Literacy Trip 2012: Organizations Making a Difference in Vietnam and Cambodia

Posted by Eddie on 07.18.2012 at 3:19 pm

The trip is over. As I sit down on the 14 hour flight back to Atlanta for seemingly the first time in weeks, I’m overcome with emotions. I feel fortunate, proud, a bit sad, and inspired. You see, I work at a desk; at any given point in the day, I am staring at a spreadsheet on a computer screen, on a conference call or both. My goals and objectives are based on revenue and profitability. Most would say my job is fairly normal. Except it isn’t at all. Read more…

2 Comments » | Tagged Literacy Trips, cambodia, literacy trip, pepy, room to read, vietnam

Literacy Trip 2012: Checking in from Ho Chi Minh

Posted by Better World Books on 07.09.2012 at 2:29 pm

Tammie Nelson is our Controller and leads the Accounting team at Better World Books and is currently on our 2012 Literacy Trip.  She sent in this update after a visit with our nonprofit literacy partner Room to Read.  Over the next week or two we’ll be posting more updates from the trip.

Working at BWB, I thought that I understood the importance of promoting literacy. This year, I am honored to be visiting our literacy partners in Vietnam and Cambodia. One day into the trip and I know it is a serious reality check for me. I was so fortunate to be raised by parents that placed a high value on education. There was never any doubt in my mind about going to college. My dad knew where I was going (Penn State) and what I would be studying (Accounting) when I was a young child. I’m glad he was right.

July 4th was our first meeting with our literacy partner, Room to Read. At the RtR offices in Ho Chi Minh City, we met with the Communications Officer and the Vietnam Program Directors. These ladies have such passion for their work. When we asked why they do what they do, one said that after 35 years of working, she finally feels like she is making a difference. Funny, I feel the same way about my work at BWB. Although I am the Controller and am doing the same type of work I have done for many years, it seems different now. Another’s eyes welled up with tears and she was choked up as she talked about her girls.

The Girls Education Program works with girls at schools in poor districts. This program has evolved from hand selecting a limited number of students to working directly with classes of students in the schools instead. So many children leave school after the primary years because they need to work and help support the family. School means tuition, uniforms, transportation, and time. These require money and time that the family cannot spare. RtR helps with these issues. Students in this program require the help of the whole community. When a student enters the program, it is a commitment from their family and community for change. The students, the schools and the parents must recommit every year that they will allow time to study. I was surprised to learn that the student and the parents have a contract with RtR showing that they are committed to change.

It’s only day one and I already know that I will never forget what I am seeing and learning in Southeast Asia.

2 Comments » | Tagged Impact, bwbimpact, literacy, literacy trip, nonprofit partners, room to read, vietnam

This Just in! Literacy Learning First-hand

Posted by admin on 02.04.2011 at 6:12 pm

Even though we raise money for literacy with every sale, there’s no substitute for experiencing a literacy initiative first hand.  That’s why twice a year BWB sends a randomly selected group of employees far from our headquarters to work with our non-profit partners “in the field.”This past summer, employees traveled to Africa with Books for Africa and Invisible Children – you can read about their experiences here.

Right now, a different group of employees is focusing on domestic literacy with a trip to the West Coast organized by the National Center for Family Literacy. We even had the opportunity to bring two librarians from our library partners with us this time. The NCFL set-up some excellent work for us to do, and the first hand accounts are just starting to come in.

Here’s one from our CFO, Paul Sansone:

Monday we hit it early at a 7AM meeting with NCFL previewing the week, then broke up into our 4 teams and headed out to Oakland Public Elementary schools (Garfield, Manzanita, Greenleaf, and Lazear).  My team is at Garfield Elementary and we’ve been working with about 15 parents (all Moms) of students at the school, aiding in teaching them English.  We are in a doublewide trailer on the school grounds.

The students are originally from all over the world: Vietnam, El Salvador, Mexico, Bhutan, and have a wide range of English proficiency.  Monday afternoon’s orientation session was held at a local high school where the Oakland Adult education offices are co-located.  We learned the schools we were sent to have the lowest literacy rates in the district.

We also learned tactics to better educate – use gestures, pictures, speak clearly, do not use slang and avoid talking like you would to an adolescent – these are proud adults who need a hand.  Our NCFL hosts and the Oakland teachers we’ve been with have been wonderful.

It’s Important Stuff

We learned that when the parents are learning English this helps make a much more effective educational experience for their children, so helping these Moms is, in essence, going to help the kids become more literate.  Also, the social structure in the homes are often turned upside down as the 1st graders often know more English than the parents do.

We spent much of the day reading kids books together, getting to know family members through speaking and writing exercises.  I read Good Night, Gorilla as I have to my kids but it meant so much more reading with an adult mother from Vietnam with 2 kids.  Brad Weirich’s Greenleaf team is working on a play for the adults (The Grouchy Little Ladybug) to perform to their children.

We also take breaks with some exercise to music which is a highlight for others and a source of embarrassment for me, as I’m old and have no rhythm.  We also get to go into the classrooms with the parents of their kids where for 45 minutes a day, they learn together (PACT time – Parents and Children Together).  I don’t know anything about their compensation, but whatever these elementary teachers are receiving, it is not enough for what they are doing.

Our Librarian guests are also having a great time, and before this trip is over we should have some great stories to tell.

Paul Sansone
Chief Financial Officer

Have your say » | Tagged Literacy Trips, Impact, literacy trip, NCFL