Christy Glick
Robertson Lowstuter, Inc.

Literacy has always been close to my heart.  Even before I could write a sentence, I am told that I filled line after line on pages of notebooks with “scribble scrabble,” my very own version of words.  As I grew older, you could find me hiding underneath the covers of my bed, reading to the illumination of a flashlight.

Illumination.  There is something enlightening about the ability to read and to write.  And something even more illuminating about having the resources to do so—freely having the paper, the pens, the books, the space in which to engage in the world of words.

For much of the world, scarcity of resources is a true roadblock to literacy.  Yet there are organizations that work to tear down the roadblocks to literacy for many people.  One such organization is Room to Read.

Founded in 2000, Room to Read is an organization that endeavors to educate children around the world by providing a variety of resources to make literacy happen.  Room to Read estimates that the opportunity to be educated in reading and writing is lacking for more than 300 million children worldwide!

The question is, how does Room to Read address such a daunting problem?  Very practically, with what they call their “Four core programs.”

• The Reading Room program creates libraries by providing books and the space in which to house and read them.
• The School Room program addresses the need for primary and secondary schools by building them in communities where there are none.
• The Local Language Publishing program utilizes the gifts of writers around the world to create reading materials that are relevant to the new readers themselves!
• And finally, the Girls’ Education program focuses on educating girls – providing equal access to the resources and support that tend to be more readily available to boys.

What is unique about this organization is its focus on “empowering communities.”  Room to Read is committed to encouraging local engagement in the projects so that they can contribute to the long-term development and growth that continues to be relevant in the local community.

It takes more than local community involvement, however, for Room to Read to accomplish its work.  From attending events to giving donations to initiating fundraising campaigns, people thousands of miles away participate, too!  And their efforts are essential to the growth of Room to Read’s programs.

Literacy certainly isn’t an end in and of itself.  Rather, it opens the door (and illuminates the path, so to speak) for children to excel in leadership and development in their countries, and gives them the possibility to engage with the world around them in new ways.

This is the kind of possibility that begins with scribbles on the page!

____________________

To learn more about Room to Read, or to participate in their mission, check out their website and blog at www.RoomToRead.org.

I am totally in awe of Crushpad. It’s brand-y new boutique DIY winemaking awesomeness. They say they are democratizing the wine industry. I say f*ck yeah!

In their own words:

Who is Crushpad anyway? Well, we’re a combination of wine industry veterans and technology industry refugees who want to liberate winemaking from the stereotype of the 5th generation wine family living on the chateau with the Golden Retriever. By bringing winemaking to the city, augmenting it with education and support, and taking care of the time-consuming parts, we want to enable anyone with a serious interest in wine to participate in the magic of winemaking.

Basically, you get to design and make your own wine online in collaboration with experts and advisors online. Monitor the growth in the vineyards online, participate in the harvest if you want, choose your barrels, your fermentation techniques, everything. Here’s the very clear easy “how does it work” page. Explains it better than I can.

And what’s even better? I learned about them through a joint twitter and charity initiative. For every bottle you buy of their 2009 “Fledgling” wine, pictured above, they donate $5 to Room to Read, a literacy program that brings books to extremely impoverished children around the world and whose motto is, “world change starts with educated children.” Here’s a link to a video on how this all works.

So, as I’m starting to “get” twitter more and more every day, I am awed at its ability to take on projects like this one. Humanity. The more things change…

There you go. I bought two Fledgling bottles for my parents. So should you!

I was moved by two quotations of Mother Teresa’s.

“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.”

“We cannot do great things on this Earth, only small things with great love.”

It’s winter, the economic times are really tough for a lot us, and yet, almost all of us have the ability to help someone else who may have a greater need than our own.  Sometimes all of the sorrow and anguish that exists in the world can seem overwhelming.  We think, “what good can my small donation be?” Not so.  Everything helps.  And as we help others, we help ourselves.  Generosity, selflessness, is an act of our humanity.

As such, two completely modern, ingenious ways to give to charity came across my path this week.  One gives shoes to third-world children.  The other, gives books to the same needy kids around the world. Read a little bit about TOMS Shoes (every pair you buy, a pair gets donated), and Room To Read and the Fledgling Wine initiative launched between Crushpad and twitter (every $20 bottle of wine you buy, $5 goes to books for kids).

Happy winter to you all!

I know, I know, you’ve seen it tweeted and blogged about everywhere. But there are a several things I like about What matters now: the crowdsourced eBook from seventy “big thinkers”curated by Seth Godin.

