Room to Read Blog

Guest Blog in Honor of Khmer New Year: Looking Ahead

Borin Srey is Room to Read’s Communications Officer for Cambodia. In this guest blog he shares the traditions and office rituals surrounding the Khmer New Year.

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Today marks the first day of the Khmer New Year, a three-day celebration based on Buddhist legend, with each day having its own particular significance. In honor of the holiday and on behalf of the entire Room to Read Cambodia team, I will share a little bit about the holiday and how our team marks its occurrence every year.

The first day of this ritual ceremony is called Maha Sangkran. For this day, most Cambodians clean their houses and decorate them with lights, while preparing of offerings, such as flowers, garlands, fruits, candles, and incense to welcome the new goddess. As radio and television announce the arrival of the New Year, monastery drums sound, and people burn candles and incense to celebrate happiness, luck and prosperity. In the afternoon, many go to the local monastery to build sand or rice hills that symbolize Buddha’s stupa (where his relics were buried).

The second day is Virak Wanabat. For this celebration, people dress up in traditional costumes, prepare food to offer to monks at the monastery and offer their charity—such as money, clothes, or foods—to less fortunate individuals. They also burn candles and incense to ask for happiness and prosperity.  

The last day of the New Year celebration is Leang Saka. On this day, children shower their grandparents at home to show their gratitude and respect. At the monasteries, people do the same for Buddha statues. Young people love to splash in the perfumed water and play games, like scarf-throwing, tug of war or traditional dancing.

As with all national holidays in Cambodia, rural villagers finish their harvest early and relax a bit. Those who have migrated to urban areas often visit relatives these days as well. The ambiance in both the countryside and cities is lively, with illuminated decorations and music echoing in the streets.

Every year, just before the arrival of Khmer New Year, the Room to Read Cambodia team organizes a staff gathering, followed by recreational activities to celebrate the New Year and build team spirit.  Together, we reflect on the year’s achievements and look forward towards the future.

“Last year, we accomplished many great things. This year, we’ll continue to focus on building a positive work environment,” said Kall Kann, our country director, during this year’s reflection. Then, program staff voiced their plans for the future, building momentum and excitement among all of us.

“We are looking forward to collaborating with the Reading & Writing Instruction team on producing decodable books to help teachers nurture young readers,” shared Rattana, manager of Book Publishing. “We will be introducing Life Skills Assessment to track the progress of our Girls’ Education program participants,” added program manager Soseihaknead. Sok Ieng, manager of School Libraries was next to chime in. “We are focusing on capacity building for our field staff to improve the training they provide to schools,” he said proudly.

With so much to look forward to, it’s certain to be a very good New Year.

Learn more about our work in Cambodia.

Video Blog: Erin Ganju on Empowering All Children Through Education

November 20th is Universal Children's Day, a day designated by the United Nations to focus on the wellbeing of children everywhere. For Room to Read CEO Erin Ganju, this means ensuring all children—including her own daughter, Julia—get the education they need to become active, empowered citizens.

In this video, produced in partnership between Liberty Mutual's Responsibility Project and Women in the World, Erin discusses Room to Read's progress so far, and how seeing our work through her daughter's eyes has shaped her perspective.

Learn more about our leadership on our website.

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.  

Guest Blog from our Team: International Day of the Girl Child

Emily Leys is Global Director of Girls' Education for Room to Read and a passionate advocate for gender equality around the globe. 

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Today is the first ever International Day of the Girl Child (as designated by the United Nations), and if you ask me it is a long time coming. On behalf of the entire Girls’ Education team worldwide, I couldn’t be more excited to commemorate this day and the incredible opportunity it represents to engage girls, schools and communities around the globe in bringing about greater gender equality.

The benefits of educating girls are well-documented and they extend to families, communities, and whole nations. But most importantly, providing equal access to girls is simply the right thing to do. All children deserve an education and the opportunity it accords. For girls in the countries where we work—in places like the sandbar islands of Bangladesh and the Mekong Delta of Vietnam—education is the key to health, security, active citizenship and a better life for future generations. That’s why our teams in nine countries across Africa and Asia are hard at work each day providing the academic support, mentoring and life skills training that the girls on our program need to succeed in school and beyond.

On a recent trip to Zambia, where our program is wrapping up its fifth year of operation, I was humbled yet again by the lengths the young women on our program go to in order to get an education and expand their options. This includes the literal length of five miles walked to and from school each day, but also the hours poured into study and courage to break with traditions in conflict with their dreams. In a community where early marriage has been the norm for generations, these young women are determined to finish school before moving on to marriage and parenthood. I’m reminded of an 11^th grade student named Esther telling me, “I want to have a family, but only after I launch my career in journalism.”

