Room to Read Blog

Celebrating International Women's Day and the Release of Girl Rising: An Update on Suma from Nepal

This post is in honor of International Women’s Day, March 8, 2013.

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This time last year, Suma Tharu, one of our Girls’ Education program participants from Nepal, took the stage at Lincoln Center for Newsweek & The Daily Beast's Women in the World Summit. With almost no nerves and very little fanfare, she stood before a packed house in the middle of Manhattan and shared a song she had written thousands of miles away in rural Nepal about a childhood spent in servitude and her desire to pursue an education. No more than a minute long, her song—and the story behind it—captured the imagination of the international audience before her, her confidence and strength shining throughout.

This year, Suma will share her story with the world again, as part of the new film Girl Rising. The film, which premiered last night in New York and will do so tonight in Los Angeles, is a testament to the power of the human spirit to overcome adversity and a powerful reminder that educating girls can truly change the world. In Girl Rising, Suma plays herself in the story of her own life—brought to screen by Director Richard E. Robbins and Nepalese author Manjushree Thapa.

Through Girl Rising, audiences have the chance to follow Suma’s journey as a Kamlari (indentured servant), and watch as education helps set her free. But escaping life as a Kamlari was just the beginning of Suma’s story, and since filming, she has continued to thrive. Now ending the 10^th grade and preparing for the School Leaving Certificate Exam (a highly-competitive national exam all Nepalese students must pass to move on to 11^th grade), she is working harder than ever and has her sights set on a career helping other girls like her find their own paths to success. “I am prepping for the exam with all my heart,” she told our team last month. “I want to stand on my own two feet and this exam is the first step towards that goal.”

In order to ensure Suma is ready for the exam, she and her classmates from the Girls’ Education program in Nepal's Bardiya region are staying together at a boarding house near school and attending coaching classes. “Suma’s house is far from the school and she used to spend more than two hours every day commuting,” says Tripti Chaudhary program associate for our Girls’ Education program. “The time she once spent commuting she now utilizes for preparation.”    

Although she has put it on hold to focus on exam prep, Suma is also resolute in her desire to continue advocating for the end of the Kamlari system in Nepal. “It is important that the community understands why education is so important,” she says.

As for her song, which will now be heard by movie-going audiences around the world, Suma says she has continued to write more over the past few years. “My songs have always centered me,” she says. “They tell me where I have been, where I have come from and how far I have to go.”

Learn more about Suma and the Girl Rising film at www.roomtoread.org/girlrising.

Join our Freedom to Dream campaign and help more girls like Suma pursue their dreams. All gifts through May 31 to our Girls’ Education program will be matched (up to US$850,000)!

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.

Hitting Another Room to Read Milestone: 10 Million Reasons to Celebrate

Today, in the Tien Giang Province of Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, Room to Read celebrated a milestone eleven years in the making.

At a ceremony held at Ngu Hiep 2 Primary School, founder John Wood and the Room to Read Vietnam team delivered a brand new box of books to the school’s library, symbolizing the 10 millionth book donated to our network of over 12,000 libraries in nine developing countries.

The emblematic book, Floating Market, is a Room to Read original title produced through our Local Language Publishing program, which comprise more than half of all books donated to date. It is also a “big book,” of which we’ve printed many in Vietnam—designed to help teachers and librarians facilitate shared reading activities.

The commemorative ceremony was indeed a moment of reflection and pride for our hard-working team, but most of all it was about the children we work with. The day’s festivities included literacy games, story time and a workshop lead by one of our talented illustrators, and attended by a bustling crowd of enthusiastic young readers.

Below are several photos of this morning’s ceremony, which we hope you’ll enjoy. After all, without our passionate community of supporters around the world, none of this would be possible. On behalf of the entire Room to Read family, thank you for joining us in our belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children, and for helping make it a reality.

 

 

Read the full press release related to our 10 millionth book milestone on our website.

Guest Blog from Laos: Looking Ahead to the Next Five Years

On a recent trip to Laos, our Regional Director for Asia, Jon Beaulieu, signed a five-year agreement with the government of Laos to extend our programs there. He shares his thoughts on the experience, as well as our work in the country so far in a guest post from the field.

