Room to Read Blog

Guest Blog from John Wood: Kicking off the 2011 Clinton Global Initiative

The excitement is palpable as the world descends upon New York for today’s opening of the 2011 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI). I’ve been lucky enough to attend CGI on behalf of Room to Read for the past five years, and now sit on CGI’s Advisory Board. Every year I’m in awe of how the forum has turned into a catalyst for game-changing partnership and collaboration in the field of international development. Each year, I leave with new connections and new ideas that we have been able to implement to make a difference for millions of children across the developing world.

This year’s CGI will be no different. Room to Read will unveil an innovative report, the inspiration for which was born at a meeting convened by CGI last spring. At the meeting, Cory Heyman, our chief program officer, met with representatives from FHI 360 and Amenons Nos Filles á l’Ecole (ANFE), two other nonprofits working in the field of girls’ education. Despite the multitude of organizations around the world dedicated to girls’ education, they noted, there has been very little research dedicated to identifying the factors that contribute to girls’ success in reaching higher education.

Together they questioned: If we know that gender bias, safety concerns, early marriage, pregnancy and financial disadvantage are major roadblocks to tertiary education, then what are the success factors that can help girls in the developing world overcome them? In other words—let’s not focus on the barriers, let’s learn about the real-world solutions that actually work.

As the idea for a study identifying such factors began to take shape, The MasterCard Foundation, with whom we first connected at CGI 2010, stepped in to provide guidance and financial support—kicking off six months of rigorous research.

The fact is, even under the most challenging conditions, there are young women across the developing world charting new territory and taking the bold step of seeking higher education. We wanted to hear from them—in their own words—about the factors that were positively contributing to their success.

Our team conducted in-person interviews with 160 of these trailblazing young women in Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, India and Mauritania, and found that despite political, cultural, and economic differences between their communities, the girls identified very similar success factors as being instrumental in their ability to reach university.

The young women we met shared personal stories that illuminated their common attributes of determination and courage. Many cited the encouragement of their families, teachers and communities as being paramount to their success, coupled with the material and emotional support they'd received from nonprofit organizations.

For Room to Read, these findings will help shape our Girls’ Education program curriculum, which we’ve built out over the years to go beyond financial support and to include extensive life skills training and mentoring as well as family and community engagement.

By releasing the final report at this year’s CGI Annual Meeting, we hope that these girls’ voices can reach across borders and help shape best practices in the field of girls’ education for years to come.

Read the complete report, Through Their Eyes, In Their Voices: Young women in five countries share their experiences navigating tertiary education, on our website.

Tune in tomorrow at 3:20pm EST to watch John Wood answer your questions live from CGI in an interview with Randi Zuckerberg broadcast on Facebook.

Room to Read Sends Message of Hope to Japan

Dear Friends,

On behalf of Room to Read's Board of Directors, and our worldwide staff and volunteers, we want to express our deepest, heartfelt sympathies to all those affected by the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The images of sorrow and destruction, coupled with the ongoing problems at multiple nuclear power plants, are both tragic and frightening. During these difficult times, please know that everyone at Room to Read is standing firmly behind the Japanese people who will undoubtedly rebuild their country with courage and determination. 

To support the humanitarian relief and reconstruction efforts, Room to Read will be making a donation from unrestricted funds to the Japanese Red Cross Society, which is now providing medical assistance at temporary centers housed in schools and public buildings. 

Room to Read was very involved in rebuilding the educational infrastructure in Sri Lanka following their tragedy in late 2004, and what most inspired us were the many families and communities who found ways to be resilient, and to eventually rebuild. Having traveled to Japan on many occasions, we both know that this same spirit and determination are key reasons why Japan is a great nation, and one of the world’s leading economies. We are confident that the country will, after a period of mourning, come together to aid and rebuild the communities that have been hit by this terrible tragedy.

As we gather this week for our annual Chapter Leadership Conference in San Francisco, we will bow our heads for a moment of silence to honor the victims and their families. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

With warmest regards,
John Wood and Erin Ganju

 

This message is also available in Japanese.  