1.  It’s easy to scan through, easy to find things, and easy to read.

2. You can link to stuff. Like the contributing authors. “Share me” links. And Room to Read.

3. It’s consistent.

4. It’s interesting (it took months for the team to put together, so I’m not surprised!)

5. Seth Godin “curated” it. I like this concept of a digital content curator. It’s something that we can all easily do using social media. Some people are particular good at it, and it’s a skill I would like to practice some more.

6. It’s a call to action. From the first sentence “big thoughts and small actions make a difference” to invitations to share the ebook and expand upon it.

7. It’s often serious content, but it’s a playful concept. Have you ever joined in a group blogging or ebook project? It’s a great way to sharpen your creative thinking and your communication skills.

“What Matters Now” really is worth a look-see.

Now here’s my very simple creative challenge to you based on this eBook. Which five words briefly sum up what matters to you the most right now, for 2010? Nouns, verbs, adjectives…just five words about what matters now.  Mine (at least some things I have been thinking about) are:

Refresh. Attention. People. Experience. Intention.

What are your five words? Please leave a comment or write a post to share what matters most to you.

I am totally in awe of Crushpad. It’s brand-y new boutique DIY winemaking awesomeness.  They say they are democratizing the wine industry.  I say f*ck yeah!

In their own words:

Who is Crushpad anyway? Well, we’re a combination of wine industry veterans and technology industry refugees who want to liberate winemaking from the stereotype of the 5th generation wine family living on the chateau with the Golden Retriever. By bringing winemaking to the city, augmenting it with education and support, and taking care of the time-consuming parts, we want to enable anyone with a serious interest in wine to participate in the magic of winemaking.

Basically, you get to design and make your own wine online in collaboration with experts and advisors online. Monitor the growth in the vineyards online, participate in the harvest if you want,  choose your barrels, your fermentation techniques, everything. Here’s the very clear easy “how does it work” page.  Explains it better than I can.

And what’s even better? I learned about them through a joint twitter and charity initiative. For every bottle you buy of their 2009 “Fledgling” wine, pictured above, they donate $5 to Room to Read, a literacy program that brings books to extremely impoverished children around the world and whose motto is, “world change starts with educated children.” Here’s a link to a video on how this all works.

So, as I’m starting to “get” twitter more and more every day, I am awed at its ability to take on projects like this one.  Humanity.  The more things change…

There you go. I bought two Fledgling bottles for my parents. So should you!

Room to Read is a fantastic Charity initiative which is helping to change the world through education of children in third world countries.

The program runs in various districts and towns throughout Nepal and since 1998 has been changing the way people view education. Through sponsorship, scholarships, educational facilities and helpful teachers, children are now gaining the valuable knowledge to help them change their future.

Education is vital to the progression and development of countries such as Nepal. Educational and literacy programs are opening doors for these young people and giving them opportunities they may never have dreamed of.

The team at Room to Read are particularly concious of cultural differences and practices and they work hard to understand the best methods of implementation for each region. The organisations states ‘our team on the ground decides what programs Room to Read will focus on there, as they know the communities needs the best. They only work with villages that seek us as we want to know that they are committed enough to be proactive.’

After being contacted by the organisation directly, I will be lucky enough to experience this program first hand when I visit on the 10th December 2009. I hope to learn more about the efforts in Nepal and ways in which the group can be helped.

Room to Read Nepal – In Detail

Learn more about this great program at:

http://www.roomtoread.org/Page.aspx?pid=413

More information from a first hand experience to come soon after my visit in Nepal on 10th December 2009.

A few weeks ago my cousin (and fellow librarian) Julie sent me a message about Room to Read. Which is a charity that believes change begins with educated children. They promote literacy and education for children in the developing world.

Their website is www.roomtoread.org

Julie explained how the charity started:

“The founder of the organisation, John Wood, began the work in Nepal, as a response to a visit he made to a Nepalese village school, where the only two books available for the children were a ‘Lonely Planet’ guidebook and a Danielle Steel novel, left behind by trekkers like himself.  His book “Leaving Microsoft to Change the World” is truly inspiring.  The project now extends to many countries besides Nepal.  The book makes you realise that everyone has the potential to make a difference, no matter how great or small.”

I was mulling over whether this is something I could bring to Sussex as a charity for us to support through the libraries when I saw that the Financial Times is supporting Room to Read for their seasonal appeal.

Details of the appeal are available here: http://www.ft.com/indepth/seasonal-appeal

You can also follow Room to Read on Twitter or Facebook.

