Room to Read Blog

Homecoming in Nepal: Anita and Anju Reunite with Mom

Kamlari is a historically accepted social custom among the indigenous Tharu community in Nepal, in which poor families contract out their daughters into bonded labor. While the practice is now technically illegal, an estimated 20,000 Kamlari girls are still living as indentured laborers. Room to Read's Girls' Education program is one of the many levers of change being used to help free these girls and provide them with access to a quality education. Anita and Anju Tharu are two such girls.

***

Winter in the flatlands of Bardiya can be quite unpredictable, especially when hanging laundry outside on the line. As sisters Anita and Anju found out, when you hang your clothes out to dry, the weather might not cooperate. On a cold morning recently, Anita rushed to school wearing a blue skirt, a blue shirt and a blue sweater—the ubiquitous school uniform in Nepali schools. Once in class, she spread out her skirt and sat on the driest part. Anita had argued with her mother that morning about attending school in damp clothes. She diligently sat near the hearth, waved her skirt about in the air, and hoped and prayed her skirt would be dry enough to attend class. She had succeeded.

 

Her older sister, Anju, wasn’t so lucky and had to skip school that day. “I’d take school over staying home any day,” said Anju.  “I’m wondering what my sister is doing right now. Maybe she’s studying. Yes, I know she is. She frets about missing her lessons. I bet she’s even completing assignments in new chapters!” she exclaimed in envy.

It hasn’t been long since the Tharu sisters re-enrolled in school. Their attendance symbolizes the girls’ struggle for education and freedom.

It all started with a fight that landed their father in jail. With the family's main breadwinner unable to support them, Anita and Anju's mother, Rama Tharu, made an extremely difficult and painful choice: she asked her daughters to drop out of school. As their education came to an abrupt halt, their lives as Kamlaris—or bonded laborers—began. Gone were the days of careless mischief, or running around in the fields and coming home from school and finding a hot meal waiting for them. Those days were to be replaced by endless hours of chores, including caring for children who were not much older than them. At the time they left school to become Kamlari workers, Anju was just 11 years old and Anita was 10.

“Seeing my daughters go was the hardest blow," says Rama. "Suddenly I was all alone.” Her days without her two daughters were lonely. “Those two years were the slowest years I’ve ever faced. I would work through the entire day, plowing fields and doing any other manual labor that came my way.”

Since her husband was in jail, local work was hard to find. The community around her stigmatized Rama and her family, forcing her to commute longer distances to find work. Nevertheless, she prevailed and vowed to make her daughters stop working as soon as she could afford to do so. Her hope resurfaced when the 
Nepalese Youth Opportunity Foundation (NYOF), a Room to Read partner organization, started a campaign to end the Kamlari pratha, or system. With their assistance, and after two long years of constant labor, Anita and Anju were finally rescued and brought back home.

“Homecoming was great,” remembers Anju. “We hadn't had the chance to see each  other much during the past two years and when we finally got to see each other, it was something else. We all cried sweet tears of joy.” That night, Rama and her daughters sat down in their small kitchen, made a fire and cooked up their first homemade meal together in years.

Through Room to Read’s partnership with NYOF and the Girl's Education program, Anita and Anuj were able to re-enroll in school. Being selected for the program meant that the girls could continue their studies and focus on their education, forever ending their lives at Kamlari workers. Both of the girls are attending Shree Tribhuwan Higher Secondary School, where Anita is now in 5th grade and Anju is in 7th grade. Anita dreams of becoming a business owner. “As soon as I am able to do so,” she says, “I want to help my mother so that we don’t have to struggle financially anymore.”  Anju wants to study for as long as possible and ensure she can do it well.  “I had never thought that I’d be able to go to school again. Now that I have the chance I want to utilize it well,” she says.

Only 5 days left! All gifts made to our Girls’ Education program during the month of May will be matched up to $350,000. Support the next generation of women today at www.roomtoread.org/MayMatch.

