Room to Read Blog

An Engineer in the Making: Kurlithlimli’s Story

At 14 years old, Kurlithlimli has lived in the same village her whole life. She has three older siblings, but since her parents’ divorce, she has lived alone with her father, who works as a farmer and participates in local politics.

Kurlithlimli’s day typically starts at 6:00am, when she prepares for school, which is a short, 15-minute walk from home. At school she excels in science, physics in particular. “I find it very easy to understand,” she says with a smile.

Physics is not only fun for Kurlithlimli, but an important step in achieving her dream of becoming an engineer. “I think Tanzania needs more female engineers,” says Kurlithlimli, who notes that all the engineers she has seen at the road construction site near her home are men. “I hope that when I become an engineer I can inspire more girls to join the profession,” she says.

In her daydreams, Kurlithlimli sees herself owning a successful business and engineering skyscrapers in Tanzania’s cities. Her dreams, she says, help her remain focused in school. “Education is the key to success in life. If you want to do something with your life, you have to be educated.”

After school, Kurlithlimli and her classmates often participate in life skills lessons before heading home. “I enjoy the self-awareness sessions, which help me plan my future and set goals,” she says, explaining that the training has helped she and her friends avoid common roadblocks like early pregnancy.

When she arrives at home each day, Kurlithlimli gets started on her chores: making dinner, fetching water and cleaning the house. Afterwards, her father helps her with homework. Since he cannot speak English, she translates her questions into Kiswahili so they can work on them together.

One day, Kurlithlimli hopes she can repay her father for his support by becoming an engineer and earning enough money to buy a house for them. Until then, she continues to work hard in school and listen to Tanzania’s Minister of Infrastructure on the radio for inspiration. “He is an engineer and I have heard him give speeches in front of Parliament,” she says. “I like his integrity.”

Meet Kurlithlimli's trained mentor, Upendo Mchau, in a blog post from March 2013.

Join our Freedom to Dream campaign and help more girls across Asia and Africa pursue their dreams. All gifts through May 31 to our Girls’ Education program will be matched (up to US$850,000)!

Girls' Education Program Alumna in Cambodia Finds Success After Graduation

The only girl child born to her parents, 21-year-old Sreymom Mat is the middle sibling in a family of five. Her parents are illiterate farmers who own a small plot of land, but their yield is often insufficient income, so her mother also makes akor (rice cakes) to sell in the village market.

Because of her family’s financial hardship, Sreymom’s mother suggested that she quit school after 6th grade in order to help provide additional income, but the young girl was persistent. Sreymom’s passion for education gave her courage to negotiate with her mother until a truce was found and a compromise worked out—she would help with house chores after school and study with friends at night. She joined Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program in 2004, and threw herself into her academics, recognizing the chance to stay in school as an opportunity to carve out a brighter future.

Sreymom started planning for that future while she was still in secondary school, undertaking a small business to help her save money for university. She began to raise cows as a source of income. As her cows grew so did her profits, allowing Sreymom to amass a small herd of what is now seven cows.

After graduating from secondary school and completing our Girls’ Education program in 2012, Sreymom was accepted to the Royal University of Agriculture in Phnom Penh. Now in her third year of study majoring in rural development, she lives in the city with family friends and couldn’t be happier.

In addition to caring for her cows, she also holds several part-time jobs and internships that provide her with hands-on experience in the development sector, including providing translation services to ActionAid Cambodia, performing community outreach on behalf of the Japanese International Volunteer Center and acting as a freelance research assistant.

In celebration of Sreymom’s many achievements and her steadfast dedication to education, she was invited to attend two Room to Read gala events in Hong Kong and Singapore as the guest of honor this March to share her story with packed houses of Room to Read supporters. “Without education I would never have gotten this far,” says Sreymom. “And, without Room to Read I may never have received an education.”

Read more stories in our Girls' Education Yearbook.

Join our Freedom to Dream campaign and help more girls across Asia and Africa pursue their dreams. All gifts through May 31 to our Girls’ Education program will be matched (up to US$850,000)!

Freedom to Dream: It All Starts with Education

2012 was an incredible year for our Girls' Education program, with the launch of our program in a new country, Tanzania, increased visibility through two groundbreaking media partnerships (with 10x10's Girl Rising and the Half the Sky Movement), and most importantly, with the enrollment of the program's 20,000th participant. As audiences around the world got a chance to see our work up close on screens large and small, our teams in nine countries worked tirelessly to ensure each of those 20,000 girls has the chance to find her own path to success—providing life skills training, holding tutoring sessions and helping them plan for the future.