Guest Blog from Board Director: Room to Read's Numbers Tell the Story

Craig Bruya, former CFO of Microsoft Business Solutions and audit manager with Arthur Andersen & Co, and now a professional philanthropist, has been actively involved with Room to Read since 2002 and joined the Board of Directors in 2008. From the perspective of both an investor and a board member, Craig shares his thoughts as to why numbers matter, how Room to Read is getting it right -- and how the world seems to be finding out about it.

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In 2002, when I was first approached by John Wood, a former colleague at Microsoft, to get involved with helping to develop a financial model for Room to Read, I did what every self-professed number-cruncher does: I reviewed their financial statements, budgets and five-year plan.  Eight years later, I find myself happily ensconced on the board of an organization that has grown exponentially, both in revenue and results.

As the head of the Audit Committee, I work closely with Room to Read CFO, Joanne Chou, and her skilled staff of finance and accounting experts, and with pencils sharpened, we continue to refine and improve procedures to keep our efficiency level extremely high. Apparently it’s working, and word is getting out.

Last week, Barron’s, a publication targeted for a financially-sophisticated audience, included Room to Read in their second annual “25 Top Givers” list. This list calls out individuals and organizations that get big results from their donation dollars and this year, includes the standard heavy hitters of philanthropy with Bill Gates, Jr. at #1, Bill Clinton at #8 and Oprah Winfrey at #21. And, I am proud that among that list is John Wood/Room to Read at #9, up two positions from last year -- and one of the only on the list that didn’t start out as a billionaire or celebrity-led endeavor.

We also learned last week that we had qualified for membership in a very elite group in having been awarded Charity Navigator’s four-star (the highest) rating for sound fiscal management for a fifth consecutive year.  Only 6% of their rated charities can claim this five-year streak. Charity Navigator is the recognized report card for U.S. charities, and each year, 5,500 nonprofits are evaluated on various criteria, including levels of overhead, direct program spending and program results.

So what exactly do these honors mean? Simply put, they mean that Room to Read has developed a formula for growth and efficiency that is rarely seen in the nonprofit (or even for-profit) world. That formula, which includes innovative thinking, transparency, diversified funding and planned growth, attracts investments from business giants such as Credit Suisse and Barclays Capital and Goldman Sachs, as well as individuals looking for a philanthropic partner who can take their dollars and turn them into a tool to change the lives of children. Investors know they can trust Room to Read -– which is why, in an economy that is challenging at best, Room to Read managed to grow its revenue by over 20% last year and is on target to do the same in 2010!  As an accountant, I love to see great revenue growth, but as an investor I take greater comfort knowing that we are helping many more children gain the lifelong gift of literacy.

What’s Room to Read’s secret? That’s just it –- we don’t have secrets. One of our core beliefs is transparency, which means that all the books are on the table –- data about donation totals, project expenses and program results are updated regularly and made available to all of our key stake holders, including staff, board, volunteers, donors and potential donors.

Of course, it helps when you have good data to report, which, in general, we do. Thanks to our “cheap and cheerful” mantra, more than 80 cents of every dollar is funneled directly into our program work. That being said, we don’t believe in being penny-wise but pound-foolish. Room to Read invests in the necessary infrastructure that allows our worldwide team to excel at their work. It costs money to build accounting systems and donor management systems and to monitor and evaluate our programs to make sure that they are cost effective and getting the desired results. We work hard to strike a careful balance between donation efficiency and infrastructure investment.

I recently had the opportunity to travel to Bangladesh, India, Zambia and South Africa to see our programs at work. It is one thing to be impressed with our numbers and to be happy that we are a well-managed organization, but it is a very different thing to see donor dollars in action. The children are thrilled to be learning -- and they are sharing their new-found knowledge with their families. The experience was life-changing, and my commitment to the organization has never been greater. I know of no investment with greater return than that of educating a child.

Read more about Room to Read's recent honors on our website. And, consider giving a unique gift this season through our Room to Read’s Holiday Gift Catalog where your gift can help share education with children in Asia and Africa. Plus, through the end of December, all online donations will be matched 100% up to $500,000. 

