Room to Read Blog

Father's Day Tribute: Not Even the Sky is the Limit for Her!

Like most fathers, France Shamilimo wants only the best for his children. And like most fathers, he works tirelessly to provide for his family, and he dreams of a happy and healthy life for them. But there’s something that sets France apart from other dads in the developing world: He’s raising the next Vice President of Zambia. Or so he hopes.

You see, France’s daughter, Sharon, is the only one of his eight children to attend school. He shamefully admits that the rest of his children have either dropped out of or failed in school because the family lacked money to purchase school shoes and supplies.

But for Sharon, he clearly has very high hopes. “Sharon has told me she would like to be a nurse,” says France, “but I see her working in a senior position in the Office of the Vice President.  I think she is capable of doing that job with the schooling she will now receive.”

His certainty wasn’t always so. Before becoming one of 81 girls supported by Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program, 13-year-old Sharon might have joined her parents and siblings tending to the corn and vegetables crops, two pigs, six free range chickens and two dogs on the family’s small plot of land in Chibango in the Chongwe District of Zambia.

But now that Sharon has the supplies she needs and guaranteed support through 12th grade thanks to Room to Read, France has big dreams for Sharon and is daring her to reach for the stars. 

“It is rare to have someone willing to support your child up to end of grade 12,” says France, “I am very happy for Sharon -– now, not even the sky is the limit for her!”

Sharon, too, recognizes how lucky she is and says, “Sometimes I pinch myself just to make sure I am not dreaming. Actually the day I was put on the program brought so much joy to me that I danced all the way home; I just couldn’t wait to tell my parents!”

Seeing the promise and passion in Sharon has only reinforced France’s commitment to her education.

He says, “I have hopes that at least my daughter will finish school and go to college. I have faith in her that she will erase my own shame. I will be able to raise my head in public because of Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program.”

In honor of Father's Day, please consider investing in our Girls' Education program and support a father's wish to give his daughter a brighter future.  If you are donating as a Father's Day gift for your dad or grandfather, after completing the donation process, you can print out or email a special Father's Day e-Card.

For more information about our Girls’ Education program click here.

To read more about Room to Read in Zambia, click here.

Doing Good is Clearly Good for Business

They’ve done it again! In just 12 short months, global software company Atlassian has once again exceeded all expectations by raising an incredible $500,000 for Room to Read through their Starter license program, which you can read more about here.

The promotion was launched last fall as an extension of the overwhelmingly successful Stimulus Package that was introduced in April 2009. Through the promotion, small software startups can purchase six of Atlassian’s most popular software products for just $10 each, with all proceeds benefitting Room to Read programs in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.

The funding from Atlassian is already making a big difference, with current and future projects to include 34 new libraries, four schools and two local language books. Money is also being set aside to provide 250 scholarships for the holistic education of participants in Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program. All told, more than 32,000 children will have benefitted from educational opportunities thanks to the Start License promotion.

According to Atlassian CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes, selecting Room to Read as their charity partner was an easy choice after having been inspired for years by our efforts to promote literacy. What was unexpected, he said, was how quickly the promotion “took on a life of its own,” with 31,000 licenses sold to date.

The software company’s support of Room to Read is an extension of the their model wherein 1% of employee time goes to volunteer work, 1% of company equity goes to the Atlassian foundation and 1% of products are donated to non-profits. It’s a model that, according to Room to Read Founder John Wood, “shows how companies can succeed while also doing good for their community.”

Atlassian was also a major player in the Financial Times’ seasonal appeal to readers this year, which raised over $4 million for Room to Read.  The company pledged to match readers’ donations up to $100,000, effectively doubling the impact of those readers’ individual contributions.

Reuniting with a Familiar Friend: Sabina from Nepal

As you know, in recognition of Mother's Day, all donations in May toward our Girls’ Education program are being matched thanks to a generous donor. Thank you to those who have already contributed and made a difference in the lives of the thousands of girls on the program.

To show you what a difference our Girls' Education program is having, we wanted to revisit one of our favorite “girl” stories that we get asked about a lot at Room to Read –- the story of a Nepali Girls’ Education program scholar named Sabina.