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Last February, I went to Laos to meet with our team on the ground there to discuss Room to Read’s Global Strategy and how it can be localized to further our partnership with the government. The goal was to find ways to make a bigger impact in the country, and the government, which is currently encouraging growth through private sector investment, was enthusiastic from the start.

What began as months of strategic planning between our local team and the Ministriy of Education, became an official Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed into effect on July 28, outlining the next five years of our partnership.

It was an incredible experience working closely with the various government entities and teams on the ground to come to a consensus about our goals for the next five years, with the best interest of the children of Laos at the forefront of our discussions.

The new MoU outlines our programs and targets over the next five years, including establishing 500 libraries, building 150 schools, publishing 75 new Lao-language children’s books, and supporting the holistic education of an additional 1,500 girls.

In addition to those very specific targets, Room to read will focus on maximizing the sustainability of our investments in Laos. By partnering with communities and the government, we seek to ensure continued quality and long-term success for our programs in the country, including the 851 libraries and 172 schools we established in Room to Read Laos’ first five years of operation.

Read more about our programs in Laos.

 

Guest Blog from Board Director: Room to Read's Numbers Tell the Story

Craig Bruya, former CFO of Microsoft Business Solutions and audit manager with Arthur Andersen & Co, and now a professional philanthropist, has been actively involved with Room to Read since 2002 and joined the Board of Directors in 2008. From the perspective of both an investor and a board member, Craig shares his thoughts as to why numbers matter, how Room to Read is getting it right -- and how the world seems to be finding out about it.

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In 2002, when I was first approached by John Wood, a former colleague at Microsoft, to get involved with helping to develop a financial model for Room to Read, I did what every self-professed number-cruncher does: I reviewed their financial statements, budgets and five-year plan.  Eight years later, I find myself happily ensconced on the board of an organization that has grown exponentially, both in revenue and results.

As the head of the Audit Committee, I work closely with Room to Read CFO, Joanne Chou, and her skilled staff of finance and accounting experts, and with pencils sharpened, we continue to refine and improve procedures to keep our efficiency level extremely high. Apparently it’s working, and word is getting out.

Last week, Barron’s, a publication targeted for a financially-sophisticated audience, included Room to Read in their second annual “25 Top Givers” list. This list calls out individuals and organizations that get big results from their donation dollars and this year, includes the standard heavy hitters of philanthropy with Bill Gates, Jr. at #1, Bill Clinton at #8 and Oprah Winfrey at #21. And, I am proud that among that list is John Wood/Room to Read at #9, up two positions from last year -- and one of the only on the list that didn’t start out as a billionaire or celebrity-led endeavor.

We also learned last week that we had qualified for membership in a very elite group in having been awarded Charity Navigator’s four-star (the highest) rating for sound fiscal management for a fifth consecutive year.  Only 6% of their rated charities can claim this five-year streak. Charity Navigator is the recognized report card for U.S. charities, and each year, 5,500 nonprofits are evaluated on various criteria, including levels of overhead, direct program spending and program results.

So what exactly do these honors mean? Simply put, they mean that Room to Read has developed a formula for growth and efficiency that is rarely seen in the nonprofit (or even for-profit) world. That formula, which includes innovative thinking, transparency, diversified funding and planned growth, attracts investments from business giants such as Credit Suisse and Barclays Capital and Goldman Sachs, as well as individuals looking for a philanthropic partner who can take their dollars and turn them into a tool to change the lives of children. Investors know they can trust Room to Read -– which is why, in an economy that is challenging at best, Room to Read managed to grow its revenue by over 20% last year and is on target to do the same in 2010!  As an accountant, I love to see great revenue growth, but as an investor I take greater comfort knowing that we are helping many more children gain the lifelong gift of literacy.

What’s Room to Read’s secret? That’s just it –- we don’t have secrets. One of our core beliefs is transparency, which means that all the books are on the table –- data about donation totals, project expenses and program results are updated regularly and made available to all of our key stake holders, including staff, board, volunteers, donors and potential donors.