 

Guest blog from Financial Times CEO John Ridding: Snapshot from Cambodia

John Ridding, Financial Times CEO and Room to Read Board Member, recently visited our projects in Cambodia and Sri Lanka. In the following guest blog, John shares the memorable evening he had in Siem Reap at the 10 Year Anniversary celebration planned by Room to Read Cambodia.

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The Room to Read tenth anniversary ceremony in Siem Reap was a grand affair -- traditional Khmer dancing, a line of provincial officials listening stiff-backed to the national anthem and a succession of speeches, culminating with the local governor. But all were upstaged by the star of the show -- a diminutive schoolgirl who stepped up with a confidence beyond her years to tell her story.

Hawai, the eldest of eight siblings, had been deprived of schooling because of poverty and an alcoholic father. It seemed an unhappily common story in Cambodia. Earlier that day, we had seen a schoolyard play in which a drunken dad was the villain and the reason why his children were not being educated. It struck a chord with the village children, who watched intently, and it hit a nerve with some of the dads looking nervously towards the grassy stage.

In Hawai’s case, the story had a happy ending. Granted a spot in Room to Read's Girl’s Education program, she became a top student. So impressed was her father, that he quit drinking and became a Buddhist priest. Her other siblings are attending school, or waiting to attend. Hawai is aiming for university and wants to work for Room to Read. With the confidence and energy she displayed, there’s every chance she’ll succeed in her ambitions.

It was a moving story and a reminder for all of us that, beyond the metrics and statistics that Room to Read rightly uses to measure and challenge itself -- and which are a significant factor in the support of donors and the Financial Times -- the real meaning of the movement is the children who benefit.

I was fortunate this trip to be able to see projects in both Sri Lanka and Cambodia. And the two abiding impressions that stand out from the myriad of memories we brought back were the infectious enthusiasm of the children, matched only by the enthusiasm and dedication of the Room to Read teams.

Whether it was the dramatization of Sumudi’s Dance, one of the many titles from the burgeoning Sri Lankan local language publishing operation -- performed with style, grace, and spectacular self-made animal costumes by a troupe of schoolgirls -- or the progress reports delivered enthusiastically from the local staff, or the outstanding exhibition arranged by the Cambodia team, the quality and creativity of the work on the ground in each country shone through.

It was a once in a lifetime experience. And it was unforgettable to see how so many lives will be transformed and improved because of Room to Read.

The Financial Times selected Room to Read as the beneficiary of its 2009 seasonal appeal, which included several compelling feature stories and generated over $4.3 million in donations from corporations and individuals.

Please also continue to help us promote literacy this month:

TWEET out the International Literacy Day tweet.
INVEST in the publication of a new children's book for South Africa.

 

Trek to 10,000: Day 4 - Ngadi and the Marching Band

 

NGADI: Our day started with an early morning breakfast in the town of Besi Sahar.  After we had filled our bellies with Nepali tea and hearty breakfast treats, we started the four-hour uphill climb along the Marshyangdi River to the town of Ngadi in Lamjung Province.  We reached Ngadi just in time for lunch, and as we were carefully crossing a rickety bridge, the tranquil sound of the river flow was suddenly broken. Coming toward us was a 75-person “marching band” ready to accompany us to their village!  We must have been quite a sight as we ambled up the hill for the last 45 minutes of our journey -– Room to Read trekkers being serenaded by villagers playing trumpets, horns and drums, and women in brightly colored saris weaving in and out of our group handing out flowers.  From every direction, from every mouth, we heard the warm greeting of “Namaste,” and felt like we were being welcomed home. 

When we reached the village, we were greeted by a large red “welcome” banner and were escorted to a very familiar school -– the first Room to Read school that had been established back in 2000.  Awaiting us were 700 people who had come from all over to greet us, 300 of which were students!  

It was wonderful to see our honored guests be recognized: Robert and Caroline Wood (John’s parents), because this school had originally been dedicated to them in 2000, as well as Angela Anstatt and her daughter Kim Anstatt Morton, because the extension of the school had been dedicated to Herman and Bruce Anstatt (Kim’s father and brother). 

