Room to Read Blog

In India, Mandal Parishad Primary School Students Take Charge of Their Library

Located 62 miles from the regional capital of Hyderabad, Mandal Parishad Primary School partnered with Room to Read to establish its first-ever school library in 2008.

That same year, a Child Management Committee was formed to maintain checkout registers and ensure overall upkeep of the facility. Common across many of our school library projects, these student committees foster ownership and help teach skills like responsibility and accounting.

At Mandal Parishad Primary, the Child Management Committee is particularly active and regularly organizes literacy-themed events at the school. The last time our team stopped by, the schoolyard was buzzing with activity. 

Unable to contain her enthusiasm, a 5th grader named Smitha filled us in. “I am participating in the reading competition today,” she said. “My parents are coming to see me!” In addition to Smitha's contest, the day also included storytelling exercises and time for the students to read aloud to members of the local community—many of whom are illiterate.

Beyond these special events, says Ms. Karuna See, the school’s headmistress, the library has an incredible impact on the day-to-day operations of the school. “Not only has the absenteeism from classes dropped,” she reported with a smile, “but the level of community engagement in the school’s activities has also increased.”

Ms. See went on to share how the formation of the Child Management Committee for the library inspired other students to start similar operations. “I am amazed at the leadership capabilities of these children,” she says. 

Various clubs within the school have now taken on such causes as health and hygiene, organizing cultural activities and disseminating news to the local community. The health committee has even gone door-to-door with a grassroots campaign to decrease waste—inspired by a book from the shelves of their own school library.

Learn more about our work in India.

Guest Blog from India: 10 Years. Two Million Children. One Big Reason to Celebrate!

The following is a guest blog by Kushal Mazumdar, acting country director for Room to Read in India. 

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The New Year of 2013 started with a bang for Room to Read India. This week, we were presented with the Times of India Social Impact Award—the only NGO recognized in the category of education.  I can’t think of a better way to kick off our tenth year of operation in India than an honour such as this.

The Times of India is the most widely-circulated (and highly respected) English-language daily newspaper in India, and its Social Impact Award is highly sought-after. The selection process includes a stringent preliminary review of all nominees, followed by site visits, meetings with staff and beneficiaries and a final deliberation by a jury of experts.

For our staff, this award represents a quality certificate of our work and impact. It is a testimony that we are headed in the right direction and should continue to do our part in helping our nation and society develop further. Room to Read India is part of a global movement—a network of people dedicated to building a better world through education, and I feel proud that I have the opportunity to work with such extraordinary people. The hard work and conviction my colleagues demonstrate every day has resulted in this award. Congratulations are due to all!

In addition to the validation it lends our work, the Times of India award has also given our organization a great platform. At Monday’s ceremony, which was televised nationally, the President of India, political leaders, ambassadors from all over the world and business leaders from many multinational companies were in attendance. Our work also graced the pages of the publication for weeks leading up to the event.

We are ready to take our work to the next level and impact the children we have yet to reach. In our first ten years, Room to Read India has benefited more than 2.8 million children, and this new recognition will help us do even more. Two of those beautiful children, Jyoti (9) and Ujala (10) presented the Times of India award on Monday, and their presence made the ceremony all the more meaningful. Both girls study in 5^th grade at government-run primary schools (one in Delhi, one in Rajasthan) and learned to love reading in their school libraries, established by Room to Read. Coincidentally, both girls’ names mean “light,” and as they confidently came on stage to do their part, no term could be more fitting.

On behalf of the entire team of Room to Read India, I would like to thank all of our supporters for joining us in the belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children. We look forward to many more years of success.

Learn more about our work in India.

Big News from the ICC World T20 Tournament in Sri Lanka: Room to Read and ICC Bring Cricketers' Stories to Life

There is a lot of excitement around the ICC World T20 cricket championships in Sri Lanka these days, but not all of it is on the pitch. In partnership with the International Cricket Council, Room to Read has released two new original children’s books based on the lives of cricket stars Virat Kohli of India and Angelo Mathews of Sri Lanka. Amid the ICC World T20 excitement, we caught up with the writer of Virat’s Inning and the illustrator of Little Angelo’s Big Day in Cricket, to hear more about their experiences bringing the stars’ stories to life.

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Aruna Keerthi Gamage, illustrator of Little Angelo’s Big Day in Cricket, has been involved with Room to Read’s Book Publishing program for five years and has illustrated more than 10 books in Sri Lanka.

Room to Read: What made you interested in illustrating for children?

