Where We Work - Overview

More than 76 million children in the developing world are not currently enrolled in primary school. Over 250 million more will never have the opportunity to attend secondary school. (1)

Since our founder John Wood delivered the first yak-load of books to a Nepalese school in 1999, Room to Read has established operations in 8 countries in Asia and Africa - Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Zambia. Each of these countries faces a desperate lack of resources to educate their own children. Yet, each country also provides its own unique challenges and opportunities. For this reason, Room to Read hires local teams led by local country directors to partner with communities in need. Through our 'Challenge Grant' model, these communities co-invest in the projects with us, fostering community empowerment and strengthening the long-term sustainability of each project.

Come learn about these countries and how we are addressing their educational needs.

(1) Source: UNESCO