“The motto at Room to Read is ‘World Change Starts with Educated Children,” said Shauna Varvel, Co-Chair of the Room to Read Greenwich Chapter.
The Greenwich chapter of Room to Read hosted an evening with actress Blake Lively to raise money and awareness for the organizations’ Nepal Education Fund.
“Nepal is actually where Room to Read started. Our founder John Wood conceived Room to Read while visiting Nepal so we are really focused right now on rebuilding and making it possible for children across the country to reconnect with their education and their every day lives,”said Jennifer Spinner, Associate Manager of Reporter for Room to Read.
“Students are currently studying under trees, tents and makeshift classroom,” said Varvel. “They are waiting for their schools to be rebuilt.”
The event included a screening the documentary “A Path Appears”, which Lively took part in, as well as a panel discussion.
“A Path Appears” is a documentary from the creative team that brought you the groundbreaking series Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. The film follows intrepid reporters Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn and actor/advocates Malin Akerman, Mia Farrow, Ronan Farrow, Jennifer Garner, Regina Hall, Ashley Judd, Blake Lively, Eva Longoria, and Alfre Woodard to Colombia, Haiti, Kenya, and throughout the United States as they uncover the harshest forms of gender-based oppression and human rights violations, as well as the effective solutions being implemented to combat them.
“It takes the citizens. It takes the parents. It takes the teachers. It takes the whole community to say there are children that are missing all the time. Even though its complex there is a solution and its just up to us to care.” – Blake Lively
Proceeds from the event went towards rebuilding schools in Nepal after the devastating earthquake earlier this year.
“Our goal tonight it to return three schools to the children of Nepal. The cost to rebuild the three schools total is $239,000. Before tonight’s event even started, you kindly gave close to $170,000,” said Varvel.
Organizers say fundraising efforts like the event Saturday night are what makes their work possible.
“The only way that change is going to take place in the world is if people know that change is needed,” said Spinner.
For more information about Room to Read, visit www.roomtoread.org.
