Room to Read

Occasionally you’re presented an opportunity to learn about a cause that inspires you to action. That gift was presented to me in the form of a book called Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, written by Room to Read founder John Wood.

During a long overdue vacation trekking through the Himalayan mountain range, John came to meet Pasupathi, a district resource administrator, who would later become a partner and friend in a venture that would lead him across several continents and far from the fast paced career and overflowing pockets of  the software giant Microsoft. 

On his trip, John was introduced to countless children who were eager to learn. He saw the lack of resources that were available for teachers to make this dream a reality in the lives of these kids. Across Nepal, schools were operating with limited libraries or no books at all. Realizing the gift we have in a free education and the countless libraries that are supplied to us, simply because we were not born in a third world country, John knew this was a problem that he had a responsibility address. Room to Read is the answer to that call to action. Since its creation in 1999, thousands of books have reached the hands of children across the world. 

Room to Read has also made a specific petition to educate girls in locations where they would, in other circumstances, have very limited or no education at all. He makes the point that if you educate a girl you educate an entire family. Women who know how to read and are given the opportunity to learn will inevitably teach their children how to read and encourage them to learn. An investment in the education of one girl will exponentially extend for generations to come. 
These children have the desire and drive to learn and to make a better life for themselves. Room to Read provides an opportunity for us to help them make that dream come true.