Aruna:  I read children’s story books while I was growing up—especially those from the Soviet Union and China. I realized that good children’s books manage to strike a harmony between storyline and illustrations. You cannot separate the two.  As I got older, my curiosity for learning the art of illustration also grew, so I started searching for new training opportunities in this area.

Room to Read: How was the concept for Angelo’s book developed?

Aruna:  Angelo’s book was a challenge since it was a biography and I had to determine how true I wanted to stay to his actual life. I had to imagine his childhood in my mind. I also tried to imagine what an aspiring cricketer would go through in this country—the feeling of wanting to play for their country.

For research, I surveyed newspaper articles, the internet and other archival materials to observe his features and physical attributes. I also met Angelo and his family members and did extensive interviews with them.

Room to Read: What makes an illustrator successful? What advice do you have for aspiring illustrators?

Aruna: Well, first and foremost: understand children. Illustrations should talk to children and be attractive. Think out of the box and also, newcomers should have the ability to observe the world around them.

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Bimal Mohan is a sports journalist by profession, but his passion for writing led him to Room to Read. He found his niche within our Book Publishing program in India, and authored this year’s original title Virat’s Inning, based on the life of cricket star Virat Kohli.

Room to Read: What initially interested you in writing children’s stories?

Bimal:  Well, being a sports journalist, the one question that we often ask sports stars is how they plan to give back to the game. This question stands true for me as a journalist, too. I believe that our generation will only leap forward when we give back to society. So when I got an offer to write for children, I had no second thoughts.

Room to Read: Was it difficult writing a book on a famous cricketer?

Bimal: Yes and No. No, because this exercise was in a way similar to reporting as a sports journalist. Yes, because normally when we write our news reports, we do so for audiences which are at least young adults and upwards and not small children. Writing for children requires a different outlook.

Room to Read: What interested you most in Virat’s story?

Bimal: Irrespective of the sport, every champion has a unique story. All of them cross a difficult hurdle to reach the pinnacle—athletes like Usain Bolt, Mo Farah, Sachin Tendulkar and Lance Armstrong. Virat is no different. He is a true champion in the making.

He lost his father in the midst of playing an important match, but continued to play, which speaks volumes about his mental state. Sports teach a lesson about duty, honor and teamwork. Virat Kohli learned it the hard way and came out the other side with flying colors. 

Room to Read: What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Bimal: Observe, persevere and read as much as you can.

Learn more about our partnership with ICC at http://www.roomtoread.org/wt20

Girls' Education Program Participants Hit the Road in New Delhi

Despite a light drizzle, the air of excitement was palpable as 30 girls from Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program in Delhi arrived at a special life skills session. Anxious to begin the day’s activities, the girls lined up neatly to meet their mentors for the day—female drivers employed by Sakha Cab Company.

Today, the eager young students would learn the rules of the road, basic vehicle maintenance and, of course, how to drive. In large cities like New Delhi, which can be unsafe for women, the ability to drive is more than just a practical mode of transportation—it is a key to independence.

For the special life skills session, Room to Read India partnered with Sakha, a social enterprise that provides employment opportunities to women as drivers for other women, corporations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). They also provide a women’s taxi service throughout Delhi that will eventually be owned by the female drivers themselves.

Sakha’s professional drivers were equally excited to work with our Girls’ Education program participants, and began the day with a lively question and answer session in which they candidly shared the individual challenges they had faced in striving to achieve their career aspirations, and how they overcame them. “I used to be very shy, but learning to drive has given me so much confidence—I am a different person now,” shared Chandni, a 22-year-old Sakha employee.

Next up was an overview of vehicle parts and care as well as a test ride courtesy of the female drivers. Squeals of joy could be heard all around!

It wasn’t only the girls, though, that learned something. They brought with them some of Room to Read’s local-language books to share with the women they met, including one that teaches traffic regulations to children. “One of the biggest regrets that I have is that I couldn’t finish my education,” said Chandni to the girls. “Room to Read has given you the wonderful opportunity to complete your education, so make use of it!”

Learn more about Girls’ Education.

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

How One Woman's Book Club in India Has Transformed an Entire Community

The residents of the Shaoliya village in Rajasthan used to spend their evenings playing cards, but recently a new activity had become popular in the community—reading.

In 2008, Room to Read established a library at the local government primary school, but found that engaging parents in their children’s literacy habits was an uphill task. “We had a hard time explaining the benefits of a library to the parents and teachers who were resistant to this change,” says the library facilitator.

Then one day, Sita Kimari—a long-time resident of Shaoliya who was educated only up to fifth grade—decided to check out the school’s new facilities. “I was attracted by the large illustrations, even though I couldn’t read the books,” she says. “As a child, my father always forbade me from reading and wanted me to help him in the fields instead, but there was something welcoming about the library.”

