is an outstanding statistic considering that if you are born poor, rural and female in the developing world, the odds are stacked against you. We’re confident that soon there will be a generation of educated young women creating their own futures and bettering their communities, and we should all be proud in knowing that we helped build the foundation that paved the way for their outstanding success.
Dear Friends, 2
As many of you know, I’m a seasoned “road warrior.” I’ve logged over one million miles during Room to Read’s first decade, and I spend more time in airports than I do at my home in San Francisco. The silver lining to so much time on airplanes is having long hours of quiet reading time. I tend to maintain a sizable collection of books, newspapers and magazines that I haul from one end of the world to the other (please note, this is not a plea for an iPad or Kindle, but please do keep those frequent flier mile donations coming!). On a recent journey, as I perused a book review, I was struck by a quote from Alberto Manguel’s book “A Reader on Reading.” He eloquently states, “I believe we are, at the core, reading animals, and that the art of reading, in its broadest sense, defines our species.” The ability and desire to read has had a profound influence on me and can have a major impact on the life of any individual, family and community in the developing world. For the ability to read translates into the ability to communicate, to
reason, to build and to dream. Together, all of us believe that every child deserves this opportunity. For the past 10 years, Room to Read has been laying the foundation for creating a literate environment in places lacking
“Over four million children in nine countries now have access to Room to Read schools and libraries.” some of the most basic educational resources. And with your help, a decade of building has resulted in some pretty incredible numbers – over 10,000 libraries, 1,200 schools and more than seven million books put into the hands of eager young readers. Over four million children in nine countries now have access to Room to Read schools and libraries. Included in these millions, by the end of 2010, are more than 10,000 girls who will be able to continue their education through our Girls’ Education program. Last year, over 96 percent of these girls matriculated to the next grade level. This
As I board flight after flight to share the Room to Read story around the globe, I’m so proud to tell people how far we’ve come in our first decade. But I’m even prouder to point to where we’re headed next. I’ve seen firsthand how Room to Read has snowballed from that first library in Bahundanda, Nepal into an avalanche of books, libraries and schools – all the elements for a “perfect storm” to transform the lives of children through the power of education. As you’re reading this report or your favorite newspaper or a good book, please consider the millions of children unable to read even the most simple of texts; not because they’re slow learners, but because they just don’t have the tools. Our goal is both simple and bold: to forever end the day when a child can be told she or he was born in the wrong place, at the wrong time, to the wrong parents. The hunger to learn, that element that defines our species, is present in every child. It’s both a responsibility and an opportunity for all of us, as citizens of a world that becomes ever smaller, to do our part to feed that appetite for education.
John Wood
Founder & Board Chair