For those that need a refresher on Sabina, in 2007 PBS’s FRONTLINE/World  produced a short documentary called "Nepal: A Girl’s Life" that documented a nine year old Sabina and what her life was like now that she was on our Girls’ Education program and had the opportunity to go to school and learn to read.

At age nine, Sabina sat on a pile of stones and while chipping away at a rock with  a hammer in her hand, told us that she wanted to be a doctor. But now the young lady asserts that she wants to work on airplanes with a kind of authority that is difficult to challenge!

You’ll see from reading the story below that there is no stopping Sabina from reaching out for the stars.

***

Sabina walks into the room quietly but when spotting Reema, Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program officer in Nepal, breaks into a huge smile and runs over to greet Reema with a warm hug.

“I was happy to hear that you are here! It is like meeting someone from my own family,” she says with a giggle before giving her another hug and then turning around to find out who the new faces in the group were.

“What is your name?” she asks us even before we can introduce ourselves. She extends her hand out for a firm hand shake.  It is endearing to see Sabina the child, grow into a confident and graceful young teenager.

Sabina, who just turned thirteen, is soft spoken but she's certainly at ease with the Room to Read Nepal staff as she laughs and jokes with them. She even sings a song for the team and does a quick folk dance to update us about her new found hobbies and interests.

Sabina is now in 6th grade  and her interest in reading story books has not diminished. “I take one book home each week.  I would love to read more but I do not have much free time,” says Sabina softly.

With both her parents away at work for most of the day, Sabina and her brother have to share the house chores. “I get up in the morning around 5:45 am and then study for two hours while my brother cooks lunch for the family. At eight on the dot, both of us leave for school,” says Sabina before adding, “In the evening it is my turn to cook the meal before my parents return. It is very tiring to get back from school and start cooking. I don’t have the energy to study after that.”

“How will you become a doctor then?” I counter.

“Ooops! Who said I want to become a doctor? I said that when I was a kid and did not know about other options. Now I want to work on airplanes as a hostess!” she says with a flourish.

“But why?” I persist.

She laughs aloud and then changes her tone, “I want to see the world and working on airplanes is one way I can do that.” Sabina raises her hand to indicate that she has not finished explaining. “More importantly, my priority now is to finish my studies quickly and be able to find a profession that allows me to earn money for the family.”

"Do you still get to go out and play your favorite games?” we ask, anxious to find out if our Sabina has actually shaken away her childhood fantasies and dreams completely.

“No way! I am too big to go out and play games now. When I do get time now, I watch Hindi movies with my friends on the TV at my neighbor’s house.”

On being asked if she still had to go to stone quarry, Sabina nods. “My parents discourage me from going there now. They want me to study.  But I go there once in a while when we have a school holiday so that my mother can take some rest.”

As we get ready to leave, we tease Sabina and tell her that the next time we meet she will have decided on pursuing another career path.

“Not a chance!” says Sabina and then grabs a piece of paper and writes ‘Airhostess: Sabina Timalsinha’ before adding “Keep this paper as a record!”

On our way back to the city, we stop at the stone quarry to visit Sabina’s parents. They continue to work at the same stone quarry on the outskirts of Kathmandu.  Their day starts as early as 7:00 am (6:00 am in summer) and both husband and wife keep chipping at the rocks untill 6:00 pm with just a one hour lunch break.

“It is tough but we don’t have any other skill so we have to continue to earn a living this way,” says Sabina’s mother, Rita.

Between them they earn $1,600 Nepalese Rupees every month ($21 USD).  “We are grateful to Room to Read for supporting Sabina,” says her father Krishna Prasad. He explains, “This opportunity has also made us more aware of our responsibilities as parents. For if people from far off countries are supporting our child in school then we should also do our best to ensure that she does get a good education. So now we save $50 Nepalese Rupees every week from our earnings to ensure our kids can go to college later.”

Before we parted with Sabina she confirmed this change in her family.  “ I want to thank Room to Read for this opportunity. It has changed not just my life but also that of my parents because now they are committed to our study.”

-- Reena Luke

To read more stories like that of Sabina, please download our 2009 Girls' Education Yearbook (pdf).

And, don't forget for the month of May in honor of Mother's Day, all donations to our Girls' Education Program are matched up to $150,000!  Click here to donate for yourself or in honor of a special loved one.

