Session: ROOM TO READ ... helping children in the developing world...
Report by Roving Reporter, Sarah Mounsey ...
Wendy Rapee, board member of the CBCA, spoke about the organisation Room to Read which is helping to educate children in the developing world. She started her talk explaining that she believed that she was already preaching to the converted as every person in the room had been touched by story and reflected on her experiences of reading with her grandmother and being “transfixed” by stories as a child. Room to Read aims to give these experiences to children in ten developing countries in the world. Wendy spoke emotively about what the organisation had achieved already and what some of the plans were for the future.
Since 2000, Room to Read has built over 1600 schools, established more than 16,000 libraries and published 1000 children’s books in 27 languages. The local language books are not sold but given to children in the ten countries. They are also working with authors and illustrators in these countries and helping them to grow and develop. Wendy discussed that lives can be changed through education and literacy and this creates a ripple effect that can lift desperate people from poverty.
Wendy also briefly discussed a special fundraising campaign created by author, Tristan Bancks to help promote ‘Destination Literacy’. The goal of this is to reach ten million children by December 2015. There are many ways we can all get involved. For more information go the Room to Read website.
Extra report from Roving Reporter, Dimity Powell...
I loved how Wendy stated that everyone has that certain someone or something that encourages or touches them in some way with a book or story when young. For her it was her grandma and her family who impressed upon her the importance of story telling and magic of books.
It's inspiring how Room to Read aims to touch under-privileged children from impoverished and developing countries with words. They work with kids to improve their literacy through exposure and by developing a love of books and supporting burgeoning authors to create stories themselves. The ripple effect is world changing.