A "Room to Read" in Vietnam (part 1)
Last year, children’s book author and literacy advocate, Ann Martin Bowler announced she would donate her school speaking fees to Room to Read (a non-profit organization building schools and libraries in some of the poorest parts of Asia and Africa), with the goal of building a school in Vietnam. She has been an ambassador for Room to Read since the beginning of 2007.
Annie wrote me an email, last week, reporting on the success of her fundraising efforts. She was able to raise $17,000 and construction is due to begin in the fall for a pre-school in the village of Hoi Tri, near Ho Chi Minh City. The school will serve 180 students and its design and building process will count with the participation of the community. “The grade school in Hoi Tri is quite overcrowded–kids currently come to school in split shifts. Giving preschoolers their own school will free up classroom space, allowing more elementary students to attend school.”
In a 2007 interview for PaperTigers, she said: “After seeing little ones [in Indonesia] working or running on the streets because there is no school to attend, I had to do what I could to help Room to Read reach their goals. I believe that educating the world’s children is the best way to break the cycle of poverty, and Room to Read is striving to do just that, one school at a time.”
PaperTigers is proud to have helped Ann Martin Bowler achieve her commendable goal by sponsoring an all-day school visit to Freeport Elementary School in Sacramento, California. But Annie isn’t done yet! She just announced she will be donating her 2008/09 school year speaking fees to build another school!… We strongly encourage you to book one of her school visits this year. We can’t wait to hear about more schools being built and more needy children getting the education they deserve!
For information on school visits, check out her website and/or her Room to Read blog, “World Change Starts with Educated Children.”
August 31st, 2008 at 11:59 am
What wonderful news – well done, Annie – it’s a real achievement.
September 1st, 2008 at 9:47 am
Congratulations Ann! Her website is most interesting. What a fabulous thing to do! I wish the school my kids attended would have an author visit as the kids, teachers and even the parents benefit so much! I loved reading about her visit to Freeport School and the comments from the kids.
September 10th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
As I read this, I realized I had read about Room to Read recently in an essay in To Vietnam With Love, a new book just released–in which the Room to Read library in Phuoc Lai Primary School is described as a “magical island of bold, joyous color.” What a wonderful project. Thanks, Aline, for featuring this.