 

A Mother’s Wish for Her Daughter: A New Proverb

Room to Read is conducting a post-secondary transition study of our Girls’ Education Program. Researcher and guest blogger, Kirsten Anderson, travelled to India, Nepal, Vietnam and Cambodia to interview current Girls’ Education Program scholars, alumnae and their parents. In celebration of Mother’s Day in many countries, Kirsten shares her conversations with the mothers of some of our scholars in Nepal. This is the second in the series of blog posts from her travels (read her previous post here). Findings from the post-secondary study will be released later this year. 

***

Sitting in the shadow of the majestic Himalayas in Nepal, Dilmaya, a mother of one of the Girls’ Education Program scholars described her childhood:

"When I was young I went to school for two days. I had to walk two hours. My family refused to give me food because they didn’t want me to study. They thought that if girls studied, we would write letters to boys. So I gave up my dream of education because I couldn’t go without food.

Later, when I got married, my parents told me 'Santan le dadha kadha dhakos' (which translates to 'May you have children to reach from the Himalayas to the plains'). That is why we have so many children. We really used to think it was a good idea to have many children."

The other mothers in the group nodded and smiled in agreement. They remembered that particular proverb well. Their ancestors wished them a future of many children—a wish that had come true for all of them. Among them, only Dilmaya could sign her name on our interview consent form. The other mothers watched as she very carefully wrote each of the letters of her name. She had been taught to write her name by her daughter, a participant of Room to Read's Girls' Educaton program.

When asked a probing question about what the mothers wished for their daughters’ futures, they described a future that included finishing their studies, acquiring a higher education, finding a good job, and making their own decisions about marriage. Dilmaya added:

"I have six daughters and one son but I don’t differentiate between my son and my daughters; they are all equals to me. But it’s really difficult to manage everyone’s education. We have a constant financial problem. It’s been six years since I have been involved with Room to Read. My daughter is working very hard. In addition to studying, she helps to look after the house and also helps to sell wool. She likes studying computers. I want her to get a job in the computer field. I have suffered a lot because I’m uneducated—but I want my children to be educated."

Another mother agreed, “In our generation, we would tell our daughters to get married, have children and have a good life. But now life is different. I want my daughter to be independent and have her own job and do well in her life. I want her to be able to make her own decisions in life. That is what I wish for my daughter.”

In conversations across Nepal, Cambodia, Vietnam, and India, the young women in our Girls’ Education Program overwhelmingly agree that the support of their mothers is crucial. Mothers often take on extra work to support their daughter’s education and without their mothers’ help, it would be next to impossible for these girls to continue their studies.

Sitting in the shadow of the Himalayas, Dilmaya and several other mothers sat together and joked. They were optimistic about the lives their daughters may have. They described a changing world where the proverbs of the past no longer apply. And they expressed hope that future Nepali proverbs might include wishes for young women to be independent, educated, employed and able to make their own decisions about marriage and family.

Dilmaya spoke with assurance when she said, "I want my daughter to follow her dream and become a success in her life. If young women are educated and independent—that is a great combination. Study and aim high."

 

All gifts matched through May 31! From now through the end of May, all donations to our Girls’ Education program will be matched up to $250,000. Honor mom -- or any other special person that has shaped your life -- by supporting the next generation of women. www.roomtoread.org/MayMatch.

Meet Marjory: Girls' Education Scholar from Zambia (VIDEO)

Meet Marjory, a 14-year-old girl from Chongwe, Zambia, who dreams about being a lawyer so she can help bring law and order to local communities in her home country. Room to Read's Girls' Education program ensures that Marjory has the supplies, tools and mentoring she needs to complete her secondary education and accomplish her life goals. But Marjory's real inspiration is her mother, who went back to school as an adult to become a teacher after her husband abandoned the family. Learn more about Marjory's determination to continue on her path to education—just like her mom.

 

All gifts matched through May 31! From now through the end of May, all donations to our Girls’ Education program will be matched up to $250,000. Honor mom—or any other special person that has shaped your life—by supporting the next generation of women. www.roomtoread.org/MayMatch.

