Room to Read Blog

Mark Your Calendars: Half the Sky Brings Girls’ Education to the Small Screen

“How we treat women and girls is absolutely essential to who we are as a people.” —Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State

Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide—that’s the aim of Half the Sky, a groundbreaking documentary that will air on PBS October 1 and 2 across the United States. Inspired by the best-selling book of the same name by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, the film is aimed at galvanizing public action for the rights of women and girls.

Over two days, Half the Sky will take viewers on a tour of ten countries to explore the most pressing challenges facing women and girls around the globe, including maternal mortality, gender-based violence and human trafficking. It will also showcase tangible solutions to fight these problems, such as gender equality in education—highlighted for its uniquely transformative power to alleviate poverty in one generation.

Last fall, Half the Sky's film crew made its way to Vietnam’s Mekong Delta to learn more about the success of our Girls’ Education program in the region. Led by our local staff, founder John Wood, author Nicholas Kristof and actress Gabrielle Union—one of six celebrity advocates in the film—met with several of the girls supported by our program, documenting their stories and learning about the challenges they face.

Those stories, along with others from Cambodia, Kenya, India, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Liberia and the United States, will be broadcast nationwide on October 1 and 2 in the United States on PBS. Until then, here is a sneak peek to tide you over:

Learn more about our Girls’ Education program.

Leading by Example: Divya's Story

In each country where we work, our Girls' Education program looks a little different. Depending on the local context, our team makes various adjustments in order to ensure the greatest probability of success for each girl. One thing however, remains consistent: in every country, every community and every school where we have a Girls' Education program participant, there is a social mobilizer ready to act as her personal advocate on the path to graduation. Equal parts mentor and role model, these women are the backbone of our Girls' Education program and provide the integral support that many girls do not get at home.

Divya is one of those women. Despite her own challenging circumstances, Divya perservered. After earning her degree in teaching, she joined Room to Read as a social mobilizer to help more girls in her community do the same. Learn more about Divya's story in this video: 

 

Meet more social mobilizers in our 2011 Girls' Education Yearbook. And remember, all gifts will be matched through May 31 by our partner, Hilton Worldwide! Honor the influential women in your life with a gift that has the power to change a generation at www.roomtoread.org/MayMatch

Guest Blog from Cambodia: Two Photographers Share their Experience on Location with Room to Read

Last November, photographers Kristin Harrison and Jeremy Ginsberg (teamjk.com) met up with our team in Cambodia to photograph Lisang's story for our 2011 Girls' Education Yearbook. Below are their reflections (and photos) from the shoot.

*****

Smart, funny and quietly confident, Girls' Education program student Lisang instantly charmed us. We met her in the middle of a rice field in Kampong Cham province, a two-hour drive from Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. She was busily harvesting rice with women three times her age.

To help support her ailing parents and two younger siblings, 13-year-old Lisang works in the rice fields from 6 am – 12 pm before going to class in the afternoon. On weekends, she performs this back-breaking work full-time. After school, she cooks and cleans at home. Somehow, she manages to squeeze in time for homework, too.

She good-naturedly let us photograph her life for the 2011 Girls' Education Yearbook, and invited us into her world. We tagged along as she worked in the rice fields, prepared lunch at home over an open fire and attended classes at school. At the end of the day, we offered to teach her how to use one of our cameras, and she took to it instantly, smiling and laughing as she photographed students in her school's Room to Read library.

Throughout the day, Lisang inspired us with her passion for education, cheerful spirit and incredible dedication to family. Since then, we’ve thought of her often.

It’s clear that Lisang could achieve anything she wanted if given the opportunity, but she and her family are trapped in the heartbreaking quicksand of poverty, and it poses a major roadblock to her future. With the help of Room to Read, she has found an escape route through education and with it the chance to achieve her dreams. It was an honor to work with her.

All gifts matched through May 31! From now through the end of May, all donations will be matched up to $150,000 by our partners, Hilton Worldwide. Honor the influential women in your life with a gift that has the power to change a generation.www.roomtoread.org/MayMatch.