I feel even more motivated to look at what I can do locally.

Goodreads’ November newsletter announces a new initiative. Each month Goodreads will highlight a different charitable foundation that promotes reading. Their inaugural recommendation is Room to Read, which partners with local communities in the developing world to build libraries, create local-language children’s literature, construct schools, and provide education to girls.

My first introduction to Room to Read was through NaNoWriMo several years ago. (At one time NaNo gave a portion of monies raised to outside charities.) John Wood, founder and executive chairman of Room to Read, launched the organization after a visit to Nepal, where he was saddened by a shocking lack of educational resources. He quit an executive position with Microsoft and built a global team to create sustainable solutions to educational challenges.

Room to Read’s approach calls for:

• Scalable, measured, sustainable results
• Low-overhead, allowing maximum investment in educational infrastructure
• Challenge grants fostering community ownership and sustainability
• Strong local staff and partnerships creating culturally relevant programs

With more than 2,600,000 members Goodreads is the largest social network for readers in the world. Members can recommend and compare books, keep track of what they’ve read and would like to read, form book clubs and more. Their monthly newsletter features interviews, news, trivia, book recommendations and contests.

That’s perhaps the most unusual question (so far, mind you) that we’ve been asked in regards to our impending placements in Cameroon.

On the eve of our departure, we can’t help but to think:  is this WHO we are?  WHAT we are?  WHAT we are doing?

No doubt a profound respect for humanity is what drives us to combine our skills with those of other individuals in the hopes that, together, we can make a difference in the world around us.  After all, we believe in supporting people and communities in changing their own lives.

If you want to read about great people doing extraordinarily wonderful things that classify as true humanitarianism (in our minds and hearts), then read:

Three Cups of Tea – by Greg Mortensen

Leaving Microsoft to Save the World – by John Woods

An Imperfect Offering – by James Orbinski

Six Months in Sudan – by James Maskalyk

The Wisdom of Whores – by Elizabeth Pisani
They have inspired us.  Truly.

If you want to read about the experiences of a couple of rather ordinary people – who have drive, ambition, desire, courage, energy and passion to do exactly what they want to do, who are not fearless or completely selfless yet feel tremendously blessed to have the ability to devote 2 years to a learning experience that is a match to what they are passionate about – then read on!

The journey is just beginning.

From the article, Twitter and Amateur Vintners Mash Up for Charity, Twitter is rounding up a gang of winemakers — potentially tens of millions of them, to collaborate online for the benefit of a pro-literacy nonprofit organization.

The project is a partnership with Crushpad, a company that lets lovers of the grape create their own barrels of wine.

While others have used Twitter to raise money for or attention to various issues, the project, which launches Thursday, is the first official attempt by Twitter as a company to raise money for a cause, said Twitter spokesperson Jenna Sampson.

“It’s definitely an experiment,” said Michael Brill, president and CEO of Crushpad, the winery teaming with Twitter and the pro-literacy group Room to Read.

The project began after a few Twitter employees got involved with Crushpad, a facility that allows enthusiasts to create their own barrels of wine without having to own a vineyard. Crushpad, which like Twitter and Room to Read is based in San Francisco, provides grapes, equipment, expertise, storage and bottling.

“It became apparent pretty quickly that we could probably create a wine, great wine, sell it for a relatively low price, and take some chunk of the proceeds and send it to Room to Read,” Brill said.

“It’s winemaking, which is usually for us a four or five person endeavor, mixed with Twitter, which is a tens of millions person endeavor,” said Brill. “What happens when you push those things together? I’m hoping we just average the two customer  bases,” he said with a laugh.

Grapes for the new wine already have been trucked into the Crushpad facility and are in the process of being crushed and fermented. Once the project begins, there will be a Twitter account “(at)fledgling” where followers can get updates on the grapes’ progress.

Early next year, there will be a barrel tasting — in San Francisco and at remote locations using mailed samples — with tasters tweeting their opinions. The finished wine — just how many cases is still to be determined — will sell for US$20 a bottle, with $5 of that going to Room to Read.

“We’re excited,” says Room to Read founder John Wood. “Our team and their team together making wine — it’s a way to have a lot of fun and it’s a way to create a lot of libraries at the same time.”

***

I salute Twitter for bringing up this noble endeavor! Literacy, especially reading, is one of the most important skills the youth have to be equipped with, and Twitter’s stepping up to support this cause is a huge milestone, for it fulfills its Corporate Social Responsibility to greater extents.