After all, completing secondary school for girls born in the most underserved parts of Asia and Africa is about much more than earning a diploma. A quality education opens up a world of possibilities, allowing girls to envision a brighter future for themselves and their families, and to develop the skills needed to turn those dreams into reality.

In this year’s Girls Education Yearbook, you’ll meet nine extraordinary young women who are bravely claiming their right to education with help from Room to Read. In an interview with someone who inspires her, you’ll hear from each girl about the challenges she’s faced in getting an education, and her individual aspirations for the future.

Take a look:

Join our Freedom to Dream campaign and help more girls across Asia and Africa pursue their dreams. All gifts through May 31 to our Girls’ Education program will be matched (up to US$850,000)!

Upendo's Promise: Paying it Forward in Tanzania

“Being a social mobilizer for Room to Read is a dream come true!” says 22-year old Upendo Mchau. Upendo spends her days working with the female students of Nassaro Seif Secondary School in Tanzania’s rural Mvomero district—conducting life skills lessons, providing mentorship and visiting with parents to encourage a supportive environment.  It’s a scene she saw many times in her own childhood, and to which she attributes much of her own personal success.

“When I was in secondary school, I had a teacher who served as a mentor to me and went out of her way to make sure I did well in class,” says Upendo. “She really helped me to succeed in school, and inspired me to work in a field like hers.”

Upendo recalls a time when her teacher visited her parents at home and encouraged them to enroll their daughter in a tutoring program to improve her academic performance. “She did this for lots of girls,” says Upendo.

Growing up, Upendo always knew the value of a good education, with a school secretary for a mother and a father who held a university degree. “My parents worked hard to ensure that my four siblings and I could go to school,” she says, recalling her childhood.

These days, Upendo is determined to pay it forward—helping disadvantaged female students get the scaffolding and support they need to succeed. “On my first day as a social mobilizer, I was so nervous,” she admits readily, “but I have earned the girls’ respect now and feel confident in my role.”

Many of the girls Upendo works with are facing an uphill battle in completing their secondary education. “Most of their families live in poverty and don’t have enough food,” she says, adding that the girls are “often solicited to do inappropriate things for money, food or transportation.” Determined to help the girls make good choices and avoid the numerous obstacles before them, Upendo says her focus is on ensuring each individual girl has the knowledge she needs to avoid dangerous situations and make smart decisions. “I really enjoy educating the community about the importance of education,” she says with a smile, “but my favorite part of my job is helping the girls reach their goals.”

Join our Freedom to Dream campaign and help more girls across Asia and Africa pursue their dreams. All gifts through May 31 to our Girls’ Education program will be matched (up to US$850,000)!

In Laos, Life Skills Training Helps One Little Girl Dream Big

In the village, many people call Pamoxong “the little one,” in reference to her height and slight frame, but friends say that the nickname is misleading given her big personality. 

Now 13 years old, Pamoxong is in 7^th grade and on her second year of support from Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program. Formerly a shy, uncertain student, she has enthusiastically joined all of the life skills training sessions provided by the program and says they have helped her find her voice.

“I can now say out loud with confidence that I will get a full education so that I can become the most capable female physician in my village,” she shares proudly. “It is not only a dream; I will make it come true.” 

According to Pamoxong’s social mobilizer (mentor), Thiphavanh, “her generous and active personality, smiling face and persuasive words are Pamoxong’s most featured characteristics.” Since joining the program herself, the “little one” has become a powerful advocate for girls’ education within her community.

Pamoxong’s village in Oudomxay, Laos is populated primarily by Hmong people, an ethnic minority in the country. For Pamoxong’s family, and many of their neighbors, the barriers to education are even greater than for the rest of the country, as many in the Hmong community cannot speak fluently in the Lao national language.

“Pamoxong is a crucial motivator who helps us translate between Hmong and the Lao language,” says Thiphavanh. “She convinces parents in the community to value education and send their daughters to school."

Thiphavanh’s sentiments are echoed by Padaiya, one of Pamoxong’s good friends. “When Room to Read visited my house to meet my parents, Pamoxong was the real behind-the-scenes lobbyist," says Padaiya. "She talked to me and my parents about the opportunities I would get from joining the program.”

