Room to Read Blog

With Newfound Confidence and Her Family’s Support, Ngoc Gioi Finds Her Own Path to Success

Beneath her friendly demeanor and dimpled smile, sixteen-year-old Ngoc Gioi is all business—a dedicated student who starts her days at 4:00am.

The youngest of four children, Ngoc Gioi says she is lucky. Despite financial hardship, her parents always stress the value of education, and do everything they can to help their daughter stay in school. Her older sister, also a bright student, was forced to drop out after the fifth grade to take care of the three younger children, and is determined to ensure her sister does not suffer the same fate. “My brother is supportive, too,” says Ngoc Gioi. “He helps with my studies, and often gives me pocket money from his earnings.”

That small bit of extra money comes in handy for Ngoc Gioi, who lives alone in a small rented room close to school. Thu Khoa Thua High School is more than 40 kilometers from her parents’ home, a trip that would be far too difficult and dangerous for the teenager to make daily. Living on her own, says Ngoc Gioi, is difficult, but she has developed a routine that helps her manage.

At 4:00am, Ngoc Gioi starts her day with a light breakfast and some last-minute studying before school starts at 7:00. She attends classes from 7:00am to 5:00pm, except for a short lunch break that she uses to do grocery shopping and prepare her lunch and dinner for the day. After school, Ngoc Gioi goes to tutoring until 8:00pm. Although she has been comfortably ranked at the top of her class throughout secondary school, she knows that good grades are key in helping her achieve her dream of becoming a teacher, so she never misses a session.

After finishing her homework and chores, Ngoc Gioi ends her days with a little relaxation, listening to music on a second-hand mobile phone her dad purchased for her as a gift.

The support Ngoc Gioi receives through the Girls’ Education program has helped her remain focused on her schoolwork “I used to be burdened by guilt—watching my parents struggle and sacrifice so much just to keep me in school,” she says. “Now that guilt is washed off and I can study in peace.”

In addition to easing her family’s financial burden, the program has developed Ngoc Gioi’s confidence. “I find the life skill training and camps very empowering,” she says with a smile. “I have learned to be more confident and how to articulate myself well. “

The skills she has gained will serve Ngoc Gioi well as a teacher, but that’s not the only goal she’s set for herself. “I would like to help other girls by passing on some of the skills that I learned through the Girls’ Education Program and to see the world outside of my village,” she says of her future plans. “I think my first stop would be France, to see the Eiffel tower and French fashion!"

Learn more about our Girls Education program. 

Guest Blog from our Country Director: National Hero Pays Visit to Room to Read Libraries in Bangladesh

This is a guest post from Zaki Hasan, country director for Room to Read Bangladesh.

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The ability to unite an entire country in joy or sorrow is a difficult responsibility to live with. Mushfiqur Rahim (Mushfiq) feels the burden of this responsibility everyday as captain of the Bangladesh national cricket team. He is the heart of an entire nation, and the captain knows how much his views and actions matter to his fellow countrymen.

Last week, the power of his presence was indisputable, with hundreds of children and adults holding their breath in silence as the captain addressed the crowd at Rupa Government Primary School in Brahmanbaria.

The occasion was a 'Read-Play' festival, organized by Room to Read and the International Cricket Council, who funded the school’s libraries.

Mushfiq, in the midst of a hectic schedule, travelled four hours to this remote community to encourage children’s reading habits. Mushfiq started his speech with the story of his own long and tiring drive to the school, saying that his fatigue instantly disappeared when he saw such a lovely event. Both academics and sport, he said, play crucial roles in children's development.

Mushfiq highly appreciated the day’s activities, which linked the children’s excitement at playing outdoors with reading-based games. He then took active part in a reading game with children called 'Read & Run'.

After inaugurating a bookshelf in one the school’s libraries, he read a rhyme from one of our original local-language books. The excitement continued as Mushfiq gifted a cricket bat to the school and then batted and bowled with the students.

Perhaps the highlight of the day was when the school’s six “Book Captains” from grades 3-5 lined up beside the national hero. As the designation for students chosen to help manage library resources the title of “Book Captain” carries with it great responsibility and excitement.

We would have never imagined that the primary school Book Captains at Rupa Government Primary school would receive their Captain Caps from the captain of the national cricket team himself! Even the secondary school children were impressed. "I wish I could go back to primary school and become a book captain," commented one.