Teaming up with two noteworthy companies: Crushpad(the wine company), and Room to Read (the beneficiary), they have capitalized not only on the power of the micro-blogging platform, but also to the great interest of the networked market of Twitter on wine-making, to realize a worthy objective of buying books to teach reading.

That’s what I could call, “Hitting three birds in one stone!” Twweeet Twweeet!

Possibly the greatest webcomic of all time (seriously), xkcd has provided countless hours of amusement over the years.  Now, my favorite webcomic has put out a book, with a portion of the proceeds going to another favorite of mine, the school and library building charity Room to Read.

Folks, this is an all around great deal, easily ordered online here.

To give you an idea of the greatness, here are a few tidbits to get you started down the path of xkcd love:

• http://xkcd.com/647/
• http://xkcd.com/628/
• http://xkcd.com/77/
• http://xkcd.com/522/

I have been a fan of the NGO “Room to Read” for a few years now and I think that the cause they are fighting for is the noblest of all:  Education. In my opinion when you provide education the world will become a better place. This is not philantrophic but illiteracy and lack of education is the origin of many problems. The NGO is stringently run with transparent accounting and minimal overhead at the same time. To find out more about “Room to Read” visit their website here.

The following is an invitation  that Room to Read invites to, which I would like to help them promote. The following content is provided by Room-to-Read:

Hello Room to Read supporters!

We’ve got a bit of a tweecret

While the details are still being kept under wraps, Room to Read and Twitter are embarking on a special partnership that will take place over the course of next year.

The specifics will be announced and celebrated on Thursday, October 15 just in time for Room to Read’s San Francisco Chapter benefit being held at the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center, Green Room.

Additionally, Room to Read’s Austin Chapter will be hosting an event on the same night and will be celebrating the same news via video!

Details about both events are below as well as well as information on purchasing tickets. Given the news, both events will sell-out so be sure to get your ticket now. If you’re not in the area, be sure to forward on this message to your contacts in San Francisco and Austin!

Room to Read has gained over 100,000 followers since Twitter announced the partnership last month and added us to their suggested users list. Follow all our news @roomtoread and you can all follow founder John Wood at @JohnWoodRTR.

Many thanks,

The Room to Read Team

******************************

San Francisco

Annual Fall Fundraiser

Thursday, October 15th

5:30PM VIP Reception – 6:30PM General Admission

VIP ticket price: $125

General Admission ticket price: $50

Please join us for an evening with Room to Read Founder and Executive Chairman, John Wood, and Room to Read co-Founder and CEO Erin Ganju, with the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter at the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center. The special, fundraising event will include a silent and live auction and a presentation by Room to Read’s founders on the organization’s progress to date and exciting vision for the future. To see the invitation, please click here . To contact the chapter, please email sf@roomtoread.org.

“Perhaps, sir, you will someday come back with books”.

One sentence would change John Wood’s life. It was 1999, and Wood was a rising star in Microsoft’s executive ranks. At the time stationed in Australia, Wood had achieved material and career success at a relatively young age. Taking his first vacation in years, he decided to spend three weeks backpacking through Nepal. Early on his trip, he stopped by a school in the remote mountain areas. The school was without books, at least functional ones that the students could understand. It was here that his guide, a school administrator, uttered the famous phrase.

John Wood speaking at the luncheon in Edmonton.

Wood, an avid reader since childhood, had an epiphany. By that night he was putting together in his head the plan that would lead to Room to Read. At the end of his trip, he sent out an email to friends requesting their donation of children’s books or money to purchase books. The response was overwhelming; over 3000 books were collected, and the following year, accompanied by his 73 year-old father, Wood made the return trip to deliver books, as promised. The rest, as they say, is history.

I first heard about Wood two years ago, as his story was mentioned in Bill Clinton’s book “Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World”. Intrigued, I borrowed Wood’s book, “Leaving Microsoft to Change the World”, from the Edmonton Public Library and enjoyed it greatly. Not only is it a great and inspirational story, but Wood is very balanced in telling it; he talks about the challenges and the trade-offs sometimes involved in pursuing your dreams.

Last November, the Edmonton chapter of Room to Read was formally launched. I got involved earlier this year, and have volunteered a couple of times (and plan on volunteering more). In conjunction with the University of Alberta, the chapter helped bring John Wood to Edmonton for two days of events. I had the pleasure of attending his luncheon on Monday.

The Room to Read luncheon, featuring John Wood.

