Larchmont and Pelham Students Help Raise Funds to Build a Library at a School in Sri Lanka

The following release is from Room to Read Westchester:

Students from diverse Westchester county schools joined forces over spring 2014 to raise enough funds for the global, non-profit literacy organization, Room to Read, to build a school library for students on the other side of the world, in Sri Lanka. The volunteer-run Westchester chapter of Room to Read launched this initiative, the “Students Helping Students in Westchester,” which brought together students from Pelham Memorial High School, Hommocks Middle School and The Ursuline School. Students raised funds through bake sales and other fundraisers in their respective schools over several months to reach the goal of $5,000 to build the school library.

“The time and effort PMHS [Pelham Memorial High School] and all of Westchester Students Helping Students put into fundraising was finally converted to a tangible learning environment for kids from across the world!!” said Isabella Bricker, former senior and President of the Room to Read Club at Pelham Memorial High School. “This was such a special experience and I am so lucky to have been a part of it.” Students of the PMHS Room to Read club raised $1,500 at a fundraiser student luncheon held at the Manor Club in Pelham, catered by Depot Deli and sponsored by Meridian Risk, in May 2014.

The funds the Westchester students raised has enabled a new library to be built in Ihala Uswewa Dharmashoka Vidyalaya, a coastal town in the northwestern district of Sri Lanka that relies on agriculture and fishing. Since many residents work as farmers and fishermen, education is still not highly prioritized and women comprise only 22 percent of the total literate population in this district.

Students from Hommocks Middle School raised funds through several bake sales and by selling “bricks” for the Sri Lanka school library at a Rally for Reading luncheon fundraiser organized by the Westchester Chapter of Room to Read in April 2014. The luncheon featured guest speaker, Christina Baker Kline, author of New Times bestseller, “Orphan Train.”

“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,” said Jasmine Rodrigo, former senior at The Ursuline School, a Catholic girls’ school in New Rochelle. Rodrigo was President of the Room to Read Club at The Ursuline School.

Room to Read focuses on literacy and gender equality in education in developing countries. To learn more about the work and impact Room to Read is having, there will be a public showing of the film “Girl Rising” at the Larchmont Library on Saturday, October 11th, at 4:00pm. “Girl Rising” tells the stories of empowerment of nine girls from nine countries inspite of the obstacles of poverty and other challenges. As one of the film’s impact partners, Room to Read is featured in the film’s second chapter which tells the story of Suma, a Nepali girl, who is supported by Room to Read Girls’ Education program. Students and members of the general public are welcomed to attend this screening. For more information about the Westchester Chapter of Room to Read and the Students Helping Students Westchester, please contact Westchester Chapter leader Jill Brennick at xhilli@hotmail.com.

About Room to Read Westchester Chapter and Room to Read

The Westchester Chapter of Room to Read (www.roomtoread.org/westchester), founded in November 2010, is part of global, non-profit Room to Read’s network of over 50 volunteer chapters worldwide which collectively bring in one-third of the organization’s operating budget. Room to Read is founded on the belief that “World Change Starts with Educated Children.” To achieve this goal, Room to Read focuses on literacy and gender equality in education, two areas where they believe they can have the greatest impact. They work in collaboration with communities and local governments across Asia and Africa to develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children and support girls to complete secondary school with life skills they’ll need to succeed in school and beyond. Since 2000, Room to Read has impacted the lives of nearly nine million children and aims to reach 10 million children by 2015.

Photo: Sasha Kran and Isabella Bricker (from left to right) of the Room to Read Club in Pelham Memorial High School at student luncheon to raise funds for Sri Lanka school library. Photo credit: Thomas Bricker