Meet Inkam: Girls' Education Scholar from Laos (VIDEO)

Education changes everything. It certainly did for eleven-year-old Inkham from Oudomxay, Laos. Inkham lives with her parents, two brothers and new baby sister and has a full day of helping her mother with cooking, collecting water and chores before school even starts. Inkam loves studying Lao language and writing essays while at school, and she dreams of graduating from secondary school to attend a university. Room to Read's Girls' Education program ensures that Inkham has the supplies, tools and mentoring she needs to complete her secondary education and succeed in her dreams. Meet Inkam below, and see why investing in Inkam and others like her through our Girls' Education program can change a life.

 

All gifts matched through May 31! From now through the end of May, all donations to our Girls’ Education program will be matched up to $250,000. Honor mom -- or any other special person that has shaped your life -- by supporting the next generation of women. www.roomtoread.org/MayMatch.

New Year Celebration in Laos is Awash with Tradition

April in Laos is a very wet time of year. Not only is it the start of the monsoon season and the time when farmers start planting most of their crops, it’s also Bpee Mai or Songkan— the Lao New Year—the most important celebration for Laotians worldwide. The festival, like the weather, is replete with water. On April 13, the first day of the celebration, water is used to clean houses and the village. The second day represents the day in between the old year and the new year. Strictly observed as a day of rest, only fun activities are allowed, the most popular of which is dousing friends and unsuspecting passersby with water.

The New Year officially starts on April 15, the third day of the festival. Young people prepare scented water with flowers and visit their grandparents, parents and elders. They rinse the elders’ hands with the water and ask for their blessing and forgiveness for any wrong-doings in the past year. At home, prior to enjoying a large feast, families engage in a special ceremony called "Baci" in which participants take turns tying blessed white strings around each other’s wrists to wish them good luck and prosperity for the new year. This tradition runs deep among Laotian people as an homage and blessing that upholds the value of life, and of social and family bonds.

Room to Read’s Lao New Year is a colorfully illustrated children's book about this annual holiday. The drawings, by Laotian artist Sikko Milakong, show the many elements of the New Year celebration, including families participating in the Baci ceremony and having fun splashing water on each other.

One of several oversized books published by Room to Read, Lao New Year’s large size makes it even more enticing to eager young readers. Room to Read started publishing “big books” in Vietnam in 2008 as a tool to help teachers and librarians interact more effectively with young children, many of whom are just learning to read. In addition to the books, Room to Read also provides supplemental instructional materials, such as teacher’s guides with questions and activities that further engage the children in learning.

Adding cultural relevance to our books allows children to predict words or easily familiarize themselves with them because they know what the people in the illustrations are doing and already possess the vocabulary that naturally accompanies the pictures. It also makes it easier for them to learn from activities they perform themselves, such as visiting the temples with family members to sprinkle water on Buddha statues.

As a global organization, we honor and respect the cultural traditions of our friends and colleagues worldwide—and we try to incorporate them in our materials so that children not only learn to read, but also learn that their traditions are respected by those outside of their local communities.

 

To our Lao friends and colleagues, all of us at Room to Read send a virtual bucketful of water and a warm "Sabadee pimai!" or "Happy New Year!"

Learn more about our work in Laos and our Local Language Publishing program.

 

Room to Read Volunteers Write a New Chapter In Fundraising for Education

Last week, more than 50 Room to Read chapter volunteers from around the globe gathered with Room to Read staff at our annual Chapter Leadership Conference. The conference brought together chapter leaders from as far away as Australia, Japan and Zurich and as close as San Francisco. In all, nine different countries were represented and 20 U.S. cities!

 

Room to Read is very proud of our chapter network comprised of long-term volunteers who have made a commitment to promote Room to Read within their networks and communities. Each year, many chapter leaders attend the Chapter Leadership Conference to receive valuable training and updates about the work Room to Read is doing. Plus, there are plenty of fun times created when you fill a room with passionate people who share the same mission! The enthusiasm of this incredible group of volunteers is contagious, evidenced by the fact that chapters last year raised over US$12 million, which is roughly one-third of Room to Read's operating budget.

 

Mihiri Udabage has been volunteering with Room to Read's Sydney Chapter since 2008 and was very involved in the planning and coordination of the chapter's wine gala held on March 4, 2011. In this guest blog, she reveals her motivation for her dedication to Room to Read.

