Room to Read provides opportunities for girls in developing countries to attend school, thus allowing them to gain the lifelong gift of education and to take control of their lives.
Of the 850 million illiterate people in the developing world, nearly two-thirds are women. Out of the 130 million children not in school in the world, nearly two-thirds are girls. Due to economics and cultural bias, young girls are often left behind when it comes to educational opportunities. If families are able to send only one child to school, the eldest son is usually chosen. The scholarship program can have an immediate and direct impact on the lives of young girls.
To each girl, we make a 10-year commitment through the completion of secondary school starting at age 5. This acts as an incentive to achieve and stay in school and provides security and support to girls who often grow up in an uncertain environment
The goal is to provide opportunities for girls in developing countries to attend school, thus allowing them to gain the lifelong gift of education and to take control of their lives.
This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).
