Room to Read Blog

Video blog: Book Publishing Program Helps One Young Author in Nepal Find Her Voice (and Her Way Back to School)

In ten countries across Asia and Africa, Room to Read is in the publishing business, turning out brand-new, locally-sourced children’s books year after year. But sometimes, the stories of the authors themselves are just as powerful as the ones they write on paper...

This week, we bring you a special video blog from Nepal. You’ll meet Moni Khan and her family, and learn about how this young literary talent got her start, despite all odds.

  

Filmed, Produced & Written by: Jennifer London, Reel News Productions
Edited by: D.J. Kirsten

Learn more about Book Publishing.

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: A New Chapter for the Tamil Community in Sri Lanka's Central Province

This is a guest post by Jen Spinner, Program Reporting Associate, who shares her reflections from a recent trip to visit Room to Read's work.

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Upon landing in Sri Lanka, one can immediately sense the impact and devastation caused by the country’s recent civil war. While the conflict officially ended three years ago, 300,000 Sri Lankans are still displaced and many communities still lack access to basic infrastructure.

Lying in the middle of the Central Province, Hatton is one of Sri Lanka’s largest tea production regions and home to one of the country’s largest Tamil populations, many of whom work upwards of 14 hours a day on tea plantations. Schools in this area fight for government assistance, often going months or years without access to new textbooks and learning materials.

It is within this reality that Room to Read’s Tamil Literacy and Girls’ Education programs operate, working with families and communities that have been largely forgotten by the country’s reconstruction efforts. As I moved from classroom to classroom and home to home, I heard girls we work with share stories of the personal impact their country’s war had on their lives, weeping for lost relatives and friends. But juxtaposed upon this immense sadness is a palpable sense of determination to succeed in school and provide for their remaining family.

One of my last stops in Hatton was a school at the top of the region’s highest peak that serves 1^st to 12^th grade students. Driving past homes which lacked access to electricity and running water, the obstacles these students face each day simply getting to school became obvious. As we stepped into the school’s main courtyard, students clamored to show our team their favorite books and literacy exercises, growing more excited which each new activity. In Sri Lanka, Room to Read is the only organization ever to provide an early grade literacy program in the Tamil language, so both students and teachers are extremely proud. As we prepared to leave school for the day, Sinthuja, a 10^th grader, invited our team to her home to meet her mother and see her “homework wall.”  During the trek from school, my heart sank at the realization that Sinthuja makes this trip every day, sometimes leaving school after dark to take the forested trail alone.

Sinthuja’s mother is a tea picker, spending 15-16 hours each day in the fields (despite terrible arthritis) to support her six children. Even with such an incredibly demanding schedule, Sinthuja’s mother comes home every night and asks about her daughter's day at school, without exception.  

Upon arriving at Sinthuja’s home, I was immediately drawn to a curtained corner at the far right of the 12x15 structure. This was the only part of the one room-house that was partitioned in any way for privacy from the home’s seven occupants. When I asked Sinthuja’s mother about the space, she explained that behind the curtain is her daughter’s study area/home library, meant to provide some reprieve from the distraction of the busy house. Despite its small size, this space really impacted me, a physical manifestation of the entire family’s commitment to Sinthuja’s education.

And it’s not just Sinthuja’s family who is benefitting from her staying in school. Her community, which sits on the outskirts of Hatton's city center, is extremely remote, and the only means of transportation for its residents is an ever-changing and unreliable bus system. Given the poor quality of local roadways, the routes themselves change frequently, leaving residents with a major challenge when they need to get to work.

As the only member of her village who can read Tamil, Sinthuja now wakes up before dawn to go outside and read the directions and route information to her friends and family. While this may seem like a small act, her efforts save neighbors hours each day, allowing them to arrive on time to work and relieving the extra stress that used to precede a 16-hour day.

“It’s a miracle,” says Sinthuja’s mother, as she describes the vital role that education allowed her daughter to play within the village. Neglected by so many institutions and organizations, Sinthuja and her peers now have hope—a means to a brighter future than the labor cycles they were born into.

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

On World Refugee Day: A Physician in the Making

Although the civil war in Sri Lanka officially ended in 2009, the country is still recovering from more than 25 years of internal conflict. The war turned many families—particularly in the northern provinces—into refugees in their own country. In honor of World Refugee Day, we bring you a story from one formerly war-torn Sri Lankan community that is full of hope for the future.

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In a far corner of the North Central Province—surrounded by acres of fields—lies Wahalkada, a farming village where the residents are beginning to rebuild their lives after years of war.