A couple of things quickly become apparent about Wood when he speaks. One, he is funny. Two, partly because of the previous point, he’s quite an engaging speaker. He made a number of jokes, starting with one about getting his book title (Leaving Microsoft to Change the World) before Bill Gates could.

Wood is a very good communicator. The luncheon was a fundraiser, and he took full advantage of the opportunity to sell the organization. He went over the history of the organization, and rattled off some impressive statistics from the 9-year history of the organization. Since it’s inception, Room to Read Has:

- Built 765 schools.
- Published 333 books in the native languages of the countries it works in.
- Provided 7132 girls with scholarships to attend schools.
- Built 7168 libraries.

This year alone, it will build 2000 libraries and 250 schools.

It was also noted that there are 40 volunteer-run chapters throughout the world, and in 2008, they raised 25% of Room to Read’s overall budget. Focusing on the importance of the work Room to Read does, he talked about some of the problems that stem from a lack of education, particularly when girls don’t go to school, and touched on his own history as well.

Moving along in his speech, Wood covered the organization’s business model, based on a concept he calls “Collaborative Global Networks, at a Significant Scale”. In a nutshell, it involves partnerships, and buy-in from various stakeholders and groups. For example, the Room to Read head office in San Francisco coordinates the building of a school in Nepal, but funds are raised in various locations worldwide, a wealthy local donates land for the school, the community receiving the school commits to a number of volunteer hours to ensure it’s built, and the Nepalese Ministry of Education agrees to staff it with an appropriate amount of teachers. He also stressed the importance of working within the culture – 90% of Room to Read employees are local nationals. This is an approach I strongly approve of. It empowers the local community.

The local approach continues with their selection of books. Most of the titles are produced by locals, and are available in English and the local native language. Wood stated that the goal is not so much to bring Dr. Seuss to these countries, but to find “the Dr. Seusses and JK Rowlings of the developing world”. This is all part of an approach he called giving “a hand up, not a hand out”.

Wood closed by talking about the impressive and ambitious plans for the future. There are plans to open the 10,000th library next April in Nepal, and there are growth targets for 2015 as well (I can’t find the exact figures in my notes). The goal is to demonstrate that the social sector can scale up just like business. In fact, Wood noted that Starbucks opened just over 1000 locations in the 8 years after it’s IPO. Room to Read, in its first 8 years, built more schools and libraries than that.

While the speech’s primary focus was on promoting the organization and raising funds, it’s hard not to feel inspired afterward. John Wood is someone I’ve admired greatly since I first read his book. Hearing him speak about not just the accomplishments, but the goals and motives that drive them towards the accomplishments. As I said when writing about Craig Kielburger’s keynote at the Global Youth Assembly, the inspiration is less in the specific initiative and more in seeing someone discover their passion and how to pursue it. Wood is someone who walked away from a successful career and the material comforts that came along with it to pursue something risky that he believed in. Many of us talk about doing that, but few do. He deserves to be commended for taking the risk, and seeing his dream through to fruition.

After his speech, emcee Carrie Doll asked him if he was living his dream. With a smile on his face and no reservations, he responded with an enthusiastic “yes”. Not all of us want to build libraries and schools in the developing world. But we all have passions and we all have dreams. People like John Wood remind us that we can reach them.

You can see my full photo gallery from the event here.

BetterWorldBooks.com is making the world a better place one book at a time.  With over two million new and used books for sale online, there is something for everyone.

What makes Better World Books unique is that it has a triple bottom line; creating social, economic, and environmental value for all stakeholders.  For Better World Books, the triple bottom line comes in lots of forms. From helping to build a nursing library in Somaliland to offering customers carbon neutral shipping on every book they buy, doing good is not just a part of Better World Books’ business—it is the business.

Bol.com, Bruna en A.W. Bruna Uitgevers bundelen krachten voor Room to Read

Susan Smit, Renate Dorrestein, Arthur Japin, Wilfried de Jong, Herman Brusselmans, Daphne Deckers, Ronald Giphart, Adriaan van Dis, Jan Siebelink en Maarten Spanjer. Een greep uit de auteurs die de afgelopen maanden belangeloos een exclusief verhaal doneerden voor de bundel Stampvol verhalen. Per verkocht boek komt vijf euro ten goede aan de stichting Room to Read, die zich inzet om kinderen in ontwikkelingslanden toegang te geven tot onderwijs en (school)boeken. Zo is elke Stampvol verhalen goed voor vijf nieuwe schoolboeken voor kinderen in Azië en Afrika. Het boek Stampvol verhalen is vanaf 1 september overal te koop, onder andere in alle Bruna-boekhandels, op Bruna.nl en bij mediawinkel bol.com. Stampvol verhalen is ook te koop als digitaal boek bij bol.com. Een aantal verhalen is gratis te downloaden.