After the event, Captain Mushfiq headed for Dhaka to prepare for the Asia Cup cricket tournament. Whether he will ever return to this remote school in Brahmanbaria is an open question, but the impact that his visit has made on the minds of the hundreds of students and community members who were present that day is unquestionable. 

 Learn more about Room to Read's work in Bangladesh.

Students in Sri Lanka Make Headway by Taking Literacy Outside the Classroom

“When I was assigned to facilitate the pilot literacy programs in Wilgamuwa, I was little uneasy,” says Uppal Nandasiri, a senior teacher who has joined Room to Read’s Reading and Writing Instruction program in Sri Lanka as a field facilitator. “Literacy is a complex issue.”

When the program began, says Mr. Nandasiri, “less than 50 percent of children passed their O levels and about 22 percent failed in Sinhalese, which is their mother tongue.”

Reading and Writing Instruction in Sri Lanka began with a pilot group of 21 schools in Wilgamuwa. “The program made children think and use their imaginations,” says Mr. Nandasiri. “The previous curriculum was monotonous for young children who naturally have a short attention span.”

A short distance away, a group of primary school children sit very animatedly under the shade of a tree with their teacher, engrossed in the current lesson. One girl hops around like a rabbit using her fingers as ears. Another boy is down on all fours, roaring loudly. The rest of the class and the teacher split into laughter.

“We are acting out a lesson and each child is playing the part of an animal,” says the teacher, Sanjivini Jayathunga. With a giggle, eight-year-old Indica shares her part: “I am a puppy because I love dogs.” Her laughter, she says, was prompted by her “scene partner”, Raja, who forgot he was supposed to be a bear, roaring like a lion instead.

Sanjivini has been teaching for five years now and says the new methodology our program has taught her is much more engaging. “This is definitely is an easier way to get your students to learn and respond to the lesson.”

And it’s not just fun that makes the program worthwhile, she says. “Before we started this program, many of my students read with great difficulty...now almost every child here is an independent reader.” As if to prove her point, the teacher invites our team to call on any student in the class and have him or her read a passage. Sarath, an eager student whose hand went up immediately, does the honors.

He starts reading from a book called ‘Kuru Kuraga’ (Rumbling Tummy) his little finger tracing each word slowly.  The class is all ears and the teacher’s smile reflects her pride. As the story draws to a close, Sarath shares his view of the story’s moral, proving that his comprehension skills are on par with his reading.

“Standard school curriculums are usually a ‘one-fit-for-all’ module, and don’t take into consideration the difference in rural and urban schools” explains Mr. Nandasiri. “But this module is tuned to the needs of the children, and is supported by the storybooks, teaching aids and workbooks that are provided.”

Indica’s mother Sita, who has come to collect her from school, couldn’t agree more. “I am proud of Indica’s reading skills,” she says. “She is enjoying school like never before and I am very happy that the school is using methods that the children seem to enjoy.”

Learn more about our work in Sri Lanka.

Show and Tell: Students Sing for a Cause in California

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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Last Saturday, a passionate group of students from Milpitas, California put their talents to the test, hosting a live music performance to raise funds for Room to Read.  Dressed in traditional Indian attire, the group performed at Shirdi Sai Parivar Temple, and shared information about Room to Read's work in between songs. After just 2.5 hours, the students had raised nearly US$4,000!

Kim Vallejo, Room to Read's Community and Youth Outreach Associate, attended the event and brought back these photos of the students in action.

Learn more about our Students Helping Students program.

Guest Blog from Dr. Molly Teas: Celebrating Solutions that Work at the Women in the World Summit

The following is a guest post from Dr. Molly Maguire Teas, Senior Advisor for Education for the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of South & Central Asian Affairs.

I am writing today from the Women in the World Summit put on by Newsweek & The Daily Beast in New York City. The event has a special significance for me because one of the featured participants is a young Nepali woman named Suma Tharu. Suma is one of the 1,200 young female scholars that my Bureau has supported through our partnership with Room to Read.  10x10, a global action campaign and groundbreaking film, brought Suma to New York for the Women in the World Summit to share her story.

Suma was originally slated to sing a song she wrote on the last day of the event. But, after hearing Suma rehearse, Tina Brown, the Founder of the Women in the World Summit, decided to change the entire agenda and add Suma’s song to the opening of the event as well.