Room to Read Student Becomes a Teacher in India

“I know how empowering good education can be,” says Hema, a 19-year-old graduate of Room to Read’s Girls Education Program.  And she means it –- in addition to pursuing her college education, Hema has been a teacher at the Shishu Mandir School in her home village in Uttarakhand, India for the past year, passing on the gift of education to the next generation of her community. Soft-spoken by nature, Hema completely transforms in the classroom -– always poised and in command. “There is so much satisfaction in helping children to learn. I am adopting the campaign slogan, ‘Each one, teach one’ and taking it to a new level by teaching so many at once,” she says of her plans to pursue a teaching degree.

One of Room to Read’s first Girls’ Education participants in India, Hema was forced to give up her studies after 10th grade when her parents became unable to afford the school fees for all five children, and decided educating their two daughters was not a priority.  With Room to Read’s help, she was able to continue her schooling, and passed 12th grade with flying colors two years later.

Immediately after graduating, Hema begin dedicating herself to helping other students succeed, tutoring younger Girls’ Education program participants to help pay for college.  Her dedication to the younger students lead her local school to offer her a job, which she eagerly accepted, and now happily juggles that responsibility with her undergraduate studies. “I am here today as a teacher because Room to Read helped me when I needed that support most,” says Hema, “I would like to thank this wonderful organization for helping me, and other girls like me, get the opportunity to change our lives.”

It is in partnership with dedicated teachers like Hema, that Room to Read is able to affect the lives of so many children in the developing world.  This week, for Teacher Appreciation Week, we thank all the incredible educators on the ground in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Zambia, who work tirelessly to provide the lifelong gift of education to their communities.  We couldn’t do it without you!

To read more about Hema and other stories from other girls on our Girls' Education program, please download our 2009 Girls' Education Yearbook (pdf).

And, don't forget for the month of May in honor of Mother's Day, all donations to our Girls' Education Program are matched up to $150,000!  Click here to donate for yourself or in honor of a special loved one.

Guest Blog: Notes from our Chapter Leadership Conference

Right now, Room to Read is conducting its annual Chapter Leader Conference (the 9th annual), which gives the Room to Read staff the opportunity to bring our chapter leaders up-to-date and to present our vision for the years ahead. It also provides a key forum for chapter leaders to share best practices across their chapters.  Our Boston Chapter Co-Leader, Barb Heffner, shares her impressions of one of the sessions on our Girls' Education program which ties in nicely with this week's celebration of International Women's Day.

***

When I attended my first Chapter Leader Conference last year, I was ill-prepared from a tissue-stocking standpoint. There are so many moments when a Room to Read program staffer shares a story of an individual student, which makes Room to Read’s work come alive (and makes me reach for my Kleenex!)

Emily Leys kicked off the first session which immediately started the tear-jerking moments. Emily is a senior global program officer for Room to Read, leading the Girls’ Education Program -- a personal favorite of mine. Emily has been with the organization for nine years, and she’s just a ball of fire. She graciously gave us an hour of her time and then left directly for the airport, for a trip to Vietnam!

I always value the stats about the difference that girls’ education can make. For example, one study shows that educating an additional 10 percent of the girls in a country boosts the GDP by three percent.

We tend to oversimplify the Girls’ Education program, for shorthand, by describing it as a girls’ scholarship program. But that’s a terrible injustice because it’s so much more than that, and the program’s tremendous success depends on its holistic nature. It includes exam preparation and tutoring, remedial education, transportation where needed, life skills workshops and mentoring. In a nutshell, the program is designed not just to educate a girl in the conventional sense, but also to support the student and equip her for success in life.

The program has been underway for a sufficiently long time now that Room to Read is beginning to see its first graduates! And the success rate has been terrific, with about 98 percent of girls advancing to the next grade. 

One program graduate is now a Room to Read employee in Cambodia, working as a mentor for younger girls. She is bringing the benefits of education full circle, providing the next generation of students with a vibrant role model from their own community.

Another student who has graduated demonstrates the lengths some girls will go to to advocate for themselves. This girl – a member of India’s untouchable caste – was always highly self-motivated. When both of her parents died, she began living with an aunt, who initially did not support her desire to continue her schooling. This young girl went on a hunger strike for three days to show her auntie how very much she wanted to continue her schooling. (Emily was quick to note that Room to Read does not endorse hunger strikes! This occurred before the student became involved in the Girls’ Education program.)