Chaturangi, a seventh grader at nearby Wahalkada Vidyalaya School, exemplifies the hopeful spirit that permeates her entire community. Along with 53 other girls at her school, Chaturangi was selected last year to participate in Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program. With a younger brother in preschool, she is committed to completing her education and setting a good example.  “When I was accepted into the program, I knew this was my moment to change my life,” she shares candidly. “Until I got that opportunity, I did not know how I would continue on in school.”

Single-minded in her ambition, Chaturangi dreams of becoming a doctor—inspired by a female physician that treated her as a child. After participating in the goal-setting portion of Room to Read’s life skills training last year, Chaturangi drew out a goals chart to hang on the wall of her tiny bedroom—neatly arranged beside her “study space” and a treasured stack of books. “Those guidelines have opened my eyes,” she says of the chart. “I now have a plan to work towards and feel more positive.”

This newfound confidence has helped Chaturangi excel in school, especially in science—her favorite subject. Teachers have also noted a marked difference in her participation in extracurricular activities. She often writes poems about her family and participates in school debates.

Chaturangi’s parents attribute much of their daughter’s success to her social mobilizer. “I am so thankful for the great service she is doing for my daughter,” says Chaturangi’s mother. “She coaches her through all the skills needed for a girl in this part of the country and always believes in my daughter.”

“I want to be a good doctor,” Chaturangi says with confidence. “I want to serve the deserving people in the villages who are just like me.”

Learn more about Room to Read's work in Sri Lanka.

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 soldier 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.

Six Short Weeks: Room to Read’s First Ever (Mini) Film Festival!

Over the past year, documentary filmmakers James Connolly and Rachelle Escaravage visited Room to Read projects throughout Asia. They met the children and communities that are benefitting from our programs, and recorded their stories on film.

Now those stories are the subject of six mini-documentaries, each focusing on one aspect of Room to Read’s work promoting literacy and gender equality in education. Over the next six weeks, we’ll be releasing those videos one at a time—providing you with a closer look at our programs than ever before.

The videos will take you to India, Laos, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, inside the libraries, homes, classrooms and communities of the children we serve. So grab some popcorn, press play and enjoy the show!

 Watch the videos on our website.

Photoblog from Zambia: Meet the Next Generation of World-Changers

Last month, eight teens (ages 15-23) from all around the world gathered in Zambia to embark on Room to Read’s first-ever Teen Trek. Along with their parents (or in some cases, grandparents), Nick, Tegan, Kate, David, Kyle, Rachel, Robert and James spent a week in the Lusaka province, visiting schools and libraries, and learning more about what they can do to support the global education movement.

Their story is a powerful one, and best told through the photos they brought back with them. This photoblog is a taste of exactly that. Our thanks to all of our participants for making the Teen Trek such a success, and to the Room to Read Zambia team for being a gracious host.

 

 

Learn more about how students of all ages can get involved with Room to Read through our Students Helping Students initiative.

Parents in South Africa Celebrate Mandela Day by Giving Back All Year Long

In 2009, the United Nations officially declared July 18 as Nelson Mandela Day, which also happens to be Mandela’s birthday. As a birthday present to the man who spent 67 years in politics serving his people, South Africans and others around the world spend 67 minutes on July 18 in service of others. The hope is that their collective efforts will effect positive change in the world.

Here at Room to Read, we are firm believers that small acts of service can have big results, so we asked our team in South Africa’s Eastern Cape how some of the members of their community would be celebrating Mandela Day. What we found were three parents who have taken Mandela’s creed of service to heart, but have gone above and beyond the traditional 67 minutes—volunteering in their local libraries all year long.

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Ms. Nomathamsanqa Payiya has been volunteering full-time at Lumanyano Public School since January 2010. She was inspired to take an active role in the library when she learned that her son, although in 7th grade, had not yet learned to read well.

When the principal of her son’s school, Mr. Jongilanga, announced in a parents' meeting that Room to Read had established a library at the school, and that he needed assistance from parents to operate it, she jumped at the chance. For Nomathamsanqa, having a library in her community—an informal settlement with an extremely low literacy rate—is a dream come true.

Even though her son has now moved on to the local secondary school, Nomathamsanqa continues to volunteer Monday through Friday—helping young readers with their homework, reading aloud and making book recommendations to new visitors. She also assists the head librarian with book processing, classification and display of the reading materials.

