Room to Read Blog

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

Show and Tell: A Warm Welcome in Nepal

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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This week's Show and Tell comes from Eric Krassow, local-language publishing fellow. Eric is a leading editor from Pearson, currently "on-loan" to Room to Read exploring potential enhancements to our Book Publishing program around the globe. During a recent site visit in Nepal, Eric had the chance to meet a classroom full of eager young readers at Shree Kalika Primary School. He sent along this video of the welcome dance performed in his honor:

 

Learn more about our Book Publishing program, or find out how you can visit our work in person.

Students in Dubai Serve Up World Change at “Room to Read Café”

At Room to Read, we believe that everyone has a role to play in promoting literacy and gender equality in education in developing countries. To that end, we work with youth from around the globe who want to do their part by helping them raise awareness and funds in their own community to support Room to Read’s work in Asia and Africa. This Students Helping Students program, as we call it, now spans across 30 countries, and more than 600 student teams have supported our cause since 2004. From Girl Scouts to graduate students, these teams are made up of passionate advocates and rock star fundraisers—having raised more than US$360,000 for our work in 2011 alone.

One of our most active teams, from the American School of Dubai, recently wrapped up their 2011 fundraising efforts to the tune of over US$10,000! Read on to learn how they managed such an impressive feat and what made them want to be involved with Room to Read in the first place.

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Club Room to Read at the American School of Dubai (ASD) has been very busy the last few months. Students of all ages are standing up for literacy and gender equality in education, and seeing some serious results. Last year alone they raised US$10,000—one of our biggest student donations of the year!

One secret to their success is their innovative “Room to Read Café” fundraiser. About 5 times a year, ASD student plan and staff “Café Days” held at a local establishment.  The students design special menu offerings and assist wait staff in serving clientele. For their efforts, a portion of the day’s proceeds are donated to Room to Read.

In addition to these Café Days, ASD students have also hosted a number of other events, including book sales, talent shows, competitive stacking games and a writing competition—all to celebrate literacy and support our work in Asia and Africa!

ASD students say they support Room to Read because the organization’s mission aligns with something they are personally passionate about: educating those who are less fortunate.

“Your education is something nobody can ever take away from you; it’s yours to keep”, says student Andrea Izem Yener. Participating in Students Helping Students, she says, “has definitely made me appreciate what I have more.”

Congratulations to all of our ASD student supporters and a special shout out to writing contest winners Anjika Bhatnagar, Amaar Qureshi, Olivia Quern and Rohan Khanna. All of your hard work and energetic support is helping Room to Read to change the lives of millions of students in Asia and Africa!

Stay up to date with the latest information about Students Helping Students on Facebook.

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.

Why I'm Lucky: Guest Blog by Eight-Year-Old Jazmin Zage

Transcription: My name is Jazmin Annabelle Aiko Zage. I am 8 years old. I am American and live in Singapore. On November 3rd, 2011 I went to Cambodia with my family to visit schools and libraries that were built by Room to Read. When I visited a school I realized how lucky I was. I learned that most schools don't have libraries or many books. It made me think of my huge library at the Singapore American School. I thought I was very lucky that my mom and dad have enough money to send me to such a good school.

I noticed that the kids at the school were very happy even though they didn't have much. The children were very friendly. I got to go into a classroom and participate in their writing lesson. One of the students taught me how to write Cambodian words.

I think Room to Read has really helped these Cambodian children. But there are still so many children to help.

Learn more about our Students Helping Students program, or how you can visit our work in person.

Two Girls in India Find Themselves on the Path to Success, with Help from 10,000 Women

Last week, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to three groundbreaking women from developing countries for their role in advancing both peace and gender equality. All three are shining examples of the link between shared prosperity and greater gender equality in leadership.

But despite the progress made by women like Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman, leadership roles in the public and private sector still remain elusive for women in developing countries. For many young girls, especially those in rural or underserved communities, the paths to running one’s own business or earning a descent wage are riddled with roadblocks.  

“Why is it that only men open shops and sell medicines,” asks Shaheen, a 10^th grader from our Girls’ Education program who dreams of owning her own pharmacy. “I want to change that and help serve my community,” she shares at an entrepreneurial skills workshop held outside of New Delhi.

A recent addition to the life skills curriculum of our Girls’ Education program in India, the entrepreneurial skills workshops were developed in partnership with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women, which which provides business and management education to underserved female entrepreneurs in developing and emerging markets.