De bundel, bestaande uit 25 verhalen van Nederlandse en Vlaamse schrijvers van topformaat, is een verzameling van mooie, ontroerende en grappige korte verhalen over vreemde landen en culturen.

Met Stampvol verhalen vragen alle betrokken schrijvers, de Bruna-boekwinkels, bol.com en A.W. Bruna Uitgevers aandacht voor een wereldwijd probleem: het lezen van boeken en toegang tot onderwijs. Wat voor ons de normaalste zaak van de wereld lijkt, is helaas voor miljoenen kinderen in ontwikkelingslanden niet weggelegd. Room to Read zet zich in om kinderen in onderontwikkelde gebieden, veelal plattelandsdorpen, toegang te bieden tot een duurzaam onderwijssysteem. Doel: kinderen zo een kans bieden op een betere toekomst. Met Stampvol verhalen geef je dus niet alleen jezelf een leuk boek cadeau, maar je geeft ook een kind in Azië of Afrika een kans op een betere toekomst. Lees verder…

Room to Read launched its Singapore chapter with “an evening of food and philanthropy” on August 5. Regular readers will know that CPA Australia joined similar events in Hong Kong in May and in Sydney in February. This time, Deputy President CPA Australia, Low Weng Keong (“Weng” to friends and colleagues) hosted a CPA Australia table that I was fortunate to be able to join.

It was a wonderful night and our friends at Room to Read were delighted with the result, which at last tally amounted to a little more than SGD 1 million raised to educate children who otherwise would have little hope of learning how to read and write and so on. I am very pleased to let you know that the CPA Australia table raised more than SGD 65,000 on the night. This included the donation of an entire school (you are one of a kind Weng!) and three libraries as well as other smaller but significant items.

The other CPA Australia members who also joined Weng’s table on the night and donated the libraries were: Chaly Mah (Divisional President, Singapore); Loh Hoon Sun (Past Divisional President, Singapore); Soh Yew Hock (Past Divisional President Singapore); Steven Lim (Councillor and Past Divisional President Singapore); Irving Low (Deputy Divisional President Singapore), Bill Bowman (Divisional Councillor Singapore); Albert Ho (Divisional Councillor Singapore); Chan Lai-Koon (General Manager, CPA Australia Singapore Division); Low Lai King (friend of CPA Australia). What a team!

Following the event, Robin Fern, Asia Development Director for Room to Read sent this message:

Once again it was wonderful to have a CPA table at our event and so actively engaged with us. In addition to the CPA libraries, and the school I wanted to let you know that we’ve received our first two donations from the CPA Flyer! They arrived today, a $500 and a $100 SGD donation. The printed brochure looks wonderful… We’ve set up an appeal to track all donations and will allocate the funds to the girls’ education program as you indicate in the brochure… It’s truly exciting to see the momentum building.

John Wood, Founder & Executive Chairman of Room to Read, added this note:

Richard, great to see you at our event… We greatly appreciate everything that you and the worldwide CPA Australia team are doing to help Room to Read to reach more kids with the lifelong gift of education. It is so greatly appreciated, and we’re excited to be working with you…

Remember: “world change starts with educated children”. As Robin and John note, CPA Australia members have already done so much to bring about this change. This is something we all share in and of which we can all be proud.

“Leaving Microsoft to Change the World” is an inspiring story told by John Wood about going from doing marketing for Microsoft to forming and growing Room to Read. Room to Read plans to give books to 10 million to children throughout the developing world and is well on its way:

Since our inception in 2000, Room to Read has impacted the lives of over 3.1 million children in the developing world by: (1)

Constructing 765 schools
Establishing over 7,040 libraries
Publishing 327 new local language children’s titles representing over 2.8 million books
Donating over 2.8 million English language children’s books
Funding 6,817 long-term girls’ scholarships
Establishing 179 computer and language labs (2)
(1) Results as of December 31, 2008. Room to Read posts its result numbers quarterly.
(2) These programs are on hold as of 2009; results are reflective through Q4 2008.

(h/t to Social Earth)

I just replaced my old car with a slightly less old car of similar type and status.  And the intervening 8 years has brought some strange changes.