For Mr. Jongilanga, having such dedicated volunteers is extremely important. Parents like Nomathamsanqa, he says, not only allow the library to run smoothly, but forge a tighter bond between the school and the community. Recently, the parents of the school got together, inspired by their children’s enthusiasm for reading, and asked Mr. Jongilanga to open an Adult Education Center on the premises and start a reading club on weekends.

Having only completed her schooling up to 7th grade, Nomathamsanqa is proud to be helping the children of her community become independent readers and complete their education. She reports that attendance at the library increases everyday, with many children becoming “regulars” who visit on a daily basis.

A few miles away, at Msundulo Primary School, our team met two other adults that are Room to Read library regulars. Mr. Kholisile Nelson Felani is the chairperson of Msundulo School Governing Body. His dream is that his children complete their education, as he never had the opportunity to do so.

As part of the School Governing Body, Kholisile helps to ensure operations run smoothly. He initially participated in the construction of the library building, and since then has volunteered on a weekly basis—stamping library books, updating check-out logs and tidying up the facility.

Kholisile is glad to have a library in town because of his neighborhood’s high rate of illiteracy. He encourages the local children to spend as much time reading as possible, and views the community’s investment in education as an important step in lowering the crime rate.

Among other benefits, he says the library’s inclusion of newspapers and magazines among its materials allows adults in the community to keep abreast of local news and search for employment opportunities.

Ms. Noluthando Kame also volunteers in the Msundulo school library. With two children at the school, she relishes any opportunity to be a part of their education. When the library assistant passed away early this year, Noluthando volunteered to take over without hesitation.

Having completed her own education a few years ago after passing the high school exit exam, Noluthando loves reading, and makes it a point to help slower readers improve by leading spelling games and word puzzles. She has become a mentor in the community for many students, and says she is continually inspired to serve by the dedication her community’s school has shown to providing a quality education for all its students.

Thanks to the commitment of parents like Ms. Payiya, Mr. Felani and Ms. Kame across South Africa, it's clear that Mr. Mandela's legacy of service continues to inspire.

Learn more about our programs in South Africa.

In Memory of a Special Father: One Family’s Passion for Reading in Sri Lanka

Last month, our communications manager, Reena Luke, visited Sri Lanka and met this wonderful family who taught their two daughters to develop a passion for reading and books; their passion was significantly fueled when Room to Read opened a library at the local primary school. Just two weeks ago, we sadly learned that the family has since been involved in a tragic moped accident which killed the father and put these two young girls in critical condition in the hospital. Our hearts go out to this family and in tribute to this wonderful father on Father’s Day (also celebrated in Sri Lanka), we wanted to post this story with our thoughts, prayers and deep appreciation for teaching his children how to find their passion. The two girls are now recovering at home and we wish them a quick recovery and send the entire family our condolences on their loss.

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Eight-year-old Paboda and her elder teen-age sister Sandeepa, are two cute book worms always fighting for the latest book to read!

I met Paboda first when I walked into a Grade 3 classroom in Sri Lanka. She greeted me but was in the middle of reading a story to her class. Impressed with her reading skills, we struck up a conversation about the book she was reading.

“My sister read out that story to me last night so I had heard it before,” Paboda said.

Mrs. Rohini Fernando, the school librarian explained, “Paboda’s elder sister, Sandeepa, was a student here two years ago. When Room to Read began supporting us with books, Sandeepa was in Grade 5 and she had never read a story book.” 

Mrs. Fernando continued, “Almost overnight, the child became a bookaholic! I still remember her excitement after she finished one book and within a week she got hooked to reading like no other child in this school. Each day she would take a new book home and it is a habit that she still continues even though she is no longer our student.”

When Sandeepa passed 5th grade, she started attending a senior school a few kilometers away where her father is a music teacher but since that school does not have a library, each morning she sends a “wish list” to Mrs. Fernando via Paboda with the names of books she wants her sister to bring home. 

“I send back at least three books,” Mrs. Fernando says. “The best part is that over the last two years, Sandeepa has never defaulted in returning these books and it is such a pleasure to indulge her.”

Sandeepa’s passion for reading has encouraged her kid sister Paboda to follow in her footsteps.

“I take books for my akki [elder sister in Sinhala] as well as for myself,” explains Paboda. “Earlier my grandmum or my mother used to read out the story to me, but now I can read on my own.  But I enjoy the story best when my akki reads it out to me because she also acts out the story. But I have now made a pact with her: I will get books from my library only on the condition that she reads out one story to me each day!” says Paboda with a big smile.

Continues Paboda in all eagerness, “But it is not that simple because akki too has some conditions: She will read me a story only after I finish my home work and also after I have read aloud one story.”