Guest Blog from CEO Erin Ganju: A Mother's Day Tribute

It is hard to argue that gender disparity in education no longer exists when one realizes that of the 793 million illiterate people in the world, two-thirds are female. Likewise, it would be difficult to challenge the importance of providing girls with an education, as we know that educating females is the most powerful and effective way to address global poverty. Educated mothers are more likely to educate their own children—ending the cycle of illiteracy in one generation. What is perhaps less definitive is how best to tackle this issue. With many barriers facing girls in the developing world that go far beyond simple economics, including cultural bias, tradition and safety concerns, the answer is admittedly not simple. Yet, for many areas in the world, one of the answers may lie in the synergy of parental support and the support of women in their families and communities.

Parental involvement plays a paramount role in shaping girls' expectations for themselves and deciding how long they will remain in school. As CEO of Room to Read, I have had the great fortune of meeting many parents during my travels. While of varying cultures, a common thread unites them all—a strong commitment to supporting their daughters' education. Even when the prevailing culture may not place a high value to girls' education, and despite the fact that they may not have been personally afforded such opportunities when they were young, many parents still remain steadfastly committed to the dream of having their daughters receive a quality education, and seeing them graduate from secondary school and perhaps even attending a university.

In Andhra Pradesh, India, a mother of one of our Girls' Education participants remarked, "I can now dream of my only daughter going for higher studies, getting a job and earning her own money. She won't have to live like us." In Siem Reap, Cambodia, a mother shared with me, "I am illiterate. I don't want her to have the same fate. I don't have an inheritance for her. I know only that knowledge will be a priceless and lifelong gift for her."

Parents' commitment to their daughter's education may also be reflected in other ways. I have visited some of the homes of our Girls' Education students, and been inspired to meet parents who have shown their commitment by utilizing the very best space in their small family home to create a study area. Additionally, despite the challenge of long work hours and great distances to their daughters' schools, 88 percent of parents and guardians find a way to attend parent workshops we offer.

It must be recognized, however, that in many countries, the sphere of parental influence is often extended to others, most often women. Grandmothers and aunts play an important role in ensuring that girls remain in school. I met a grandmother in Zambia who donated her time and energy to volunteering at the local school. In Vietnam, one elderly grandmother noted about her granddaughter Thu, "I cook for her so she can save time to concentrate on her studies. I don't want her to get married soon. I want her to study to get a good job first." This level of devotion is also reflected in the words of an aunt from Laos who remarked upon hearing that her niece would be part of our Girls' Education program, "When I heard Inkham was selected by Room to Read, I couldn't sleep. I felt as if I had won a kilogram of gold."

As another extension to familial influence, other women outside the family can serve as role models in the lives of young girls. Room to Read has invested in "social mobilizers," a term we use for women in the community that work directly with our Girls' Education students to serve as a personal advocate on their path to graduation from secondary school. This role may take many forms. In Bangladesh, it may include advocating against early marriage so that girls can remain in school longer. In Zambia, it may include exploring an attendance issue that has resulted because the walk to school may be too dangerous or far. As members of the community themselves, our social mobilizers understand the pressures that these girls face and can serve to exemplify the educated, empowered women they may become one day.

As a mother of a six-year-old daughter, I have been humbled to witness the extraordinary lengths taken by parents and women in the communities around the world to ensure a girl's education, despite the odds. Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, "Youth fades; love droops; the leaves of friendship fall; a mother's secret hope outlives them all." On this Mother's Day, I salute not only dedicated mothers everywhere, but all women who recognize that a mother's hope starts with education and devote a part of themselves every day to ensure this for the girls in their lives and communities.

This blog post was adapted from A Mother's Day Tribute: The Role of Women and Parenting in Girls' Education Around the World, originally published by The Huffington Post on May 10, 2012.