It was a fitting beginning. Suma sang about her life as a Nepali girl who was sold into indentured servitude by her own family. After six years of work, a non-governmental organization rescued her, and Room to Read provided her with a scholarship and the associated tutoring, mentoring and life skills training she needed to enroll in school and reclaim her right to a dignified life. While her song broke the collective hearts of the audience when she sang, “Mother, why did you give birth to a daughter? Did you want to see me suffer?”, her confidence, her clarity about how education has changed her life, and her commitment to make life better for other girls inspired us all.

Meeting Suma before the event began was a joy for me for many reasons. One reason was the simple fact that Suma not only survived her ordeal but is clearly thriving and loving her new life and identity as a “pardeko keti” or school girl. Those who have read my previous DipNote blogs on State.gov know that I began my career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal nearly thirty years ago. At that time, I worked as a science teacher in a remote mountain village school with no electricity, water or latrine. Suma reminded me of the tiny group of girls in my village who managed to stay in school all the way to sixth grade, and who, despite long treks to and from their homes and the almost total lack of books and materials, were so thrilled to be in school that they, like Suma today, positively glowed. It was that small group of girls what also inspired me to commit the rest of my professional life to improving schools and education for girls.

In a most befitting way, Secretary Clinton, in her closing remarks at the Summit, highlighted Suma and the support that State Department’s SCA Bureau provided in changing her life and the lives of many like her. The inspiring image of Suma interacting with the Secretary of State and Oscar-award-winning actress Meryl Streep back stage is a symbol of what is possible when girls and women are empowered. 

The State Department is clearly committed to ensuring that girls’ education programs like Room to Read’s are expanded, and we are shining a spotlight on stories like Suma’s, so that others will witness the power of education and be motivated to support proven solutions that are advancing education for girls around the world.

Learn more about Suma's story and how you can help girls like her across Asia and Africa at www.roomtoread.org/meetsuma

Guest Blog from CEO Erin Ganju: A Call for Advocacy on International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on March 8, not only provides an opportunity for all women to celebrate the progress we have made, but also a moment to stop and reflect on how we may ensure that the next generation of women are empowered to reach their full potential.

Despite the substantial advancements in many countries, some very sobering statistics remain. Of the 793 million illiterate people in the world, two-thirds are female. And although there has been a worldwide increase in the enrollment of girls in primary schools, there remains a substantial gender gap at the secondary level. This is particularly true in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, where—according to a World Development Report—there were only 66 female tertiary students for every 100 male students.

It is widely known that educating girls is one of the most powerful and effective ways to address global poverty, but the barriers to education facing girls in the developing world go far beyond simple economics. Girls are often tapped to help in the home, including several hours of housework and sibling care before and after school, and parents may be reluctant to allow their daughters to trek the lengthy distances to school. Cultural bias only compounds these issues.

One of the most powerful ways to support girls to overcome these barriers is by acting as advocates. At Room to Read, our advocacy efforts include enlisting family support, engaging with governments and communities, and providing life skills workshops for girls. We also employ social mobilizers, women who serve as role models and counselors, and help girls navigate their individual journeys.

The power of advocacy is clear in stories like that of Suma Tharu, one of our Girls' Education scholars who was invited to perform at this week's Women in the World Summit, hosted by The Daily Beast and Newsweek in New York City. Such an invitation would no doubt have been unimaginable to Suma as a young girl trapped as an indentured servant in Nepal’s illegal Kamlari system, but today she stands as a thriving example of what a quality education and a lot of determination can yield. At 19, Suma is expected to complete secondary school in March 2014, and has plans to become an advocate herself.

Despite all the challenges that Suma has faced, her thoughts are focused on the needs of other girls. At this week’s summit, Suma will share with the world a song she wrote about the challenges faced by girls in the Kamlari system—giving a voice to a community whose struggles are often overlooked. We first heard Suma's song when she shared it with the producers of 10x10, a feature film and social action campaign aimed at highlighting the stories of 10 girls from 10 countries as they struggle to earn an education. When she returns to Nepal, Suma plans to become a health teacher, so that she may educate and empower other young girls.

The need for advocacy is not limited to girls and women in developing countries.  In 1950, only one-third of working-age women in America had a paid job, a figure that has now been doubled. Despite this incredible advancement however, women still represent less than 15 percent of corporate executives and board members at top companies. More alarmingly, only three percent of Fortune 500 CEOs are women.

Although there are undoubtedly numerous contributory factors inherent in such inequalities, a recent study revealed that one of the key issues for women as they seek to advance in business is a lack of senior executives who would advocate for them; someone who could help navigate the internal politics in companies. Men were much more likely to have such an advocate to help guide and facilitate their advancement.