For girls like Shaheen, the workshops, which include a four day sleep-away camp, provide a unique opportunity to explore career goals and gain the skills needed to achieve them. The participants meet with successful local entrepreneurs who help them navigate concepts such as financial literacy, effective leadership, partnership, resource mapping and market research.

One of Shaheen’s classmates, Monica, has also come away from the entrepreneurial skills workshops with a clear view of her future. “I want to open my own boutique,” she says with newfound confidence.

Monica had the chance to share her dream with US Ambassador Melanne Verveer, who promised to buy an Indian outfit from the boutique once it’s up and running. Monica explained that with her family’s support, she hopes to be able to build a business that not only provides her with a comfortable living, but also employs others in her community.

Because support from family is crucial to the girls’ success, the entrepreneurial skills workshops also include informational sessions and meet-ups for parents. “My daughter is very intelligent and listens to whatever we say,” shares Mrs. Monika, whose daughter, Sweta is in 11^th grade. “Thus it is our duty to support her to fulfill her dreams.”

Read more about our Girls' Education program and our work in India.

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.

Three Ways to Celebrate International Literacy Day

Many of us don’t spend much time thinking about how literacy affects our life, but maybe we should…

Imagine being one of the nearly 796 million people worldwide who lacks the ability to read or write. It would make deciphering the contents of an employment ad, taking the proper dosage of medication and filling out a ballot form all nearly impossible.

The bad news is that most of those 796 million people live in developing countries, where access to a quality education can be extremely limited, so their children and grandchildren are likely to continue in the same path. The good news is that doesn’t have to be the case.

International Literacy Day is September 8, and Room to Read will be celebrating all month long by spreading awareness and raising funds to fight illiteracy in the developing world. Here are three things you can do to help:

1. Make a donation. Thanks to our partner, Better World Books, all gifts to our library program in September will be matched up to $40,000. That means that your gift and all others like it will have twice the impact!
2. Spare 140 characters. In today’s world, information travels fast…if you can read it, that is. Help give the twittersphere a taste of what a world without literacy would look like by tweeting an “illiterate” message to your followers with the hashtag #RTforLiteracy. For each tweet, Random House, Inc. will donate $1 to our programs (up to $30,000).
3. Educate yourself. Watch an interactive video about global illiteracy (produced in partnership with Credit Suisse's Global Education Initiative), or read about our work in Asia and Africa in our most recent newsletter. Then go out and spread the word!

And don’t forget to celebrate your own right to read this month.  Take the time to curl up with a good book, and remember what it is that made you love reading so much in the first place.

Read more about International Literacy Day on our website or refer to UNESCO.

Inspired to do more? Learn how to start your own fundraising campaign for Room to Read.

Photoblog from Zambia: Meet the Next Generation of World-Changers

Last month, eight teens (ages 15-23) from all around the world gathered in Zambia to embark on Room to Read’s first-ever Teen Trek. Along with their parents (or in some cases, grandparents), Nick, Tegan, Kate, David, Kyle, Rachel, Robert and James spent a week in the Lusaka province, visiting schools and libraries, and learning more about what they can do to support the global education movement.

Their story is a powerful one, and best told through the photos they brought back with them. This photoblog is a taste of exactly that. Our thanks to all of our participants for making the Teen Trek such a success, and to the Room to Read Zambia team for being a gracious host.

 

 

Learn more about how students of all ages can get involved with Room to Read through our Students Helping Students initiative.

Show and Tell: Students Go Global in England

Often at Room to Read, our quest to lead a global movement to support developing world education takes us on the road. Between our global office in San Francisco, California, seven international fundraising offices, 53 chapters worldwide, and 10 program countries…at any given time it’s a safe bet that somewhere in the world, a member of the our team is in transit—by plane, on foot, or even by boat—raising funds, building awareness and implementing programs on behalf of Room to Read.

On these voyages, there seems to be a pattern: send a passionate, enthusiastic Room to Read team member out into the field, and they will return with stories of inspiring individuals they met along the way.

Without further ado, we welcome you to the first installment of our newest blog feature: Show and Tell. When we come across a great photo or other tidbit while out and about, we’ll post it here, and you can let us know what you think.

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Today’s photos come from Jill Carlson, a development fellow who helps students around the world find ways to get involved with Room to Read. Jill is in England this week, where she is working on the Go Global Challenge—a competition in which high school students are challenged to come up with entrepreneurial fundraising plans to fund our programs in Asia and Africa. So far, the ideas have been incredibly impressive, as has the students’ dedication to helping their peers in developing countries.

Here are some pictures Jill shared of students in Blackburn, England, working on their Room to Read fundraising plans:

Learn more about Student Engagement at Room to Read.