If you have questions about your visit, please email your main Room to Read point of contact or travel@roomtoread.org.

Thank you so much for your generous offer to bring gifts. While we certainly appreciate this, we ask visitors not to bring extra gifts so we do not foster a culture of dependence between the students and guests. We rely on community involvement and co-investment to increase the likelihood of success and long-term sustainability of our projects. Our model acts as a catalyst for community participation, ownership, and pride. When our visitors commit to supporting the residents directly, this can undermine the partnership our local teams have established with community officials and organizations. We are happy to discuss our rationale and program model with you in more depth if you have any questions.

We invite you to share your experience with your network! Photos and videos are a great way to spread the word about your Room to Read visit and the work that you support. We ask that you document your visit in a sensitive manner and in alignment with our Visitor Agreement and Child Protection Code of Conduct, and branding guidelines. It is critical that you never photograph someone in a situation that puts them at risk, portrays personal or sensitive information, or compromises their privacy or safety. Please speak to your Room to Read contact in advance of your visit to determine what photography and/or videography is appropriate. 

We want to be respectful of the local cultures and customs of the countries we work in. Please dress appropriately and wear modest clothes. This includes covered knees and shoulders. Additionally, women should not wear low-cut tops. Please do not wear camouflage patterns.

Please note that when entering a library or home, it is respectful to remove your shoes and hat in most of the countries we work in. 

A member of the local Room to Read team, typically a program officer, will accompany you to the project site and will serve as your host on the visit. They will provide you with more information about our work and will be able to answer your questions about the project or partner community you are visiting.

Please keep your entire day available. A program visit can take up to a full day, including travel time, with one to three hours spent at the school community. We will provide an itinerary with the exact timing approximately two weeks prior to the visit.

Your day will begin with getting to know members of our local staff. After a brief orientation on Room to Read's presence in-country, the group will depart for the project site. There you will meet the school administration and participate in interactive learning activities with the students and school community. You will be provided with a more detailed itinerary that is tailored to your specific trip approximately two weeks prior to the visit.

A Room to Read staff member will travel with you for the entire duration of your visit. Typically, Room to Read will arrange for your ground transportation from a designated meeting point to the project site and back. Room to Read will let you know if there are additional requirements for your visit.

You are responsible for your international flights, visas, lodging, additional meals, and incidentals.