* * *

As I head to the door to go to volunteer at the Room to Read Wine Gala in Sydney, I am met with protests from my children, aged 8 and 6: “Don’t go, Mummy—stay home!” “I have to go,” I counter. “We have to make sure lots of children get to go to school, just like you do, right?” 

Absolutely right. With the world holding more than 796 million illiterate people in the world and 98% of them living in developing countries, there is much work to be done. 

Tonight’s event is about inviting investors to become a part of the global movement to see illiteracy banished. As John Wood, Room to Read Founder, delivers his presentation on behalf of the millions of children this organization has yet to serve, he’s firing on optimism. Optimism fueled by seeing girls like Merina, 15, from Nepal, saved from a life as an indentured servant and returned to a childhood she was taken from, and of the plan that will see hundreds more girls like her returned to school where they belong. Optimism incited by 11-year-old Inkham from Laos, whose scholarship from Room to Read allows her to read to her parents, both mute, and also to her brothers and adored baby sister. Optimism for the five million children Room to Read has served to date, and the five million more who are hoping that Room to Read comes to their community. 

Later in the night, after the auction hammer slams repeatedly, the total amount raised is announced. More than US$892,000 has been donated this one night in Sydney, thousands of kilometers from where it will eventually land. It will provide schools, libraries, girls’ education, books, bikes, bags and uniforms. It will fund the NGO workers who will partner with Room to Read to ensure that girls are attending school and maintaining their studies so they will pass to the next grade.

I picture one of the girls who will benefit from the 400 years of girls’ education funded this night. How one morning soon, she will braid her hair, exchange her worn house dress for a crisp uniform, hop on the new bike parked outside her home and pedal to a place where she is no longer defined as the poorest girl, living in a small hut, but where she is a student, a scholar, tomorrow’s teacher/engineer/author/artist.

I see her raising her hand in class to have her voice heard. 
I see her writing a poem about the mother she adores.
I see her pointing to the places on the atlas that she will travel to one day.  
I see her stopping by the library on her way home—maybe one of the 30 new libraries donated tonight by friends in Sydney she has never met. 
I see her step inside this cool haven and pass her hands across the hundreds of books that will line the shelves, mesmerized by the bright covers and overwhelmed for choice.  
I see her mother welcome her home, proud of this girl who does what her mother can’t.

As the guests leave, they are flushed with excitement, happy to have been a part of something wonderful. They are no longer on the outside looking in, they are on the inside looking out and will go home and tell their friends about the incredible work that Room to Read is doing. Many will call in the coming weeks wanting to know more, do more. We will be so happy to take their call. They thank us. We cannot thank them enough. They walked in as guests; they leave as heroes.

Our team is tired but happy. They have worked hours upon voluntary hours, months upon months, to make this night a success. As I return home after midnight, and lean over my sleeping son to kiss his cheek, he half wakes to ask “Mummy, did the children go to school tonight?”  I smile and whisper to him, “Yes baby, lots and lots and lots of children got to go to school tonight.”

To learn more about Room to Read’s growing network of volunteer chapters and upcoming events, visit our website.

 

 

Auntie’s Books: Celebrating Vietnamese New Year with a Gift to Last a Lifetime

February 3 is Tết Nguyên Đán, the Vietnamese New Year, which is one of the most festive holidays throughout Vietnam. 2011 is the Year of the Cat in Vietnam and over the next several days, families will gather together to eat, share time and gifts with their loved ones. In this guest blog, Room to Read Vietnam Program Director, Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, shares a gift-giving tradition she started with her nieces and nephews several years ago—a gift that will last well after the celebration has ended.

* * *

Tet is coming! Indeed, it is already here on the door step. Out on the streets, decorative lights are sparkling, apricot trees are blossoming and a sweet spring breeze is dancing. For Vietnamese people, Tet is just like Christmas for Westerners. It is a time for love and family, a time of reunion, of sharing, of giving, and of hope for a fresh, new start. It is also a time to give presents to family members and friends—especially to children.

The usual gift to children is lucky money stored in red little envelopes. There may also be new clothes or toys. Coming home for this special time with my family, my luggage is full of books for my beloved nieces and nephew. I have made a tradition of giving books to them since they were just a few months old, and my mother tells me that the children are already quite eager and excited to see what books I am bringing for them this year. 