Young women like Esther make me more confident than ever that gender equality in education is within reach. The fact is that despite all odds there are countless girls across the developing world who are bravely claiming their right to education, making important choices for themselves, and inspiring others in their communities to do the same.

This powerful ripple effect is the subject of a new documentary, Girl Rising, set to premiere in spring of 2013. The ground-breaking film, produced by our partners at 10x10, will feature the story of Suma Tharu, a Room to Read student from Nepal, along with nine other trail-blazing young women.  You can read more about Suma’s story on our website.

In honor International Day of the Girl, we are excited to share the film’s trailer, and announce that a group of generous Room to Read supporters has committed to matching all donations 2-to-1 through the end of the day in honor of this special occasion (up to $350,000). Learn more and donate at www.roomtoread.org/10x10act

   

This afternoon at 3:00pm PST, join Emily—along with representatives from Intel, CARE and more—for an Ashoka Changemakers Twitter chat on how to leverage technology to improve the lives of women and girls. Follow the action with the hashtags #SocEntChat and #IDG2012!

Show and Tell: Celebrating International Literacy Day 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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It is already September 8, International Literacy Day, in many parts of the world and celebrations have already begun and will continue throughout the weekend. In partnership with the Education Resource Development Center Nepal, Room to Read Nepal spent Friday celebrating in Lalitpur in a festival they called DEAR: Drop Everything and Read. Check out some of their photos from the event!

 

 

Join Room to Read in celebrating International Literacy Day throughout September. For each action you take, $1 will be donated to support our work.  Learn more at www.roomtoread.org/ILD2012.

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.

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.

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.

World AIDS Day 2011: A Special Message from Room to Read

Every year since 1988, World AIDS Day has been celebrated on December 1. It is a time to unite against a disease that has claimed millions of lives over the past three decades and look forward to a cure.

While nearly all of the countries where Room to Read works have been touched by the AIDS pandemic, two of them—South Africa and Zambia—have been hit particularly hard. Many of the children we work with have lost family and friends to the disease.

But today—on World AIDS Day—we bring you a message of hope. The truth is, all across the globe right now there are NGOs, governments, community organizations and private citizens fighting HIV and AIDS where it is most prevalent, and making an impact. As the global community anxiously awaits a cure to HIV/AIDS, it is important that we recognize and invest in the tools we have right now to turn the tide—tools like education.

Enjoy our video message and leave a comment to let us know what you'll be doing this year to commemorate World AIDS Day in your own way:

 

Learn more about our work in Zambia and South Africa.

In Honor of World Teachers' Day: Celebrating One Teacher's Success Motivating Young Readers in Laos

World Teachers' Day, celebrated each year on October 5, was established by UNESCO in 1994 to recognize the vital contribution that teachers make to education and development.

In honor of World Teachers' Day today, we bring you the story of one teacher in Laos dedicated to ensuring her students gain the literacy skills necessary to succeed in the classroom and beyond. She is one of hundreds of teachers participating in our Literacy Instruction program across Asia and Southern Africa, all of whom we celebrate today.

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In many cases, our Literacy Instruction program finds teachers a little nervous to break away from established teaching methods and experiment with something new—especially given the existing academic targets they are already working towards for the year. There are exceptions to every rule however, and Phoukham Bounthavy is one of them.

Ms. Bounthavy is a teacher at Sengsavang Complete Primary School in an urban village of northwest Laos, and since her very first Room to Read training session has been enthusiastic about participating in the program.

Having joined during the program’s pilot phase, Ms. Bounthavy was convinced right away that introducing new teaching methods into her classroom would help improve her students’ budding literacy skills.

After her training, Ms. Bounthavy returned to school, armed with colorful posters, charts, flash cards and books to help turn her classroom into a more effective learning environment. “The children took to the new curriculum like ducks to water,” she says with newfound confidence, noting that in particular the activity-based teaching kept her students engaged throughout the duration of the lesson—their hands flying in the air to answer questions.

“For me, the most important thing is that the children learn,” she told our staff when they visited her classroom.

Always eager to improve, she prodded them, “if you find that I’m not doing something correctly, please let me know—I’m not afraid of criticism.”

It wasn’t long before her willingness to try new things began paying dividends. Almost without exception, her students became more confident in their mastery of the alphabet, and seemed to enjoy their lessons more. At the end of the year when the time for student evaluations came, her class of young readers was ranked the best in the school.

“I am very happy that I was included in the Literacy Pilot program” says Ms. Bounthavy. “I have become a better instructor and now have more confidence that my students understand the lessons.”

Learn more about our Literacy Instruction program and about our work in Laos.