing—thinking I might be unable to do the work well,” she recalls. “I was also concerned about my personal security traveling long distances to visit many schools in the area.”

As time went on, though, encouragement from her parents and extensive training from Room to Read gave Dino the confidence she needed, and “my fondness for children,” she says, “gave me courage.” She is now an extremely successful facilitator and relishes the opportunity to use her personal experience as a librarian to help the communities she works with.

“This is my dream—to help young children develop a habit of reading,” says Dino confidently, and it seems she’s already on her way to making that dream come true.

Learn more about our School Library program and our work in Cambodia.

Making Wishes Come True: A Message of Thanks

A noted American historian once said, “Education is essential to change, for education creates both new wants and the ability to satisfy them.”  We couldn’t agree more!

In addition to helping children become independent readers and lifelong learners, one of the greatest benefits of a quality education is its power to expand children’s minds to a world of possibilities they never knew existed. Thanks to your support, six million children across the developing world now have access to such educational opportunities, and for this we couldn’t thank you enough.

But you don’t have to take our word for it…we met up with some of the children we work with (and their parents) to hear what they wish for now that they are getting the education they’ll need to turn their dreams into reality.

So sit back, press play and get ready to meet some of the young people whose lives have been forever changed thanks to you. From all of us at Room to Read, thank you for helping make wishes come true.

 

And for those of you still busily engaged in holiday shopping, don’t forget about our Holiday Wish List! Each gift you make in someone’s honor comes with a customizable e-card, and thanks to a few longtime Room to Read supporters, your gift will be matched up to $700,000! Unwrap World Change this holiday season, and start the new year off right.

Learn more about our programs and where we work.

World AIDS Day 2011: A Special Message from Room to Read

Every year since 1988, World AIDS Day has been celebrated on December 1. It is a time to unite against a disease that has claimed millions of lives over the past three decades and look forward to a cure.

While nearly all of the countries where Room to Read works have been touched by the AIDS pandemic, two of them—South Africa and Zambia—have been hit particularly hard. Many of the children we work with have lost family and friends to the disease.

But today—on World AIDS Day—we bring you a message of hope. The truth is, all across the globe right now there are NGOs, governments, community organizations and private citizens fighting HIV and AIDS where it is most prevalent, and making an impact. As the global community anxiously awaits a cure to HIV/AIDS, it is important that we recognize and invest in the tools we have right now to turn the tide—tools like education.

Enjoy our video message and leave a comment to let us know what you'll be doing this year to commemorate World AIDS Day in your own way:

 

Learn more about our work in Zambia and South Africa.