The Right to Read

Roughly one-fifth of the world's adult population cannot read or write. This figure has been linked to many, more troublesome, areas of society: Illiteracy can drive extreme poverty, gender inequality and even environmental instability.

Nonprofit organization Room to Read is working to break this cycle. Its motto "World Change Starts with Educated Children" embodies the belief that education empowers people to improve socioeconomic conditions for their families, communities, countries and future generations.

After trekking through Nepal, ex-Microsoft executive John Wood founded the organization by providing books and other resources to Nepalese students. Room to Read is now active in nine countries in Asia and Africa. Its main focus areas are access to education and quality of education.

"These countries need models that are applicable and work within confinements," said Erin Ganju, the organization's co-founder and CEO.

Room to Read partners with communities across the developing world to provide educational opportunities by:

• establishing libraries;
• creating local-language children's literature; and
• constructing schools and providing girls with education.

To reach hard-to-access children, the organization reaches out to the family and community to increase the likelihood that the children go to school. If the family understands that educated children have more opportunities, then they can influence their children.

The root of the problem

Unlike most families in developed countries who know it's important for their kids to receive an education, this information isn't always apparent to Room to Read families. They don't understand how their children will benefit from staying in school. Often, for the short term, it is financially advantageous for the families to have their children working instead of receiving an education.

At the secondary school level in developing countries, Ganju said, 300 million children do not attend school. Either there aren’t schools in close proximity to the students or education is viewed as irrelevant.
 
"Children drop out because they don’t see the relevancy to their lifestyle," she said, "particularly in rural communities."

This viewpoint stems from parents, especially when their children reach the secondary school level, said Emily Leys, global program officer for Room to Read's Girls’ Education Program.