Of course, it helps when you have good data to report, which, in general, we do. Thanks to our “cheap and cheerful” mantra, more than 80 cents of every dollar is funneled directly into our program work. That being said, we don’t believe in being penny-wise but pound-foolish. Room to Read invests in the necessary infrastructure that allows our worldwide team to excel at their work. It costs money to build accounting systems and donor management systems and to monitor and evaluate our programs to make sure that they are cost effective and getting the desired results. We work hard to strike a careful balance between donation efficiency and infrastructure investment.

I recently had the opportunity to travel to Bangladesh, India, Zambia and South Africa to see our programs at work. It is one thing to be impressed with our numbers and to be happy that we are a well-managed organization, but it is a very different thing to see donor dollars in action. The children are thrilled to be learning -- and they are sharing their new-found knowledge with their families. The experience was life-changing, and my commitment to the organization has never been greater. I know of no investment with greater return than that of educating a child.

Read more about Room to Read's recent honors on our website. And, consider giving a unique gift this season through our Room to Read’s Holiday Gift Catalog where your gift can help share education with children in Asia and Africa. Plus, through the end of December, all online donations will be matched 100% up to $500,000. 

 

Guest blog from Financial Times CEO John Ridding: Snapshot from Cambodia

John Ridding, Financial Times CEO and Room to Read Board Member, recently visited our projects in Cambodia and Sri Lanka. In the following guest blog, John shares the memorable evening he had in Siem Reap at the 10 Year Anniversary celebration planned by Room to Read Cambodia.

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The Room to Read tenth anniversary ceremony in Siem Reap was a grand affair -- traditional Khmer dancing, a line of provincial officials listening stiff-backed to the national anthem and a succession of speeches, culminating with the local governor. But all were upstaged by the star of the show -- a diminutive schoolgirl who stepped up with a confidence beyond her years to tell her story.

Hawai, the eldest of eight siblings, had been deprived of schooling because of poverty and an alcoholic father. It seemed an unhappily common story in Cambodia. Earlier that day, we had seen a schoolyard play in which a drunken dad was the villain and the reason why his children were not being educated. It struck a chord with the village children, who watched intently, and it hit a nerve with some of the dads looking nervously towards the grassy stage.

In Hawai’s case, the story had a happy ending. Granted a spot in Room to Read's Girl’s Education program, she became a top student. So impressed was her father, that he quit drinking and became a Buddhist priest. Her other siblings are attending school, or waiting to attend. Hawai is aiming for university and wants to work for Room to Read. With the confidence and energy she displayed, there’s every chance she’ll succeed in her ambitions.

It was a moving story and a reminder for all of us that, beyond the metrics and statistics that Room to Read rightly uses to measure and challenge itself -- and which are a significant factor in the support of donors and the Financial Times -- the real meaning of the movement is the children who benefit.

I was fortunate this trip to be able to see projects in both Sri Lanka and Cambodia. And the two abiding impressions that stand out from the myriad of memories we brought back were the infectious enthusiasm of the children, matched only by the enthusiasm and dedication of the Room to Read teams.

Whether it was the dramatization of Sumudi’s Dance, one of the many titles from the burgeoning Sri Lankan local language publishing operation -- performed with style, grace, and spectacular self-made animal costumes by a troupe of schoolgirls -- or the progress reports delivered enthusiastically from the local staff, or the outstanding exhibition arranged by the Cambodia team, the quality and creativity of the work on the ground in each country shone through.

It was a once in a lifetime experience. And it was unforgettable to see how so many lives will be transformed and improved because of Room to Read.

The Financial Times selected Room to Read as the beneficiary of its 2009 seasonal appeal, which included several compelling feature stories and generated over $4.3 million in donations from corporations and individuals.

Please also continue to help us promote literacy this month:

TWEET out the International Literacy Day tweet.
INVEST in the publication of a new children's book for South Africa.

 

John Wood Blogs from the Clinton Global Initiative & Makes Our Next Bold Commitment

It was definitely one of those “pinch me” moments -- standing on stage at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York with Robert Diamond, Barclays Capital PLC president,and Noa Meyer, vice-president of Goldman Sachs, as former Philippine President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, announced our major commitment which will affect the lives of millions of children in Africa and Asia. Minutes later, Nicholas Kristof  praised Room to Read’s work in a panel discussion about girls’ education. When it rains it pours, and on this last day of summer in New York, we’re hoping for a downpour!