Under the Girls’ Education program, this girl was able to continue her schooling through secondary school. As part of the program, some health care professionals visited one day as part of a career education session. The student was inspired by this visit, and having graduated, she will shortly start university. She aims to be a doctor!

Stories like this one recharge volunteer chapter leaders like me. Time and again, we are reminded that by sheer chance, we were born in a country where education for girls is a right. It is so rewarding to support an organization that is trying to extend that right to deserving girls in the developing world.

-- Barb Heffner, Boston Chapter Co-Leader

To learn more about our Chapter Network, click here.

Guest Blog: Reflection and Celebration on International Women’s Day

I’ll always remember the chilly autumn day I waited with three women strangers to cross the street in downtown San Francisco.  The light was green, but the scream of a fire engine siren warned us all to stay put until the emergency vehicle passed.  As the fire truck tore by, I looked up just in time to see the Asian American woman driver expertly maneuvering it around the corner.  I can’t quite explain how I felt except to say that my heart leapt… funny as that sounds.  I glanced around to the other women on the corner and we were all grinning ear to ear.  One of us even said, “right on!” and we all nodded to each other.  We then crossed the street and each resumed our busy afternoons.  However fleeting, the positive, physical response I had to seeing this woman firefighter has contributed to my understanding of the power of role models. She was a gender transformative role model for me and I’m celebrating her today.

Today, March 8th, is International Women’s Day.  The day was established nearly 100 years ago as a day of international solidarity among women and their men allies around the globe.  Along with the history of struggle, the day has become a time to celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future in our own contexts and those around the world.  This year’s theme of International Women’s Day is "Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All."  This theme resonates deeply with Room to Read as it is our vision and mission to promote quality education for all the world’s children.  Particularly relevant is our work to increase gender equality in education by supporting equal opportunities for girls through our Girls’ Education program.  A key strategy of this program is to ensure that girls have access to positive, transformative role models.

Room to Read fosters and provides role modeling in a variety of different ways.  One way is by supporting local mentors who work directly with the girls.  Joshina, a local Room to Read mentor in Nepal, was herself an indentured servant and provides a positive, breathing example to the hundreds of girls on our program who have lived through this same experience.  In Cambodia, Sokhea completed 12th grade as a participant on the Girls’ Education program and now works as a mentor in her community providing an example of the resources and skills that secondary school can provide.  Another way our program provides role modeling is by inviting adult women to come speak with the girls about their experiences and careers.  Recently, our Zambia team invited an accomplished female math teacher to demystify math and science as the girls were struggling in these subjects.  And, Nang Oy’s Dream, a local language title developed and published by Room to Read Laos, presents literary role models that include a girl struggle to go to school and her father’s willingness to break with traditional gender roles take on some of her household chores himself in order to make her dream possible.

The need for role models is universal, even if the relevance of the particular types varies between and within contexts. My excitement at seeing a woman firefighter is related to the context of San Francisco, California in the early 1990s.  I had learned that it wasn’t until 1987 that San Francisco had hired the first woman to the fire department and that was under a hard won court order to diversify.  This is just a small example of the hundreds of women and men that have represented gender transformative role models to me over the years.  I am excited for Room to Read to continue to promote positive and relevant role modeling for and among the girls and boys that we serve.  On this International Women’s Day, I encourage us all to reflect on the gender transformative role models that have inspired us and helped shape our lives.  And to continue to work toward a world with equal rights, equal opportunities and progress for all.

-- Emily Leys, Senior Global Program Officer, Girls' Education Program

To learn more about our Girls' Education program, click here.

Karmic Blessings from India: One Father's Thanks

From the verandah where we were sitting I could see him sitting on his haunches under a tree across the dusty road and squint to keep out the sun.  He had been sitting there in the hot sun for more than two hours and I thought he was waiting to escort his child back from school.

We had barely finished talking to other students, but perhaps our movement of picking up our files gave him the cue -– for in a jiffy he was standing on the edge of the verandah with his palms pressed together in a namaste.

