Room to Read Establishes 100Th School

Today, Room to Read announced the adoption of its 100th school construction project in Chharka, Nepal. Chharka is an ethnically Tibetan village perched high in the North-West Himalayas at 14,000 feet and is geographically isolated from the surrounding villages in the Dolpa region. The Shree Narayan Gopal Primary School will give the 300 residents of this village the gift of lifelong education.

Room to Read is honored to announce that this school has been endowed by NBC's Jane Pauley after hosting Room to Read's founder, John Wood, on her talk show. If you are interested in watching John's episode air this fall, please check Jane's website for weekly scheduling. Other significant contributions for this school were made possible by Leona Mason and the International Community Development Foundation.

Over the past four years, Room to Read has partnered with poor rural villages to improve education using a system of challenge grants. Each project receives significant community co-investment in the form of donated material, labor, and land. Tashi Tsewang, the village headman in Chharka, explained how investing in education was the most important contribution he could make by stating, "With education, you are helping not just one individual, but the entire village." The children are educated with the belief that they will continue to expand upon that knowledge throughout their lives and become agents for change; ultimately improving conditions in their village. Founder John Wood explains, "Room to Read's goal is to help at least 10 million children gain the lifelong gift of education. The 100th school milestone represents a significant down payment on this dream."