I get to hear three stories each day,” explains Paboda. “I read one story, my akki reads out another story and my grandmum reads out a story to me at bedtime. Now I know the most of the stories in my class and I am the one my class teacher picks when she wants the class to hear a story.”

At Paboda and Sandeepa’s house, I met  the proud grandmother who is an “O level” graduate. “I used to get my granddaughters books instead of giving the girls sweets or clothes every time I met them. I used to also read out the stories to them to fire their interest and hoped to get them into the habit of reading. Fortunately my efforts were complemented with Room to Read’s library in the girl’s school and so today these girls are book worms!”

Tracking down Sandeepa, we meet her and her father, Aruna, getting ready to leave for their home.

Said her father “Now that Sandeepa is in her teens, her mother monitors what she is reading.  My passion is music and but I have realized that it is not music but books that excite my kids. We are happy that Room to Read helped their school with books because we cannot afford to buy new books every month.”

Learn more about our programs in Sri Lanka and our library program.

To make a special tribute gift in honor of Father's Day, please click here. Father's Day eCards and printable cards are available following your donation.

It's Her Choice: Proud Fathers and Grandfathers Support Their Girl's Education

Room to Read is in the midst of conducting a post-secondary transition study of our Girls’ Education Program. Researcher and guest blogger, Kirsten Anderson, traveled to India, Nepal, Vietnam and Cambodia to interview girls who are currently enrolled in our Girls' Education program as well as those program alumnae and parents. Findings from this study will be released later this year. In celebration of Father’s Day, Kirsten shares her conversation with a grandfather and father in Cambodia. This is the third in the series of blog posts from her travels. (Read her previous posts here and here.)

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There is a Khmer proverb ស្រីបង្វិលចង្រ្កានមិនជុំ (srey bang vil chang kran min chum) that literally translates to: “Women are unable to walk around the stove.” The meaning being that woman can never be far from the kitchen. Yet the participants in our Girls' Education program have strayed from the kitchen into the classroom—the most fortunate of which have the support of their family, including fathers and grandfathers. Meet, for example, Mr. Huon, the proud grandfather of a girl scholar in rural Cambodia. Sitting on retired school benches in the shade of a teacher’s home, he stayed behind after our official research meeting ended to discuss girls’ education.

Mr. Huon explained that he has been blessed with many grandchildren and today, in fact, was the wedding day of one of his granddaughter’s. However, instead of celebrating with his family, Mr. Huon had other priorities. He had decided to miss some of the festivities to discuss the future education of another one of his granddaughters who was being supported by Room to Read and about to graduate from high school.

Mr. Houn explained, “Poverty is the biggest challenge facing young women and education today.” In rural Cambodia, if a family is struggling financially, girls often drop out to help in the fields or to work at a garment factory. He admitted that he needed some convincing at first, but after talking with Room to Read’s Social Mobilizer and with the help of Room to Read’s Girls' Education program, he realized work and marriage could wait, but knowledge could not. One of Mr. Huon’s granddaughters is working in a garment factory. He is convinced his other granddaughter who is gaining an education will have different opportunities and more choices. His hope is that she will go to university and he is educating himself about her options.

The proud father of Champey (highlighted in our 2009 Girls' Education Yearbook) thinks similarly. I met him, along with other parents of girls supported by our program, in a rural village near the Thai-Cambodia border. Champey’s father described the employment opportunities for uneducated young women in his community—illegal migrant agriculture labor or factory work across the border in Thailand. Because of the limited employment opportunities for uneducated young women these parents spoke about the honor their daughter has brought to their family. Neighbors often comment and admire their families because they have a daughter that is studying. They feel lucky because their daughters have access to knowledge, reading and writing.

“I’m so proud of my daughter. She has the chance to continue her studies. She wants to be a teacher or a doctor. I will support her decision either way, it is her choice,” her father said.

These two men demonstrate the encouragement male figures can provide to enable girls to walk around the stove, out of the kitchen, into the classroom, onto university, and beyond. The girls on our Girls' Education program agree: “Disregard this proverb because it no longer applies to us, we are capable of doing anything we want.” These young women now have choices and dreams of giving back to their communities, their country and their family. This grandfather and father are proud and in awe of their accomplishments—happy to offer support and encouragement every step of the way.

Learn more about our programs in Cambodia and our Girls' Education program.

Photo caption: above, Champey (2nd from the left) and her friends celebrating their soon-to-be accomplishment: graduating from high school!