So on International Women’s Day, let us all look toward ways to advocate for girls and women—those in our personal lives, professional networks or in the world at large. Perhaps Suma’s courage can guide and inspire us, an extraordinary example that no matter what challenges we may be faced with, there may still be room in our lives to advocate for another.

Watch the live stream of Suma's performance in New York today at 6:30 PM EST or Saturday, March 10 at 11:00 AM EST, and find out how you can support girls like her across the developing world on our website.

This blog post was adapted from International Women's Day: Advancing the Next Generation of Gals, originally published by the Huffington Post on March 8, 2012.

From Nepal to New York City: Suma's Story

“I am happy when I am at school,” says Suma Tharu.

Outside of the tenth grade classroom where she spends most days, Suma seems the picture of a thriving young woman, but her story is one of extraordinary struggle. The only girl of four children born to illiterate parents in Nepal’s Bardiya district, Suma was contracted into indentured servitude at only six years old and sent to work in another family’s home.

Suma endured six years of labor and abuse in three different homes, trapped with thousands of other young girls in Nepal’s Kamlari system. When she returned home at the age of 12, she was unable to communicate even with her family. Sent away at such a young age, Suma had forgotten how to speak her own native language. 

Despite her late start and difficult childhood, Suma was determined to get an education. In 2008 she was accepted into our Girls’ Education program, and joined the seventh grade at the age of 16 with the help of some remedial education classes. In addition to material support, Suma was introduced to a social mobilizer (mentor) and invited to attend life skills training to help her transition back into mainstream society.

The life skills training also helped Suma develop the confidence she needed to stand up for herself. “I said to my mother: you gave birth to your sons and you gave birth to me, why discriminate? We are equals and I deserve the same opportunities.” Slowly, she says, her parents’ attitudes and behavior have begun to change.

Now 19, Suma is on track to graduate from secondary school in the spring of 2014 and has set her sights on a career as a health educator so that she can help empower more girls in her community.

Along with Suma, 655 other ex-Kamlari girls are currently enrolled in our Girls’ Education program in Bardiya. Working in partnership with Nepalese Youth Opportunity Foundation/Friends of Needy Children, who rescue Kamlari girls from bonded labor, Room to Read seeks to help eradicate the now illegal, but still widely culturally-accepted practice.

As part of her healing process, Suma wrote a song about her struggle to pursue an education, and has been invited to perform it—and share her story—at the Women in the World 2012 Summit hosted by Newsweek and The Daily Beast in New York City. 

Watch the live stream of her performances Thursday, March 8 at 6:30pm EST and Saturday, March 10 at 11:30am EST. Her story will also be featured in the groundbreaking 10x10 film, which tells the stories of 10 extraordinary girls from 10 countries who have overcome significant challenges in their quest to complete their education.

Floating Library Boosts Literacy in Remote Cambodian Villages

 For the water-dwelling communities of the Tonle Sap Lake in central Cambodia, commuting to school can be quite a challenge. With houses that float on the river’s ever-fluctuating surface and a population that is sustained almost entirely by fishing in the surrounding waters, there are a lot of barriers to education. School is separated from the students’ homes by a two-kilometer boat ride, so each child must learn to swim before making the daily trip to Phat Sanday Primary School.

The school rests on floating docks, and serves 358 students from three villages. Due to its relative inaccessibility, the schools in this area have largely been ignored by development efforts, but in 2009, Room to Read established a library at Phat Sanday Primary—adding more than a thousand books to the shelves and committing three years of training for the school’s staff.

“The library is my world now,” beams ten-year-old So Kim Suo. “I always come here when I have free time.”

The school's staff has noted a marked change in the students since the library opened, as well. “The school grounds used to be very quiet,” says librarian Chhun Nhork. “Now, with the new library, the sound of students reading aloud is enough to compete with the boats that roar through this area.”

The school’s principal, Heng Peng Eang, agrees. “Before, it was hard to teach because we were completely dependent on only the one textbook from the ministry of education,” he recalls. “Now, we can use different books to guide the teaching and learning process.”

Before the addition of the library, he remembers many students in the upper grades who were still unable to read at the appropriate level—a fact only exacerbated by the half-day schedule the school uses to avoid overcrowding its facilities. “Now,” he says, “they can read confidently.” 

Learn more about our programs in Cambodia.