Room to Read seeks to intervene early in the lives of children and help provide them with an education and the lifelong gift of literacy. To increase the likelihood for success, Room to Read enlists community involvement.
Their challenge grants require villages to raise a significant portion of the overall expenditure (through donated land, labor, materials and cash) for building a new school, thereby allowing the organization's cash investments to go further, helping more villages.
They also establish libraries, computer labs and language labs in conjunction with schools whereby the communities contribute shelves, desk, and chairs.
Their challenge grants act as catalysts for community building while also maximizing the local participation and expertise brought to our programs to ensure they are run efficiently and effectively.
Thus far they have:
Again, this is pretty straightforward. Despite the local news reports, most of us have it pretty good. Our children get a good education free from many hardships and discriminations that are often prevalent in other, less fortunate, parts of the world. In my opinion, helping them benefit not only these children now, but also the children and everyone else in the future. As the world becomes more enmeshed, I can't help to think that there is a correct decision when given the options of a less intelligent or a more intelligent world. We can hope it happens passively, or can try to make it happen actively.
You can find a great Web site stocked with information as well as ways to help at roomtoread.org