Hard Work and Entrepreneurship Help Vonechay Stay at the Top of Her Class

By any definition, 18-year-old Vonechay is the picture of success. Poised to graduate secondary school this month as part of her school’s “Talent Class” (a group of the region’s highest-performing students), she also helps support her family through her own tailoring business.  

Perhaps even more impressive than her long list of accomplishments though, is the transformation Vonechay has undergone over the past five years since joining our Girls’ Education program.

The second of four daughters in her family, Vonechay’s life changed drastically when her father, a solder in the Lao army, was injured and became unable to work. After her mother stepped in, Vonechay and her sisters were under enormous pressure to contribute to the family’s income, and worried they would not be able to continue on in school. “I was very stubborn,” says their mother. “I expected my daughters to prioritize working in the fields above other activities.”

Thankfully, Vonechay was admitted into Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program, alleviating some of the financial strain on her family. With the encouragement of her social mobilizer and the rest of our Girls’ Education team, Vonechay excelled in school, making time for every life skills training session and extra tutoring to keep her grades up.  As time went on, her self confidence and fierce determination only grew, and Vonechay began to plan for her future after graduation. “I would like to be a tour guide who speaks excellent English and travels around the world,” she says. “The Girls’ Education program helped me discover this dream.”

Last year though, it seemed that despite all her hard work, Vonechay’s education would come to a crashing hault. A medical emergency drained her family’s savings, and as one of the eldest daughters in the family, she knew that her parents were counting on her to pitch in. Determined not to give up on her dreams, Vonechay racked her brain, seeking any possible way to avoid leaving school behind. She thought back to all she had learned at Xayabouly Secondary School and in her life skills training, and that’s when an idea came to her.

“I remembered a summer before when I had learned tailoring with some other girls from the program,” she recalls. Seizing the opportunity to stay in school, Vonechay began her own side business tailoring traditional Lao skirts for women in her village. Each finished skirt, says Vonechay, brings in 15,000 kip (about US$2), which helps feed her family and affords her the flexibility to attend classes as before.

At a recent parents’ meeting, Vonechay’s mother beamed with pride as she spoke about her daughter’s accomplishments. Admitting that she had not always been so supportive, she says she is now a staunch advocate for educating all the girls in the community. “As long as your children keep their heads up and act with self-confidence, no one can stop them,” she said firmly. “I am grateful Vonechay she did not let me stop her.”

Watch a video about our Girls’ Education program in Laos.

All gifts matched through May 31! From now through the end of May, all donations will be matched up to $150,000 by our partners, Hilton Worldwide. Honor the influential women in your life with a gift that has the power to change a generation. www.roomtoread.org/MayMatch.

Taking Girls' Education Beyond the Classroom: A Framework for Success

Many of the students supported by our Girls’ Education program are among the first in their families to finish secondary school, and the challenges they face in pursuing an education go far beyond simple finances. On top of family pressure to contribute to the household income, many girls face cultural bias, discrimination and long, potentially dangerous commutes before even arriving at school each day. 

That is why our approach to Girls’ Education extends beyond the classroom, recognizing and addressing each individual roadblock on the path to completing secondary school. We work with school administration, community leaders, parents and local NGOs to ensure each girl is supported in and outside of school. One major component in this holistic approach is life skills training.

At weekly meetings, weekend camps and exposure visits in nine countries, girls work with mentors and educators to develop a set of core competencies outlined by our Girls’ Education team. The framework for this training (pictured below) is based on the 10 core life skills outlined by the World Heath Organization as being crucial during adolescence, in combination with six core content areas we have identified as being instrumental to girls’ success. In our 2011 Girls’ Education Yearbook, you’ll meet eight young women who are already putting those skills into practice—making informed choices and expressing themselves with confidence.

In light of their accomplishments, we're celebrating the power of educated, empowered women all month long, with help from some friends. In honor of Mother’s Day, Hilton Worldwide will match all donations through May 31 up to US$150,000! Consider paying tribute to the influential women in your life with a gift to Room to Read, and make a difference that will last a lifetime.

Learn more about our Girls’ Education program.

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 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.