Room to Read has been working with this particular school over the past ten years and helping them expand their educational resources.  The school was originally built in 2000 to house grades 1-5, and in 2003 it was upgraded to accommodate students through grade 10. The facility now also houses a beautiful and colorful library which was established in 2008, and to help fill the library shelves, we presented over 300 newly printed Room to Read local language children’s books to the teachers.  The books had had their own journey to reach the village, having been transported  up the river and by donkey caravan to get here! The applause we received was priceless and will be long remembered.

People often ask us about how we know our libraries are working. We decided to do an impromptu check of this library and are thrilled to report that when we looked at their library registry book, more than 6,600 books had been checked out of this library over the last three years!

Our group then broke into teams of six and participated in a project to decorate the walkways of the library with a mural of pictures.  We were drawn specifically to two painting done by students.  One was a self-portrait of a young girl reading who had a halo over her head that was the Room to Read logo.  The second painting, done by a young boy, showed an adult male wearing only one flip-flop to show his lack of wealth and holding an upside-down pen.  “What did this picture represent?” we asked.  The young artist told us it showed an uneducated man who was sad because he was illiterate and could not write.
 
We were then treated to a play put on by the students which told a story of a little Nepali girl whose parents would not allow her to go to school because they wanted her to work and did not see any value in education.  Well, you can guess the happy ending of the play -- a Room to Read staff member and a teacher, played by students, intervened with the parents and taught them the valuable lesson that “world change does started with educated children” –- their own children.  The girl was allowed to attend school and yes, that was the happy ending. But the happiest part for us was seeing the mothers of the students and the children themselves watch the play with rapt attention and listen to and agree with the important message.

This day was filled with so many incredible images, sights and sounds -– immersed in the wonder of the nature surrounding us and the warmth of the people engaging us, our tired muscles are quickly forgotten.

-- Kim Anstatt, Tim Koogle and John Wood (Room to Read Board Members)

Visit www.roomtoread.org/trektotenthousand for more news and photos! 

Room to Read Adds 2 New Board Members & 1 Management Position to its Executive Team

The new year is bringing new (and great changes) to Room to Read and to start our announcements, we’re thrilled to welcome Barclays Capital president Jerry Del Missier and Harvard education professor Fernando Reimers to our board of directors.  Last but not least, we’re excited to report that Dr. Cory Heyman will be joining our management team as strategic advisor.

For those that don’t know these gentlemen's distinguished backgrounds, we’ll tell you about some of their many accomplishments below:

Jerry Del Missier is Barclays Capital President and Co-Chief Executive of Corporate and Investment Banking.  Jerry joins the Room to Read’s board of directors after serving as a founding member of our U.K. advisory board and with a distinguished background in international finance. Most recently, Jerry was appointed to the Barclays Group Executive Committee at Barclays Capital, where he is responsible for the firm’s global markets businesses, encompassing the trading, sales and research functions globally. Before joining Barclays Capital in 1997, Jerry was the senior managing director of derivatives products for Bankers Trust in London.

Fernando Reimers is Ford Foundation Professor of International Education and Director of International Education Policy at Harvard University.  Like Jerry, Fernando also is joining the Room to Read board after having previously served on its advisory board. Prior to joining the faculty at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Fernando was a senior education specialist at the World Bank. He has extensive experience in the area of international development assistance with the United States Agency for International Development, the World Bank, the Inter American Development Bank and other development organizations. Fernando is best known for his theory of 'Informed Dialogue', an approach to bridge scientific research and education policy through the mapping and mobilization of social networks.