The moment he caught my eye, he walked towards us with his hands still folded. He looked tired and a little dehydrated and before we could ask him anything he said: “My name is Nagaraj, K Nagaraj,” emphasizing the ‘K’ as if is his whole identity hinged on that one letter.

He sat on the periphery of the grass mat and looked at the floor as he spoke.

“I know you are busy but I will take just two minutes,” he said before continuing, “When I learned that you were coming to this village, I asked your Room to Read staff to help me get an appointment so that I could personally thank you all for all that you have done for my child.  I don’t know how or why you chose to help our village, but I am sure my daughter has done some good karma to be blessed with this opportunity. If Room to Read had not helped my child, today she would be sitting at home and I would have been cursing my fate.  Please convey my family’s gratitude to all your staff for doing this good deed.”

When he looked up his eyes were wet but he was not finished.

“I have three children and I could only afford to educate two. Since the older two were already in school when Kripa, my youngest, was born, they continued with their schooling.  When Kripa was five, I found it difficult to tell her why she should not go to school. What made it even more difficult was her enthusiasm for school. She would get up early and even before her mother could cook breakfast she was ready with her school bag!”

Nagaraj is a farmer and has a small piece of land on the outskirts of the city. It is not a very fertile patch but he manages to coax a groundnut harvest each year from that. The little earnings from that is all that the family has for a livelihood.

“This land is all I have and if I sell it or pawn it, my family will starve. I was in a dilemma because from my own experience, I knew too well that education is the best gift we can give our children.  I was helpless.

“It was then that Room to Read came to my rescue. Since my daughter was a good student, she was selected as part of the Girls’ Education program and Room to Read helped to find her a school with a boarding facility so that she does not have to travel long distances.”

Nagaraj’s voice breaks but his broad smile conveys his happiness. Currently, all three of his children are in school and he is a proud father. Kripa is a brilliant student and is now in 8th grade.  Her elder brother is about to graduate grade twelve and her older sister is in grade ten.

“We get to see Kripa two or three times each term.  Her mother misses her especially when there is a festival or family gathering. Sometimes I catch her crying softly at night and I know she is missing Kripa.  But, I chide her and remind her that we are lucky that our child has this opportunity and we should encourage her to do well instead of making it difficult for her.

“For me it is important that my children study because when I was growing up, my parents did not realize this. My father thought it was more important that I tended to the cattle. As a result, I only studied through 5th grade. When I see my old classmates now, I cringe with shame but because of my children, I don’t have to cringe any longer.”

-- Reena Luke

To learn more about our programs in India, click here.

Age of Enlightenment in India: Muslim Village Breaks the Illiterate Cycle for Girls in their Community

On the border of the Indian states of Haryana and Rajasthan sits a small, rural and very remote village of Mirzapur that claims they found enlightenment -– enlightenment from education.   I was fortunate to visit this village last week.

It’s a 5 hour drive to reach Mirzapur from Delhi along the highway and dirt roads packed with cars, trucks, 3-wheeled “autos”, motorcycles, bicycles, cows, camels and many, many people.  We are being taken into this protected Muslim community with Room to Read’s partner organization Alwar Mewat Institute of Education and Development (AMIED) who encouraged this once illiterate and uneducated community to support education and particularly, girls’ education.  They have found success -– since India gained independence 60 years ago, this will be the first generation of girls to attend school in this community.

In Rajasthan alone, Room to Read’s Girls Education program works in five districts and supports over 800 girls through five partner organizations.  In partnership with AMIED, Room to Read helps close to 200 girls remain in school -– some of those girls attend a pilot “bridge course” which tutors those forced to drop out of school and helps assimilate them back into school by catching them up with the mainstream curriculum.  When we visited the Mirzapur bridge course, we met over 40 young girls who are desperately trying to find their way back into school.

I saw one girl -- possibly 12 years old with a small infant and wondered if this was her own.  No, it was explained: this girl brings her baby brother to the course because she is responsible for taking care of him and if this means she has to bring him to school, that is what she does.  The teachers in the course encourage this; they encourage anything to help these girls transition back into the school system.