A few months into the school year, Padaiya considered dropping out because of her family’s financial situation, but once again Pamoxong was there to encourage her friend to keep going. “I think I’m so lucky to be her friend,” says Padaiya with a smile.

In her own family, Pamoxong’s newfound commitment to education has had an incredible impact as well. The third-born in a family of six children, she has seen the consequences of a lack of education, as her older sibling both dropped out of school to help earn money for the family. 

Her father, Mr. Tong, says that after seeing his daughter succeed he is now committed 100 percent to keeping his other children in school, too. “I will do the best to support them as high as they dream to go,” he says.  

Ms. Xia, Pamoxong’s mother, can only speak Hmong, but doesn’t let the language barrier stop her from sharing her perspective through her daughter’s careful translations. “I do not want my child to live like me, to work hard and barely understand Lao language because I did not get chance to attend school,” she says. “My parents told me that studying was not necessary for a girl—that it was a guy’s business, but now everything has changed.”

With newfound confidence, a clear path forward and the support of her family, it seems that this “little one” is poised to accomplish some very big things.

Learn more about our work in Laos.

Rehema for President: Video Blog in Honor of Human Rights Day

Today is Human Rights Day, an annual opportunity to celebrate human rights and advocate for their full enjoyment by all people. This year, the United Nations has chosen to highlight the rights of every person across the globe to make their voices heard in public life and be included in political decision-making.

At Room to Read, we focus on making these rights more accessible to children and adolescent girls the best way we know how—by investing in quality education for some of the world’s most underserved communities. Beyond being a human right in and of itself (Article 26 to be exact), education also helps children find their voices—enabling greater participation in society and politics at all levels.

This aspect of education is especially important for women, who are vastly underrepresented in the political sphere in most countries around the world. Through the life skills training included in our Girls’ Education program, Room to Read helps girls develop the skills they need to break this pattern of exclusion, such as decision-making, goal-setting and interpersonal communication.

In honor of this year’s Human Rights Day, we bring you a special video premiere that celebrates the important role that life skills play in helping all young women know and defend their own rights. In the video you'll hear from one girl, Rehema, who plans to use this knowledge to build a better future for herself and her country.

 

Learn more about our work in Tanzania.

The Malalas of the World Need Us to Step Up: A Guest Blog by John Wood in Honor of "Malala Day"

Malala Yousafzai's bravery and activism have captured the world's attention while also providing an indelible reminder of the critical work that lies ahead to truly change perceptions around gender equality in education. Sadly, Pakistan is just one of many countries around the world where gender parity is marginalized or ignored. As "Malala Day" is recognized around the world on Nov. 10, I hope the global community can come together and agree to focus on this issue not just when tragedy strikes, but rather tirelessly each day until we change not just perceptions, but behavior among those that stand in the way of investing in the next generation of leaders.

This is clearly a big issue -- after all, over 100 million girls across the developing world wake up each morning and do not go to school. We must solve this problem, and if we don't then we can't act surprised when global poverty and inequality continue to be perpetuated.

Our team at Room to Read has worked on this issue for over ten years since the day I quit Microsoft in order to devote my life to the quest for education for the poorest of the poor. One young girl whose education we support is named Hajera. She is 11 years old and is one of the 17,000 girls enrolled in Room to Read's Girls' Education program. Hajera was born in the rural and remote Sirajganj district in Bangladesh that is prone to seasonal flooding. Hajera has never gone beyond the river that surrounds her tiny village. After the passing away of her mother two years ago, Hajera, the youngest of her siblings, was forced to drop out of school to stay at home to tend to domestic duties. Admittedly, not a very ambitious student academically, Hajera still was saddened to leave school since it was an environment where she had developed friendships and could be carefree from the struggles of her home life. Hajera's father, a farmer, re-married almost immediately and there was little affection or support shown for Hajera by her new stepmother.

Education, in Hajera's own words, was her only salvation to build a promising future and she was determined to regain that opportunity.

Change for Hajera came when she learned about Ms. Jannatul Firdoz Lovely or "Lovely Appa," a term of endearment that the girls in the community use to refer to her. Lovely Appa is what Room to Read calls a social mobilizer, women whom we employ to work directly on the ground with our Girls' Education students as their personal advocates on the path to graduation. This can take the form of a meeting with a girl's teacher to get updates on where she might benefit from extra tutoring, advocating against early marriage so that girls can remain in school longer or working with a girl's family to solve a problem with attendance because of a walk to school that is either too dangerous or too far.