Dr. Cory Heyman is joining the executive team of Room to Read as strategic advisor supporting the organization’s Girls’ Education program and monitoring and evaluation units.  Cory has acted as a close advisor to Room to Read since 2004 when he assisted in developing the organization’s first monitoring and evaluation study.  He has also been an active member of its advisory board since 2008. Cory will be starting full time with Room to Read in March and bringing along his extensive experience in international development and education, having recently served as the vice president and deputy director of the Academy for Educational Development’s Center for Gender Equity. Cory has worked at the nexus of public, private, and non-profit sectors for nearly two decades and brings with him great experience in managing large-scale educational projects in the United States, Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

"We are thrilled and honored to have such talented, smart, passionate and well-connected people joining the leadership team of Room to Read.   Each will provide his incredible insight and extraordinary talent to help Room to Read to 'grow with quality' as we begin our second decade," said John Wood, Founder and Executive Chairman.  “All three of these amazing individuals will bring such a wealth of knowledge and experience that will make us even more effective as we pursue our goal of bringing educational opportunities to 10 million children across the developing world.  I can say with complete confidence and pride that a strong team just got stronger."

This is only the start to what we have in store for Room to Read in 2010.  Watch this space for more to come!

To read the press release about this announcement, click here.

Room to Read's Board of Directors also includes Hilary Valentine (Chair), Christopher Beer, Craig Bruya, Scott Kapnick, Kim Anstatt Morton, Dambisa Moyo, John Ridding, Muneer A. Satter and John Wood.  Click here for full bios of our board.

'Tis the Season: Room to Read Benefits from Financial Times Seasonal Giving Campaign

This is a guest post by John Wood, founder and executive chairman of Room to Read.

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LONDON: 'Tis the season to be thankful and Room to Read certainly has much to be grateful for!

I’m now in London for the kick-off of the Financial Times’ annual seasonal giving campaign that this year benefits Room to Read and it's been a whirlwind of activity and excitement!

In case you haven't heard, we were chosen as the Financial Times' charity partner for its 2009-2010 seasonal appeal in a vote by 1,600 FT employees worldwide. Read the official press release here.

Also as part of the launch, tonight in London I joined the Financial Times CEO John Ridding, Room to Read Board Member Dambisa Moyo, our UK Advisory board and staff, our corporate sponsors, and many others, at a celebration of our partnership at the elegant Quintessentially Soho at the House of St Barnabas. The evening included our first generous donor commitment to fund a school in Nepal as part of the campaign! We hope to replicate that success and enthusiasm at other launch events with the FT that are planned for Hong Kong and New York in early December.

Just as exciting is that starting today and through mid-January, the Financial Times will run print and online stories as well as public service announcements on behalf of Room to Read to raise money and increase awareness of our work. The first story, All sitting comfortably? by FT Asia editor, David Pilling, hit news stands this morning and paints a great picture of our work in Laos.  We will be posting all the upcoming stories and videos at www.roomtoread.org/FT as well as www.FT.com/appeal throughout December.

 
FINALLY, all donations made to the campaign (up to US$1 million) will be matched dollar for dollar and pound for pound thanks to the generosity of three of Room to Read's corporate donors: Barclays Capital, Credit Suisse and Atlassian.

It goes without saying that Room to Read is truly honored to be the selected beneficiary for this Financial Times campaign and we will do all that we can to reach our goal of raising US$2 million over the next 8 weeks. Millions of children are counting on us!

To make it easy, we are accepting donations in seven different currencies to make sure everyone who wants to support this campaign can. Visit www.roomtoread.org/FT and consider making a gift that will give more children the chance to learn.

We want this to be the most successful appeal in Financial Times’ history and we appreciate anything you can do to help us to accomplish this dream through the incredible networks that you bring to Room to Read!

P.S.To mark the launch, the Financial Times and Quintessentially are also holding an Online Charity Auction through eBay where you can bid on some exclusive luxury and money-can't-buy items such as: a rare signed auction booklet for J.K Rowling’s ‘The Tale of Beedle the Bard’, your name as character in a future novel by bestselling writer Adele Parks, a holiday for two at the Half Moon Resort in Jamaica, and an elite membership to Quintessentially for one year.  Bidding has already started and goes through November 30 at http://www.quintessentially.com/auction/.   Happy bidding!