I now have a rearview mirror that automatically dims, windshield wipers that adjust to the rain conditions, and a passenger side rearview mirror that points down so I can see the curb when backing up.  Oh, and it’s also the world’s most expensive iPhone bluetooth speakerphone.

While I basically wanted a car with less than 150,000 miles, what I got was overkill.  It needs to get me places safely, but there is a lot of stuff to go wrong in this car, like the run-flat tire pressure sensors (originally developed for military vehicles) that are giving me a warning light even though the tires are filled.

I hate it.  But not because it’s a bad car.  It’s a fabulous car.  I hate it because I am, and you are, all attracted to these bells and whistles like moths towards a flame.  A simpler car would be more reliable, just as safe, lighter and more fuel efficient, and less likely to break-down.  It’s a barrier for us, though, in part because that car isn’t on the market.  So to paraphrase Ronald Reagan, “BMW, break down this wall” and build quality AND simplicity.  Save me from myself.

Because I want to use the dollar savings to pay for a school for 30 to 60 under-privileged children.  Check out Room to Read on what you could be doing with your seat heaters and two zone air-conditioning system…

Judul buku: Room  to  Read

Penulis: John Wood

Penerbit: Bentang, 2009

Tebal: x + 386 halaman

Berkarir sebagai eksekutif di perusahaan terkenal  dengan    gaji besar  bukan jaminan   untuk hidup bahagian.  John Wood,  penulis  buku ini,  yang pernah menjadi eksekutif di  Microsoft  telah membuktikannya.

John adalah  mantan spesialis   dalam pasar internasional. Dia mengaku  pekerjaannya secara finansial menguntungkan, tetapi penuh dengan  tekanan dan  tingkat stres  yang tinggi.

Setelah berkarir selama tujuh tahun di  Microsoft, dia memutuskan untuk berhenti  dan berkhidmat di dunia pendidikan.

Jalan hidupnya berubah setelah  mendaki Himalaya, dan menyaksikan  betapa memprihatinkannya sarana pendidikan di Nepal.  Saat itu tumbuh tekad di hatinya untuk membantu mendirikan perpustakaan di  sekolah-sekolah dasar di negara tersebut.

Kelak, bukan cuma satu perpustakaan yang berhasil didirikan oleh tim Room to Read, melainkan 7.000, yang tersebar di  Nepal, India, Kamboja dan Vietnam.

Tak mudah  perjuangan    John  untuk meraih kepercayaan donatur terhadap Room  to Read. Di  masa awal berdirinya Room to Read,  cukup banyak pengorbanan  yang ia keluarkan.

Meski di kartu namanya  tertulis CEO,  namun John harus merangkap berbagai pekerjaan, mulai dari ketua penggalangan dana,  wakil  direktur sumber daya manusia,  orang yang  berjalan kaki  mengantar deposito ke bank, penjilat perangko  ketika mengirim kuitansi, resepsionis yang menjawab telepon,  hingga menjadi pesuruh  yang  membawa sampah ke dumpster (tempat sampah besar). (hal 261)

Namun jerih payahnya tak sia-sia. Berkat liputan media massa,  para  donatur  mulai menaruh kepercayaan terhadap program Room to Read.

Berdasarkan kesaksian John,  di tahun pertama  berdirinya  organisasi  nirlaba itu,  mereka hanya mampu mengumpulkan  US$ 51.000, dimana 20%  dari jumlah tersebut berasal dari   uang  pribadinya.

Setelah  kepercayaan donatur meningkat,    mereka mampu memperoleh US$ 35.000 dalam waktu kurang dari  satu jam.

Bertambahnya  donasi,  membuat  mereka bisa menambah  program. Bila semula hanya membangun    perpustakaan, kini  mereka bisa juga memberi beasiswa kepada siswa-siswa tak mampu.

Bahkan setelah musibah tsunami akhir 2004 lalu, Room to Read juga turut berpartisipasi  membangun kembali sekolah-sekolah yang hancur di Sri Lanka.

Sayangnya, kehidupan  pribadi  John tak sesukses Room to Read. Di usai ke-40, dia masih melajang  dan belum mampu  membeli rumah di San Fransisco, tempatnya bermukim selama ini.

Sebagai hadiah ulang tahun untuk dirinya sendiri,  John memutuskan  untuk mencurahkan   apa yang mungkin akan   menjadi dasawarsa  paling produktif dari kehidupan  dewasanya kepada  pencarian akan  pendidikan  universal.