Sita began to make regular visits to the school library whenever she had spare time. “I would sit in the room and try to read the lines written below the illustrations,” she recalls. “The librarian helped me to overcome my fright of reading, and now I can read some books aloud with confidence.”

After she had experienced the value of the library, Sita offered to help our team engage the rest of the community. Some villagers, she said, saw school as a place for children only, which kept them from using the library. In an effort to remove that stigma, Sita began to check out a few books at a time from the school library and issue them to friends and neighbors. She also started a reading club and discussion forum with other women in the village.

Soon the large courtyard in front of Sita’s house had turned into a nightly reading corner—filled to the brim with adults and children devouring books in their local language. Sita keeps a meticulous register of all checkouts and even attended a training put on by our local team on how to tell stories effectively, for those in her community who cannot read at all.

These efforts, combined with the students’ enthusiasm for reading have had an immense effect on the community’s priorities. “Each evening, I look forward to coming to Sita’s house to read these books,” says Dhanraj Choudhary, a neighbor. “The simplicity of language and ideas in these books makes them attractive.”

Dhanraj has quickly become a regular of Sita’s book club. “I have stopped playing cards in my spare time,” he says. “Instead I read books.”

Learn more about our School Library program and about our work in India.

Video Blog: A Fresh Start for Ramdevi

Our Girls' Education program currently supports more than 13,000 scholars in nine countries, each with their own story. For Ramdevi, this story includes being pulled out of the sixth grade to be married when her family could no longer afford to support her. Now back in school, Ramdevi is thriving in the ninth grade, and even makes time to help her brother with his own studies. 

Hear the rest of Ramdevi's story:

 

Find out more about our work in India.

Show and Tell: On Air with our Girls Education Scholars in India

Today’s show and tell post comes from Sukanya Sen, communications officer for Room to Read India. The photos feature some of our Girls’ Education scholars who had the chance to appear on one of India’s most popular radio stations, 92.7 Big FM, in honor of International Literacy Day. 

On the station’s breakfast show, a group of fifth grade girls introduced themselves and read aloud from one of Room to Read’s local-language books, “Power of Friendship.” They also sang songs and spoke with the host about their favorite Bollywood heroes. Later on, some of the older girls in our program shared their stories of struggle in finishing secondary school and how Room to Read has helped.

 

New Year, New Beginnings: One Woman's Quest to Give the Girls in her Community a Fresh Start

Today in India marks the start of Diwali, a new year for many in the country. Each new year brings new beginnings, and so today we bring you the story of one women in Andhra Pradesh who has dedicated her life to helping girls in her community find theirs.

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For Ms. Prameela, helping girls and women overcome obstacles has always been a part of her everyday life. As an urban health worker for many years, she helped pregnant women and young mothers adopt a healthy lifestyle, but says that her work as a social mobilizer for our Girls’ Education program in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh is her greatest challenge yet.

“The mindset of parents who believe that girls should be kept at home and not educated is one of the biggest hurdles in the development of our society,” she says. “We have to systematically work at rooting this evil out.”

Patient and determined, Ms. Prameela works closely with school administration and village residents to build awareness around the consequences of child labor and early marriage. Her daily routine involves trips to the villages of Venkatapuram and Malkapuram to visit the girls she works with and check on their attendance and extracurricular participation. As a mentor for each girl, she says, “the key to charting a successful path for a girl is by transferring the decision-making ability to the girl herself.”

Ms. Prameela’s perseverance has already begun to pay off. At the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year, 32% of girls in her district were below passing grades. That number has since been reduced to 4%, with eight of the girls having received an A+.

Despite the widespread success among her students, though, Ms. Prameela says there is still much work to be done. She recalls how one girl, Rangamma, was married off at just seven years old to a cousin. “After she got married, it was a big blow to her self esteem,” she says, adding that the girl became the target of teasing from her classmates and started missing school.

“I realized that being married was preventing her from getting equal opportunities and decided to give her special attention,” she shares. “I met with her parents, grandfather and husband many a times to convince them to let Rangamma continue her studies.”

Eventually, Rangamma’s family relented and allowed her to return to school, but their fear of being caught by the police for marrying her so young causes her attendance to fluctuate. “I try to tell her family that education is the only way they can move ahead in life,” says Ms. Prameela. “Rangamma has her own dreams for her future and I hope she is able to achieve them.”

Learn more about our Girls’ Education program and about our work in India.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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