A Special Recognition by the Microsoft Alumni Foundation

This blog is a guest post from Craig Bruya, Former Microsoft Employee and Room to Read Board Member

Last night, the Microsoft Alumni Foundation announced the first class of Integral Fellows, a fellowship program that recognizes and supports a Microsoft alumnus who has made a meaningful difference to others by contributing to the community.
 
The 66 nominees were narrowed to six finalists by a group of prestigious judges: Former President Jimmy Carter, Bill Drayton, Bill Gates Sr., Pierre Omidyar, and Tom Tierney. Of the six finalists honored at the gala last night, John Wood was announced as one of the three inaugural Integral Fellows along with Trish Millines Dziko of Technology Access Foundation and Patrick Awuah of Ashesi University. 

John left Microsoft in 1999 after visiting a primary school in Nepal and seeing first-hand the absolute poverty and extreme lack of educational resources. As a result, he started Room to Read in 2000, and since then the organization has provided educational opportunities to over 3.1 million children across Asia and Africa. 

I’m very proud to be a member of the Room to Read Board of Directors. The work this organization does is outstanding, and the momentum continues to build as we move forward into our second decade. Room to Read is working with the Microsoft Alumni Foundation to identify how to partner in a variety of ways. We look forward to their support of and engagement in our work so that more former Microsofties can join us in our efforts to change the world through the lifelong gift of education.

Please join me in congratulating John and Room to Read for receiving this honor. Our accomplishments are due to a growing global network of supporters, and we thank you for being a part of it!

To watch a video on John from the event and to read more about the Microsoft Alumni Foundation, click here.

Meet Dr. Sindiwe Magona, One of Our Local Authors from South Africa and Voted Top 10 Best African Women Writers

Kim Morton, a recent addition to the Room to Read board of directors, just returned from South Africa and Zambia where she was able to witness Room to Read's programs and impact first-hand.

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South African writer Dr. Sindiwe Magona thinks African children need more stories about naughty girls and boys that can cook. And she should know! She's been voted Top 100 Best African writers and and Top 10 Best African Women writers. She's written over 100 children's books in all 11 of South Africa's official languages. Dr. Magona believes that if you want children to read, you must write exciting books, wild stories, fables, and mysteries.

Last week, when I sat down to talk with Dr. Magona in Johannesburg, she was intense and focused on the dire situation South African children find themselves in today. Grinding poverty, illiteracy, prevalent HIV/AIDS, and orphaned children are the daily reality. Twenty-eight percent of pregnant women (2007) were living with HIV, perpetuating the cycle of sickness for another generation. But, last week as I toured rural and urban South African schools and visited Room to Read's libraries, I saw real hope amidst these tough circumstances. Children love the refuge of their bright colorful books, they engage in their Room to Read libraries whose shelves hold Xhosa and Setswana stories like Dr. Magona's, and several of our libraries have dedicated librarians with time built into the curriculum to visit the library, be read to, play word games and even check a book out to take home. Think of the pride a child feels taking home a book and reading to an illiterate parent or grandparent.

Dr. Magona points out that in several different African languages, the word for a person who cannot read is "blind". "We can make a breakthrough!" she promises. "Right now our South Aftrican children are crawling while the rest of the world runs! If we make books interesting for kids, and we write them in their mother tongue, children will develop a love and a habit of reading." Room to Read agrees, and is fortunate to collaborate with Dr. Magona's vast expertise in children's literacy. She serves on Room to Read's Book Selection Committee, she helps to train aspiring young writers in South Africa, and she has served as a Judge for Room to Read's writing competitions which often receive hundreds of submissions in all South Africa's official languages. The winners of the competition are published by Room to Read and are then placed in Room to Read's libraries across South Africa so young children can read exciting books about their own cultures in their own languages.

"We are all born with  our hands tightly fisted, " says Dr. Magona. "That is where the Maker, the Universe places the talents we come bearing to the world. And it is only by using these talents that we can leave the world a better place than we found it. So do your bit. Sing if you must; Write if you must; but do your bit to make the world a better place."

To learn more about our programs in South Africa, click here.

To learn more about our Local Language Publishing program, click here.