Our commitment: over the next two years, Room to Read will establish 4,000 additional libraries, improve school infrastructure, train teachers on library and reading skills, pilot literacy initiatives among primary school children, and publish 370 new local language titles, so that close to one million girls and one million boys will have enhanced educational resources.

Additionally, Room to Read will equip thousands of girls with life skills and support to ensure their completion of secondary school. These ambitious goals will be accomplished through the hard work of our country teams and the support of key partnerships with Barclays Capital, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, the U.S. State Department, CLSA Asia Pacific as well as individual funders.

Though our commitment was made before an audience of some of the world’s most influential business, political and philanthropic leaders, it was, more importantly, a promise made to millions of children in Africa and Asia awaiting the opportunity to learn to read and write. And it’s a promise we intend to keep – in a big way!

Three years ago, Room to Read co-founder and CEO, Erin Ganju, and I made another bold promise on this CGI stage: to double the impact of our work by establishing a total of 10,000 libraries and printing 3.5 million copies of local language children’s books by end the of 2010. In March of this year, I proudly cut the ribbon at the opening of our 10,000th library. These libraries are filled with colorful and culturally rich children’s books published by Room to Read, and at last count, the total number of books printed surpassed 4.3 million. When Room to Read promises, we deliver! Our supporters expect it, and millions of children are counting on it.

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Room to Read’s 10th anniversary than by rallying our global network of supporters to help us take the next giant step into creating a world where children, no matter where they’re born and no matter what their gender, can enjoy the myriad of benefits of education.

I’ll be spending the next couple of days at CGI shaking hands, doling out my business cards and making sure Room to Read becomes top of mind in discussions around education in Asia and Africa.  The world is ripe for action-oriented optimists, and we’re thrilled and extremely proud to be leading the charge to close the gender gap in global education.

For more information about the CGI announcement, read our recent press release.

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.

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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.

Zak the Yak is Here to Give Back!

It’s been years in the making
And we’re proud to declare
Zak the Yak has arrived
And his story’s quite rare

In the Nepal Himalayas
He sets out on a quest
To bring books to the children
He will work without rest

With his two young helpers
Named Manju and Arul
The team has a simple goal
Books for every child in the school

To find out the ending
We invite you to read for yourself
We hope Zak’s tale will inspire
These books to fly off the shelf!

We are proud to announce that Room to Read Founder and Board Chair, John Wood, has published his first children’s book, Zak the Yak With Books on His Back. In fun and rhythmic prose, Wood tells the story of sturdy, lovable Zak, a yak whose determination and strength help to bring thousands of books to a rural village in Nepal.

Thanks to the generosity of our friends at the Republic of Tea, who have underwritten the printing costs of the book, every dollar raised from Zak the Yak With Books on His Back funds Room to Read’s educational programs. The book's publication coincides with Room to Read's 10 year anniversary and the triumphs that accompany it: establishing our 10,000th library, opening our 1,000th school and funding the education of 10,000 girls. 

Can’t wait to get your hands on a copy?  Add it to your shopping cart on The Republic of Tea website.

Remember, for every book you order, Room to Read will put 10 books into the hands of children across the developing world!

To learn more about how The Republic of Tea supports Room to Read with its line of Little Citizens’ Herb Teas, read the press announcement.   

Find out more about Zak the Yak on the Room to Read website. 

Spread the Word: Room to Read Celebrates our "Year of Tens"

We know you keep hearing from us about our "Year of Tens" and our recent opening of our 10,000th library...but we can't control our excitement!

Thanks to our very special pro-bono video team (www.ThePositiveStory.com), we were able to capture the celebration at the ribbon-cutting in Nepal where we opened our 10,000th library and finished our Trek to 10,000.  Have a look!

 

You can also see all the highlights -- photos, blogs, tweets and more at www.roomtoread.org/yearoftens.

Please help us spread the word about our amazing accomplishments -- post, re-tweet, like, stumble, digg...whatever you need to do to share the good news.

Thank you, as always, for your support!