Room to Read ! @ 台勞@慕尼黑

Dear Friends,

this is about a fund-raising activity for a charity association; the goal is to raise money by selling a calendar of upcoming year 2010.

Since couple months ago, I am involved in the activities of a non-profit association called "Room to Read" and its chapter in Munich -- ‘Deutschland macht Schule’ (http://www.deutschland-macht-schule.de/).

But why? And what is "Room to Read"?

Everything starts from John Wood’s book : ‘Leaving Microsoft to Change the World’! ' Von Microsoft in den Himalaya: Bücher für eine bessere Welt ' (Some more info about this can be found in the remarks below.)

One of the approaches of Room-to-Read is to help girls to attend school. Because economics, cultural bias and gender discrimination often exclude girls from educational opportunities in the developing world. BUT ! To educate a girl is like to educate a future mother, who will one day transmit her knowledge to her sons and daughters. Therefore, actually even the next generation can be educated by helping a single girl!!

I am very much convinced by this idea; therefore I decide to do something to my best ability.

In addition to donation of girls’ scholarship, my boy friend and I 'adopt' (bought) 60 copies of calendars and try to raise funds by selling them. The calender costs 10 Euro each, and 4 Euro out of 10 is printing cost; which means, 6 Euro will be donated to ‘Room-to-Read’ with each sale of a calendar.

I guess many of you are making X’mas gift list now. I firmly believe that this calendar is a very meaningful and smart gift; it would be a gift carrying your love to whomever receives this calendar, and meanwhile, a child somewhere in the developing world also will be benefit from your kindness.

If you are interested in buying one or more calendars, please let me know!

I appreciate your kindhearted confirmation of this activity in advance! :-))))

Sincerely yours,
Nora/ FangFang

Remarks :

1. John Wood, once the head of marketing for Asia Pacific Region in Microsoft, launched Room-to-Read after a trek through Nepal where he visited several local schools. He was lead to a ‘library’, which was just a locked-up cabinet containing only few and damaged books, which appeared to be backpacker castoffs. The teachers couldn't let the library opened; otherwise the children would have damaged the books by consulting them too often. John Wood was amazed by the warmth and enthusiasm of the students and teachers, but also saddened by the shocking lack of resources. Driven to help, John quit his job with Microsoft and built a global team to work with rural villages to offer educational opportunities for children.

2. Room to Read is the charity association, within its category, with the highest efficiency in terms of money that really goes to the people who need them. (86% of donation go to the children thenselves.)

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=10217

3. Somemore info in Chinese...click here 更多中文資訊點這裡.