Dia telah meninggalkan  semua  pikiran  tentang kembali  ke bidang teknologi.  John  telah menemukan   jalan hidupnya  yang sejati,  dan merasa beruntung   mengenal siapa dirinya,  apa yang ingin ia fokuskan,  serta ukuran-ukuran   yang   ia perlukan untuk menilai diri sendiri. (hal 384)

Room to Read adalah judul untuk edisi baru buku ini.  Sebelumnya, pada Agustus 2007, buku ini terbit dengan judul Leaving Microsot to Change the World.

Telah diterjemahkan  ke dalam 16 bahasa, buku ini berhasil meraih   Academy for Educational  Development   “Breakthrough Ideas  in Education” Award 2007.

Kehadiran buku ini mengingatkan kita pada buku Three  Cups of Tea karya Greg Mortenson.

Sama seperti John, Greg  juga  pribadi langka yang mau meninggalkan  pekerjaannya  untuk berkhidmat pada dunia pendidikan dengan mendirikan ratusan sekolah di pelosok Pakistan dan Afganistan.

Satu hal yang membedakan buku ini dengan karya Greg adalah pada  konflik yang terdapat di dalamnya. Membaca Three Cups of Tea sarat dengan petualangan dan konflik  yang dialami  Greg  dalam mewujudkan rencananya membangun sekolah-sekolah di pedalaman Pakistan dan Afganistan.

Sementara  buku ini terasa datar  karena    John tak menghadirkan konflik  di dalamnya. Entah karena  pekerjaannya  berlangsung dengan mulus,  tanpa menemui kendala seperti birokrasi yang ruwet dan  penolakan dari   penduduk lokal.

Atau memang dia sendiri yang tak mau menghadirkan konflik-konflik yang, sedikit-banyak, pasti dia alami?

Meski  demikian, kehadiran Room to Read  berhasil memberi inspirasi kepada pembacanya untuk peduli pada dunia pendidikan.

John  telah menanam amal  dengan cara  membangun   perpustakaan,  memberi beasiswa, dan  merehab  sekolah-sekolah yang hancur akibat tsunami.  Dia telah menemukan dunianya, dan bahagia dengan apa yang dia lakukan.

John Wood, founder and CEO of Room to Read, was in Hong Kong on Wednesday. I was fortunate to join John for both lunch and dinner – along with hundreds of others – to learn more about Room to Read’s recent activities and future plans.

The lunchtime event was hosted by CPA Australia’s Hong Kong China Division. The dinner event was a wine gala at the W Hotel in Hong Kong. CPA Australia took a table at the event and some of our Hong Kong based members signed up to show their support. The 200 or so people at the dinner heard John give a very moving talk about how education changes lives. He ended with a slide of a young girl looking hopefully into the camera and John challenged all in the room to “go ahead and make her day!” by giving to Room to Read so that girls like the one in the photo could get an education and lift themselves out of poverty, servitude, and sometimes, sadly, even worse circumstances.

I’m delighted to report that those present not only made that young girl’s day, but gave a significant gift to hundreds of others with well over AUD $1 million being raised in the room on the night! It set a record for Room to Read and CPA Australia’s table did its part by collectively sponsoring three libraries to go into Schools in Vietnam – a location in which CPA Australia has a strong presence and a growing number of members.

CPA Australia members at the table donated the libraries in the name of CPA Australia – hence the dedication plaque to be added at the end of construction will be a longstanding testament to the generosity of spirit of CPA Australia and its membership. These three libraries came on top of other donations that people at the table individually made. It was a magnificent effort! The members at the table included: Deborah Leung; Chris Lau; Vivian Sun; Grace Young; Patrick Yeung; Peter Lee; Loretta Shuen; Dennis Tam; Richard Ho; and William Cheng. Champions all. Today, Robin Fern, who works with John at Room to Read, wrote the following message to me to pass on to the others present on the night and to all those CPA Australia members who have contacted Room to Read since the organisation made the move to support them:

Thank you for your amazing support. Thank you so much for your generous support of the three libraries in Vietnam – I loved the way the team embraced the moment and collectively supported our efforts. I look forward to sharing the reading room reports with you so you can remain engaged with Room to Read and our progress during the coming year. Many thanks for helping us on our quest to provide the lifelong gift of education to millions of children across the developing world. August 5 in Singapore is our next event if you have friends/colleagues that would like to join.

John and his team constantly remind us that “world change starts with educated children”. Many CPA Australia members have embraced this message and are playing a meaningful role (on top of all the other things they do) in helping to change the world by supporting Room to Read. Amen to that.