Room to Read Blog

Guest Blog: A Tribute to Dads, A Yak Bell, and a Challenge

This guest blog is by Crystal Wilson, one of two chapter leaders of Room to Read's Seattle Chapter (Seattle was our first Room to Read chapter, started in 1999!).  Crystal has been leading the charge for Room to Read in Seattle since 2007 with much passion and inspiration.  But, she was inspired herself by two sisters half-way across the country who started a Room to Read fundraising campaign in honor of their dad and Crystal wanted to lend her passion to their efforts as well.  Read on to learn more and see her challenge and announcement to us all in honor of Father's Day!

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Father’s Day is a great time for me to reflect on why I’m a donor to and a fundraising chapter leader for Room to Read (GO SEATTLE!).  And to honor my Dad with a Father’s Day gift (you must read to the end).

I first learned about Room to Read in April, 2006 and immediately started donating.  I love their approach, their business acumen, and their positive, get-it-done attitude.  It wasn’t until a while into my involvement with Room to Read that I realized that what really got me involved was my Dad.  In spite of his background and upbringing (perhaps because of it) he married one of the strongest willed, smartest, prettiest, and most independent women I’ll probably ever know.  And I remember how often he reminded me how great she was.  Although I know he would have loved to have had a son with athletic skills, he adored me and valued the person I was – in spite of my complete lack of athleticism!  He raised me to believe that I could do anything I wanted to in life and that being a girl was just what I was but certainly didn’t dictate any path in life.

I remember being inducted into Honor Society in middle school.  Immediately after the ceremony, he pulled me aside and told me how the induction speeches talked about the honor student and how “he” did this or that.  He…. He…. He….  My Dad said, they kept saying “he” and there were WAY more girls up there than boys.  And then he said, “Fix that!”

After some time with Room to Read, I realized I was involved with the organization because my Dad’s voice was still in the back of my head saying “Fix that!”  Room to Read is fighting illiteracy and gender inequality in education in the developing world head on and through them, I am able to help contribute to “fixing that” by donating money and time in  working with the local chapter to raise funds.   

Last week I heard a story about Robyn and Alyse, two sisters who are honoring their Dad by raising funds for Room to Read.  Their goal is to raise $24,000 to establish six libraries so their Dad can ring the “yak bell” – a tradition Room to Read has when a big announcement is made (and yes, it truly is just a loud bell typically worn by a Nepali yak).  

Check our more of their inspiring story here:
http://yakbell.wordpress.com/. 

Wow, their Dad sounds like one heck of a guy! In their story, you can feel their love for him, not just for how they talk about what he did in raising them but in how they obviously love and value him.  Their story is completely different from mine except for the love and support they got from their Dad.

My Dad died not long after that Honor Society induction but I still hear his voice every day.  He’s the source of most of my inappropriate comments and many of my bad jokes but he’s also the source of my determination to make the world a better place.

So in honor of my Dad, in honor of the many Dad-like influences in my life, in honor of the men in my life who continually impress me by their dedication to and support of their daughters and sons, and in honor of these two sisters and their love for their Dad…I’m making a $24,000 challenge donation.  That means, I’ll match what Robyn and Alyse raise in honor of their Dad so we can build more Room to Read libraries! 

We challenge you to honor your Dad’s by donating to Room to Read in support of these sisters.  Because raising a child, is as much a man’s responsibility as it is a woman’s.  Because of the tremendous influence your Dad (or Dad-like influences) have had in your life.  Because Father’s Day is a great time to say thanks, pay it forward, and give more kids the opportunity for education and advancement. And because I want to be there when Robyn and Alyse’s Dad rings the yak bell! 

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.

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.