One School Takes Global Literacy Local and Makes Year-long Commitment

Room to Read’s Students Helping Students program started when students began raising awareness and funds on behalf of the organization following the 2005 Asian tsunami. Since then, schools and communities around the world have worked tirelessly to support Room to Read in big and small ways—from bake sales and read-a-thons to large-scale events, student groups have taken action on behalf of literacy and gender equality in education. 

 

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As with many of our best relationships, our partnership with the John Eliot School, an elementary school in Needham, Massachusetts, came to us by way of a dedicated Room to Read chapter. In this case, Boston chapter leader Wendy McAllister had been working with the Eliot school and forging a friendship with its principal, Ms. Suzanne Wilcox, when a partnership was born. Ms. Wilcox saw the connection between Room to Read’s work and her own school’s challenges almost immediately.

Despite being a high-performing school, the Eliot School’s literacy test scores had reached a plateau. Once she learned more about Room to Read’s work, Ms. Wilcox realized that taking the global literacy movement local might be just the way to improve performace at Eliot. “It occurred to me that becoming involved with this organization just might be the ticket to engaging students in more recreational reading, resulting in improved rates of literacy for the students at Eliot,” said Ms. Wilcox. “Developing an interactive program with Room to Read would naturally align with our school and district goals, 'to advance standards-based learning, develop the social and emotional skills of all students, and promote active citizenship'.”

Ms. Wilcox knew that the success of embedding Room to Read’s work within the school’s curriculum wouldn’t ultimately hinge on her, but on the talented and dedicated faculty at the Eliot School so she presented the idea to her colleagues. "In a matter of minutes, the room erupted with enthusiasm,” she said. Brainstorming ensued. At the end of their meeting, the teachers agreed to collaboratively create a curriculum spanning classrooms and content areas. Ms. Wilcox applied for and received a grant from the Needham Education Foundation to sponsor staff development days for teachers to come together to plan out the year ahead. Their sessions resulted in three components that led to the school’s success: summer reading (adult and student), classroom buddies, and the Eliot School Cultural Diversity Day celebration.  

Planning for success from the beginning, Ms. Wilcox and her team put on a skit just before the start of summer vacation. She and a teacher posed as a student and teacher and explained to the children the importance of a summer read-a-thon.  To the students, "it seemed unthinkable that so many of the world's children, partuclarly girls, had no access to books or education."  Shortly after, the school’s motto for the summer was formed: “Give the gift of literacy while receiving it yourself!” The students left for the summer, reading logs in tow, revved up to read more than ever before. In addition, parents and teachers were given copies of John Wood's Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, to further unite the community in this effort. “Research shows that when children see their parents reading, it encourages them to read as well,” Ms. Wilcox added. At the end of the read-a-thon the students and teachers were thrilled to discover they had raised $5,000 and that over 85% of the students had participated!

Once the summer read-a-thon ended, the "reading mileage" challenge began. Ms. Wilcox and her team decided to have their buddy pairs (one upper-grade student and one lower-grade student) calculate the mileage needed to travel to their Room to Read country of choice and back to Needham. Those miles then converted into pages and with their itineraries set, the pairs took off on their read-around-the-world challenge.  As a result, every buddy pair read their way to their country and back, and some made the trip more than once! 

The school’s year-long focus on Room to Read and its program countries culminated in the Eliot School Cultural Diversity Day celebration, where classrooms presented their projects on Room to Read countries. Throughout the project, parents had many opportunities to engage in the overall reading goals of the school, including several opportunities to participate in book discussions. From classroom buddies to logging their miles, the students, staff, and families of the John Eliot School truly demonstrated that literacy is a priority, both at home and abroad. 

As Ms. Wilcox examined her test data last fall, it was clear the campus-wide campaign had worked; students' scores showed marked progress in both English language arts and mathematics, particularly among special education students. “The notion that Room to Read could serve as a catalyst to help students explore and understand world issues, offer students an opportunity to take action and increase the volume of student reading with the outcome of an improvement in overall literacy rates was simply something we could not pass up,” she said. 

The Eliot School is kicking off its second annual summer read-a-thon this summer and is looking ahead to a school year full of service learning tied to Room to Read’s mission. Learn more about our Students Helping Students program or email Jill Carlson at jill.carlson@roomtoread.org.

Photo caption: Director of the Cambodia office of Room to Read Kann Kall poses with members of Allison Dick's 3rd grade class. From Left: Lila North, Jenna Sandler, Kurt Brinkhaus and Brian Poolman. Photo credit: Credit Robert Rosen