As members of the community themselves, our social mobilizers understand the challenges and pressures facing these girls, and they exemplify the educated, empowered women we hope our students will grow up to become. By providing our students with these positive role models, we give them support that extends far beyond material resources.

After overhearing her peers saying that they could easily discuss any problems they had with Lovely Appa, Hajera gathered the courage to talk with her and express her desire to return to school. She shared her background and the reluctance of her father and brothers to spend the family's money on her education. Comforted by Lovely Appa's words of encouragement, Hajera returned home. A few months later, a joyous Hajera received an unexpected visit from Lovely Appa with the news that she had been selected to enroll in Room to Read's Girls' Education program.

Daring to dream of a new life, Hajera is now studying harder than ever before and seeking additional tutoring when needed. Due to Room to Read's life skills classes, which equip girls with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed in school and beyond, Hajera has learned communication and interpersonal skills to negotiate with her stepmother. They have come to an agreement so that Hajera helps with the house chores when possible and in return, is granted uninterrupted time to study. Hajera's father and brothers are now supportive of her education; her oldest brother even gives her pocket money and clothes to help support her. With a new outlook on life, Hajera is destined for success.

Room to Read's mission to transform the lives of girls in the developing world through education is a bold goal, which I have always believed attracts bold people. Malala's story re-inspires our team to continue to think big and reminds us of the task ahead -- with over 17,000 girls like Malala in our Girls' Education program currently we seek to add at least 10,000 more girls to the program over the next three years.

A global icon of the importance of universal education, Malala has galvanized the forces that seek to turn the tide on gender inequality. It is a cause that will undeniably yield a healthier, safer, and economically empowered world and we will all benefit from investing in that kind of future.

It all comes down to a simple question: Who is going to win? The forces of darkness who deny education to girls? Or those of us who believe in the power of education, and believe in it deeply enough to fight for it every day?

This blog originally appeared in The Huffington Post on November 7, 2012 as part of a series called "Malala's Impact," which highlights the need for global education.  

Giving Girls a Voice

Today, 25,000 girls got married. All of them were under 18 and most had no say in when or who they would marry. The overwhelming majority will drop out of school if they haven’t already. This is not acceptable.

Early marriage and pregnancy among teenage girls is common in developing countries—a product of tradition, economic scarcity, lack of opportunity and deeply-rooted gender bias. As Global Director for Girls’ Education at Room to Read, I have witnessed firsthand how early marriage and pregnancy affect the lives of teenage girls in places like Nepal, Bangladesh and Zambia, further limiting their options in communities where the roles for women are already extremely circumscribed.

Studies have shown education to be the single most important predictor of age at marriage, a number that can mean the difference between life and death. According to research done by the International Center for Research on Women, pregnancy (often preceded by early marriage) is the leading cause of death for young women between the ages of 15 and 19 worldwide. By missing out on the completion of their formal education, many young brides lack the knowledge of how early pregnancy affects their health, when and how to obtain medical care, and the emotional maturity to actually seek it—skills more likely to be developed during adolescence.

Through our work in girls’ education, Room to Read provides support for girls at their most vulnerable phase—in the transition to adulthood—so that they can reach key milestones like marriage and pregnancy later in life and from a more powerful place. We also work with families, communities, and schools to foster a more empowering environment.

I have seen what happens when a girl from a disadvantaged background is supported to stay in school and develop the skills she needs to make informed choices.  The results are truly transformational.

As girls build confidence and academic success, it is not only those around them that begin to recognize their worth. The girls themselves develop the confidence to see a broader set of options for their lives and the agency needed to build a brighter future.

One of my favorite examples is Esther, a student from a very rural region in Zambia where teenage pregnancy is widespread. She told me when we met that she wants to be a lawyer and motivational speaker. Esther’s experience in secondary school combined with the life skills training she has received from Room to Read have given her the confidence to stand up for her own right to education and to advocate for the other girls in her community.

When she is out of school and on breaks, Esther goes back to her village—quite a distance from her boarding school—and talks to her friends about their futures. Most of her contemporaries did not make it to high school and many are at high risk for early marriage. “I tell them not to just go with marriage but to think creatively about their options—there is no rush!” she counsels. Esther’s friends listen to her, she says, and she is proud to help them expand their thinking. It seems to me that Esther need only work on the law degree, as her career in motivational speaking is already in full swing!

