Making Room to Read
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With nothing but disaster abounding in the financial world, I recently had the pleasure of reading a book which not only restored my confidence that somewhere in the world lives are being positively improved, but also flashed me back to my travels to South East Asia.
In advance of my summer beach holiday, I picked up John Wood’s recently published novel, Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, but finished it before I even got on the train to Gatwick. Although structurally formulaic, the book is compelling, highly readable, deeply inspiring and a timely reminder that I am long overdue on my promise to 'give back' to the community.
John’s book starts with a snapshot of himself: a high flying marketing guy heading the charge for Microsoft in Asia during the IT boom of the late '90s. Although life was about as good as it gets - a lush expat package, an equally successful fiancé, a great career progression, and meetings with Bill Gates himself - a fateful trip to Nepal was the start of his demise from a net accumulator of funds and material possessions, to an impassioned, chino-wearing charity guy.
During his trip to Nepal, John came face-to-face with the absolute destitution that faces hundreds of millions of primarily women and children across the third world: illiteracy. What started for John as a one-off book drive that raised more than 3,000 books for school children in the small village of Bahundanda, Nepal, has grown into a worldwide organisation operating in eight countries with an annual budget of $22 million. Since its inception in 2000, Room to Read has impacted more than 1.7 million children by:
I remember my own visit to Cambodia years ago. I was astounded by the friendliness of the people I met and exceptional lengths to which they went to show us the best the country had to offer. I always wished I could do something to make life better for people there without the exploit of tourism.
Room to Read has provided me with the gateway to do just that.
To find out more about Room to Read or get involved, visit www.roomtoread.org.
To buy Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, click here.
John’s book starts with a snapshot of himself: a high flying marketing guy heading the charge for Microsoft in Asia during the IT boom of the late '90s. Although life was about as good as it gets - a lush expat package, an equally successful fiancé, a great career progression, and meetings with Bill Gates himself - a fateful trip to Nepal was the start of his demise from a net accumulator of funds and material possessions, to an impassioned, chino-wearing charity guy.
During his trip to Nepal, John came face-to-face with the absolute destitution that faces hundreds of millions of primarily women and children across the third world: illiteracy. What started for John as a one-off book drive that raised more than 3,000 books for school children in the small village of Bahundanda, Nepal, has grown into a worldwide organisation operating in eight countries with an annual budget of $22 million. Since its inception in 2000, Room to Read has impacted more than 1.7 million children by:
- Constructing 442 school
- Establishing over 5,160 libraries
- Publishing 226 new local language children's titles representing over 2 million books
- Donating over 2.2 million English language children's book
- Funding 4,036 long-term girls' scholarships
- Establishing 155 computer and language labs
I remember my own visit to Cambodia years ago. I was astounded by the friendliness of the people I met and exceptional lengths to which they went to show us the best the country had to offer. I always wished I could do something to make life better for people there without the exploit of tourism.
Room to Read has provided me with the gateway to do just that.
To find out more about Room to Read or get involved, visit www.roomtoread.org.
To buy Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, click here.
Here Is The Writer : Charity Karma
Charity Karma is a former City banker who now spends time doing the antithesis of banking: volunteering a sensible amount of time to a fabulous not-for-profit organisation, without a blackberry. Miss Karma can usually be found chastising former banking colleagues and private equity pals for not donating to charity, and attempting to shake out donations from increasingly shrinking corporate CSR budgets.
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