It’s not just the financial struggle for the family that keeps girls out of school.  Even more so in Rajasthan, it is cultural barriers among the Muslim communities that gave this community a statistic of a 0% literacy rate among women.   Girls are not encouraged to study and if there is school, it was typically taught by religious leaders outside of the mainstream school system.   But AMIED would not hear of this and a few years ago began an underground movement to ingratiate themselves into this community and start a “wave of enlightenment” -– starting with the men of Mizapur and teaching them the value of education.  AMIED felt if they could just convince one of the stronghold Muslim communities to change their ways, they would act as a model for others in the region who would want to follow their lead.  And, it’s been working! 

 

We sat with the men’s educational council who explained after many years they have recognized the value of education and feel comfortable with girls attending school because they have trust that it will help their community in the long run.  Just four years ago before the campaign began, only fifteen children attended the local primary school – all of them boys and since 1952, only 20 men in all had graduated.  Now, after AMIED’s campaign and with Room to Read’s support, there are 575 children in the school and 275 of them are girls and with so many students attending, they built a secondary school so students could continue their learning!  In fact, we met Rajbala, the first girl ever in this community to complete 8th grade and she is now being treated as the local celebrity.   She told us, “when I graduate, I hope to become a teacher and give back to my community who has provided me this opportunity.”

-- Rebecca Hankin

Room to Read Scholar in Zambia is Making the Grade

Meet Esther, a 15-year-old soon-to-be high school student thanks to Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program.  She’s gearing up for the national exams she’s required to pass in order to enter high school -– and she’s feeling pretty confident; so much so that she’s certain she will do well in math, her most challenging subject. 

“Math has been a tough subject for me, but after the tutoring organized by Room to Read, it is no longer a problem for me. I am very sure that I will pass the exams,” says Esther. 

As one of 107 girls supported by Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program at the school she attends in the Chongwe District of Zambia, Esther receives tutoring in math and other subjects as part of our holistic approach to provide academic support and life skills training to educate, motivate and empower girls in the developing world.

Like many families in Esther’s community, formal education is considered a luxury her parents cannot afford to finance. She is the third of eight children and her parents struggle to sustain their large family on her father’s income as a bus driver. That’s why Esther appreciates every ounce of support and encouragement she gets from Room to Read; she is committed to working hard and taking full advantage of the educational resources her parents never had.

According to Esther’s mathematics teacher, the study sessions are definitely making a difference.

“Until Room to Read began to help, Esther had been an average pupil with marked weakness in science and mathematics. The tutoring has helped her very much. She is now more confident and is going to make it to grade 10,” says Esther’s teacher.

Watch out high school, Esther is on her way!

Girls' Education Program Graduate Le Thi Tuyet Nga

August marked a very important milestone for the Room to Read Vietnam team. Nineteen year old Le Thi Tuyet Nga, completed Long Thoi Secondary School to become one of the first scholars to finish Room to Read's girls' education program! After four years of participation as a scholar, Nga successfully passed all exams and has been accepted to two well-known university programs in Ho Chi Minh City. Nga proudly informed Room to Read she has decided to attend the Social Sciences and Humanities University. The Room to Read Vietnam team is elated!

Nga, born June 13 1989, is the second child of four siblings. Nga explained that her family has faced many difficulties. Her parents did not have enough money to vaccinate her as a baby and were unable to even celebrate her birthday when she was young. She expressed that her parents felt bad and it was painful for them to not provide for their daughter. However, she shared that she is not sad about the events in her life or that she may be financially less fortunate. Growing up, her only fear was that she would have to leave school to become a hired peasant or a worker in a factory. She did not want this to be her fate.

The opportunity for an education and a better life are the reasons Nga worked hard at school each day, tried her best, and achieved her academic goals. Without Room to Read Nga believes her parents would have tried to allow her to finish school, but that it would have been extremely difficult for her family. In Nga's words, Room to Read's support "lessened the burden from my parents' shoulders". While Nga greatly appreciates the financial support of Room to Read's scholarship, she says that she has also been affected spiritually and emotionally by the mission of Room to Read and the friends she has made through her participation in the program. Nga finished her story by stating that graduating from high school is only the first step for her life's path. She believes that studying at a university is one of the most important opportunities in one's life. Her goal is to continue to try her best academically, continue to overcome obstacles that arise, and to have a strong career. As she describes it, this path will allow Nga to "support myself, my family, and others."