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Room to Read is a nonprofit organization with an aim to increase literacy in developing countries. The Westchester chapter of the group started the Students Helping Students in Westchester initiative, and it attracted students from Pelham Memorial High School, Hommocks Middle School and The Ursuline School in New Rochelle.
“The time and effort PMHS and all of Westchester Students Helping Students put into fundraising was finally converted to a tangible learning environment for kids from across the world,” Isabella Bricker, former student and president of the Room to Read Club at PMHS said. “This was such a special experience, and I am so lucky to have been a part of it.”
The PMHS students were able to raise $1,500 through a student luncheon at the Manor Club in Pelham. It was sponsored by Meridian Risk and catered by Depot Deli.
The library funded will be built in Ihala Uswesa Dharmashoka Vidyalaya, which is a coastal town. Many of the residents are farmers and fishermen, and education is not a priority for many. There is not much emphasis on literacy, especially among women.
“In raising funds for a new library in Sri Lanka, I learned the importance of spreading awareness and building a network of individuals who are passionate about social entrepreneurship,” Jasmine Rodrigo, former student at The Ursuline School, a New Rochelle Catholic girls’ school, said.
Rodrigo was the president of Room to Read at her school.
Hommocks Middle School students hosted several bake sales and sold “bricks for the library at their Rally for Reading luncheon. Christina Baker Kline, author of “Orphan Train,” a New York Times bestseller, was special guest speaker at the event.
To share information about Room to Read, the film “Girl Rising” will be shown at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at Larchmont Library. The focus of the film is the stories of nine girls from nine countries who overcame poverty and a number of other challenges to find empowerment. One of the girls featured is Suma, a Nepali girl who has benefited from the Room to Read Girls’ Education program.
Students and the public may attend the screening. For more information about Room to Read’s Westchester Chapter, email the leader Jill Brennick at xhilli@hotmail.com.
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