When my first niece was born, I got her some children's books as a special gift, which amused and surprised my family, especially my mother. Every day my mother asked me the same question: “How can a little baby enjoy a book?” Since my parents, my siblings and I were never read to at home, I could understand her confusion about my choice of gift. When I learned that, in Western countries, parents read to their children before they go to bed, I decided that even though my parents did not share the value of early reading with their children, as an aunt I should introduce this gift to the new generation.

I started to share books with my eldest niece when she was around four or five months old. Every time I was with her, I found different ways to show her the books, pointing to a picture for her to look at and reading the stories with different voices and emotions. Sometimes I got her little fingers running on each page of a book. Witnessing my performance, her parents and others around us often laughed. But sometimes they also got absorbed in the story and kept quiet when I was reading to the baby. Now that she is seven years old, my niece is able to read many books by herself, and very well. The birth of more children meant more storytelling and gifts of books at every New Year celebration. After observing me read to her daughter and son, my sister also started reading to them herself.

Today, I continue to select books as presents for my nieces and nephew, and now, each child has a shelf filled with all kinds of books. I also keep some with me so that, when we are out with the children, there are books for them to read or just to hold. At home, the children and I talk about the books we have read and often make up stories about characters and objects from real life. To them, learning to read is part of life—just like eating, drinking and sleeping.

Once again for Tet I’m coming home with books. I cannot wait to give the children their gifts for the New Year and to continue the tradition that I have kept with them since they were babies. I know they will learn many other important skills as they get older, but the skill of reading is the most wonderful thing that I can give to them as their auntie.

Read about how Thuy and her team at Room to Read Vietnam worked with the Ministry of Education in Vinh Long province to secure "reading periods" for children. Visit our website to read more about our work in Vietnam.

Guest blog from John Wood: Postcards from Bangladesh

In celebration of Room to Read’s 10th Anniversary, John Wood is on an extended journey with some of our most ardent supporters to visit every Room to Read country. The first stop on this three-week mega-trip was Bangladesh and it included a visit to the “char” area, a remote region of river islands which are under constant threat of flood by the Jamuna River. For most people living in this isolated corner of Bangladesh, John and his co-travelers were the first foreigners they’d ever met. 

Until recently, during the four months of the annual monsoon season, the girls who live in the char area had been stranded and unable to get off the islands to attend school. Thanks to the brilliance of our Bangladesh team and our partner NGO, SHARP, the girls can now travel across the ever-changing river aboard the exciting new “Boat to Read.”  In addition to visiting with girls in our Girls’ Education program, John and guests celebrated Room to Read’s first decade by attending the Reading Festival and playing literacy-themed games like "Read and Run” and “Read Relay” with several hundred children at one of our libraries. John sent this descriptive postcard from Bangladesh and shares some of his unique experiences from the other side of the globe.

***

If you are born as a poor, rural, female, to uneducated parents in a resource-deprived country like Bangladesh, you have five strikes against you from Day One. If your family can’t afford good land, and has to live on the marginal and silty land of the chars, add a sixth strike. But this is not a story of pity or sadness. It is one of hope.

The air was incredibly thick with humidity as we made our way to the boat launch. This year, the monsoon season has lasted even longer than the usual four months, and the water level is extremely high. What was once a dry plain is now a river seven kilometers wide. Where all this water comes from, we don’t know. All we do know is that it prevents residents from leaving their shifting sand islands for months at a time. There is no electricity on these islands, and fuel is incredibly expensive, so once the sun sets, so do all activities outside the home.

I hopped onto one of the large, flat boats sporting a colorful “Boat to Read” banner and filled with Room to Read Girls’ Education program participants wearing white Room to Read-logo’d hats made especially for our visit. My guide for the day, a 14-year-old scholar, introduced herself shyly, eyes aimed downwards in deference. Because our team has designated the hour-long journey as reading time, she and I decided to do just that -- and for this special occasion, I presented her with a copy of my first children’s book, “Zak the Yak With Books on His Back.” No deference here -- she looked Zak squarely in the eye, and a smile stretched across her face. Since the book is in English, I offered to read it to her first, but she was quite adamant that she could handle Zak. 