Esther’s story is a perfect example of the potential that is unleashed when a girl is afforded the opportunity to stay in school and develop her own voice. While early marriage and pregnancy manifest differently depending on regional, class, and cultural contexts, the crippling effect they have on the lives, health, and livelihoods of millions of women across the world is unquestionable. It is incumbent upon the international community to stand alongside girls and young women on this issue that is so widespread and gender-specific. If we provide support and a platform to Esther and the hundreds and thousands of girls like her, then together we will turn the tide on the practice of early marriage within our lifetimes.

Statistics featured in this piece were taken from resources provided by the International Center for Research on Women. 

This blog post was originally published by The Huffington Post on November 2, 2012. 

Erin Ganju on the Global Gender Gap Report: Unlocking the Potential of Gender Parity

The newly released Global Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum signifies progress, but reveals that there remains much to be done to ensure equal access to education, particularly in less developed countries. A trained and empowered workforce leads to economic growth, but without investing in half of that workforce – girls and women – we undermine the global economy by ceding their collective talents and leadership.

USAID estimates that when 10 percent more girls attend school, a country’s GDP increases an average of 3 percent. Yet, when the majority of the world’s labor force is female, uneducated and underpaid, it is clear that something must change if women are to lift themselves, and their countries, out of poverty.

We know that for every year a girl is educated beyond the average, her wages increase by 15 percent, which in turn benefits her family, community and society. Yet, two-thirds of the world’s 775 million illiterate are women, 98 percent living in the developing world.

There is hope. The universal approach proven to increase the status of women is education. As the leader of Room to Read, a global non-profit organization focused on literacy and gender disparity in education across Asia and Africa, I have witnessed first-hand the transformative effect of empowering girls with a high-quality education.

One example is Prem, once a scholar in Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program, and now a 21-year-old nursing student. Prem is from Nepal, which ranks 123rd in the Global Gender Gap Index overall and 125th for literacy, placing Nepal in the bottom 15. Prem’s mother and two elder sisters are uneducated and work daily in a riverbed to earn a meager living. Through the power of education, Prem is now creating a brighter future for herself and her family and is on her way to breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty.

It is great to see the progress in the Global Gender Gap Report, but we cannot afford to forget those among the bottom ranks like Prem. Nepal, as well as other countries where Room to Read works such as Cambodia and Zambia, are places where we need to strategically focus and devote our resources. I look forward to a day when stories like Prem’s are not unique, and girls are enabled to step away from a life of poverty into a world of possibility.

This post first appeared on the blog of the World Economic Forum http://forumblog.org/

Lights, Camera, Action: Behind the Scenes of Suma’s Story

Rishi Amatya is Room to Read’s Senior Communication Officer for Nepal. In this guest blog he shares his experience and photos from filming Suma’s Story with 10x10 in Nepal. Learn more about Suma’s story and view the film trailer at www.roomtoread.org/10x10act. 

*****

It was our second day in the field. We had already interviewed more than 20 girls, and exhaustion was slowly creeping in. There was one more interview to go before lunch: Suma Tharu. We asked the usual questions, had her expand on her responses where necessary, and got everything on tape.

We were finished rolling, when Martha Adams asked Suma a question, “Can you sing us a song?”

“Yes,” said Suma, who immediately began to sing the original song she’d written to help her come to terms with a difficult past as an indentured servant.  It caught us unprepared.

The power of Suma’s song stayed with us for the duration of the first production shoot for 10x10’s documentary, Girl Rising. That was in 2010.

Fast forward two years and here we are now: Suma was chosen to open The Newsweek/Daily Beast Women in the World Conference in New York City, singing the same beautiful song that had mesmerized us on that first scouting trip.

It’s easy to see why Suma’s songwriting plays such a central role in her story in Girl Rising. Her songs tell her story in a way words couldn’t quite express.

The piece of the film was shot in Kathmandu, over a hectic week in September. The average day started at sunrise and lasted through the wee hours after dusk, but even the hectic schedule was not enough to dampen Suma’s cheerful spirit.

Suma made fast friends with the crew—chatting like old friends between takes. She was calm and collected throughout the shoot, even when things didn’t go as planned (like the unrelenting rainstorm—Murphy’s Law).

As a first-time movie star, Suma played her part perfectly. “I was little afraid at first,” she said. “I have never ‘acted’ in front of the camera before, but it was only a matter of time before I felt comfortable and enjoyed the experience. It is my story, after all...”   

Learn more about Suma and the film Girl Rising at www.roomtoread.org/10x10act.