We were lost in the second reading of Zak’s adventures to bring books to children when the boat docked and cheers from our welcoming hosts filled the air. We had traveled to the other side of the river to attend the Reading Festival, a veritable reading Olympics, including reading relay games, live music and a general feeling of celebration. All along the shore, the children were lined up to greet us and escorted us to the site of this very special event.

Despite the extreme heat, there were chills as I watched and heard children from one of the most remote corners of world, reading and obviously loving their new skill. These were children from communities that are essentially off the radar of most NGOs and the government as well. Thanks to the dedication and ingenuity of our amazing team on the ground here, these children will thrive and have a brighter future.

I leave Bangladesh with many compelling images and stories. This is a people with virtually nothing permanent in their lives, and yet they recognize the importance of educating their daughters and sons.

This was eloquently summed up during the team celebration by a well-known local professor, who shared his interpretation of the tale of the genie in the bottle:

"Now, how is it that this genie could grant any wish, and yet he could not get himself out of the bottle?  What was it that was missing in the bottle that thwarted his powers? I will tell you. It is light. Light is the power. Once in the light, the genie was capable of anything. Education is like the light. With it, one can do everything. Bangladesh can do everything with education."

"Boat to Read," "Read and Run," and the magic light of education.  I leave Bangladesh a happy man.

Room to Read Bangladesh was established in July 2008, and in two years, over 150 libraries have been established and 234 girls are participating in the Girls’ Education program.

Guest Blog from CEO Erin Ganju: Through the Eyes of a Child

This guest blog is from Erin Ganju, Room to Read’s CEO, who is currently traveling through Asia with her daughter and mother to visit several Room to Read's offices and educational projects.  This entry is from Vietnam, where Room to Read has been working since 2001 and was in fact, the country that brought Erin to Room to Read.  After living in Ho Chi Minh City for more than two years, Erin developed a passion for the development of Vietnam and managed the launch of Room to Read in Vietnam, which marked Room to Read's first operation outside of Nepal.

***

Seeing your work through the eyes of your child can be an invaluable lesson in perspective. Last week, my four-and-a-half year-old daughter, Julia, joined me for her first visit to a Room to Read library, and as we drove up to Long Hoa Primary School in Tien Giang Province in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, she yelled out, “Yeah, Room to Read!” while pumping her hands in the air. Her enthusiasm was contagious and stirred up mine -- albeit a little less vocally.

As the van stopped in front of the school gates, we could see children lined up with flowers for us, along with the mandatory Vietnamese drum corps ready to alert the entire neighborhood that we had arrived. Our hands filled with flowers, we were then treated to a dance routine by the children and songs by the teachers about the value of education. I’ve had the honor of being part of these elaborate welcoming ceremonies dozens of times, but to see the twinkle in Julia’s eyes and her excited clapping at the end of each performance reminded me how special these events really are.

We were here attending one of Room to Read’s "Reading Summer Camps" in Vietnam, a new program designed by our Vietnam library team. The camps are designed to gently ease kids back to school for a few hours each day during the summer with a mixture of reading skill practice and fun activities. We spent a wonderful couple of hours exchanging drawings with some kids, reading aloud to a group of children in the library and then having them do the same for us, and teaching each other songs. The Itsy Bitsy Spider was a big hit! 

When I later asked Julia what she thought of the school and how it differed from her school in San Francisco, she replied, “Those girls dancing got to wear make-up to school.” (Yes, I have a four-and-a-half year-old going on sixteen.) Then she said, “They sure do have fun in school here.” I explained how it was summer camp, and that actual school was much more serious.

I then realized that Julia and I didn’t see the school in the same way. I walk into schools and think about how much more we need to do and all the things that can be improved. But for Julia, it was not about the physical environment, but the experience. And I was excited to think that, like Julia, maybe these students in Vietnam were returning home every day telling their parents, siblings and neighbors that school is fun and that they can’t wait to go back. From the perspective of a child (and her mother), that is success and something to celebrate!

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

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!

***

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!