Natasha | Better World Books Blog

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National Literacy Action Week

Posted by admin on 01.30.2008 at 3:07 pm

(posted by Better World Books alum, Natasha Harris)

Since moving out to Los Angeles about a year and a half ago, I’ve helped out with a few volunteer events from time to time, but really haven’t gotten involved with my local community the way that I was involved when I still lived in Philadelphia (let’s call it transitional lassitude). Since returning from Cambodia a couple of weeks ago, I’ve decided to turn a couple of things around here and really focus in on ways that I can be more effective in my life, and also make my life more impactful on a greater scale. That said, this week I started taking yoga (some inner focus always helps), began a new class, and yes - signed up for a volunteer tutoring position at a local non-profit organization (orientation is tonight!!). From now on, I will be tutoring with this organization twice per week, and am really excited about it!

What I’m further excited about is the timing. Unbeknownst to me when I signed up - this is actually National Literacy Action Week! The NLAW celebration began on Monday, and campuses around the country are participating. Originating with SCALE (Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education) at the University of North Carolina, this week will feature workshops, tutoring and tutor recruitment, storytimes and book distributions, and other literacy awareness activities. For more information, click here.

Not that doing good deeds ever goes out of style, but I’m pretty proud of myself for being so with the times for once. :) Join me this week (and every week) by getting more involved in your own community - even little things can make a big difference!

Have your say » | Tagged Uncategorized, Natasha, National Literacy Action Week

Cambodia Picture Gallery!

Posted by admin on 01.23.2008 at 12:47 pm

We’ve been getting a lot of requests to see photos from our Cambodia trip, so I thought I’d include a few below from our shared repertoire. Click on the individual link of any picture to make it bigger.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to say that I feel so lucky to be part of such a passionate and amazing team of people. Spending these weeks together visiting Room to Read projects was as reaffirming and incredible as I could ever imagine. You’re a great and talented bunch and I’m so glad I’ve had the opportunity to learn from each of you!

Have your say » | Tagged Impact, Our Partners, campus division in southeast asia, Impact, Natasha, niko, Our Partners, pictures

All About Perspective (pt. 2)

Posted by admin on 01.17.2008 at 10:16 am

(posted by Better World Books alum, Natasha Harris)

I’m currently sitting in a Los Angeles coffee shop sipping on a rather tasty latte that cost (gulp) a whopping $3.65. That’s some perspective. Just last week I would probably have been sipping an even more delicious cup of Vietnamese coffee (probably at this very moment, as it’s 6pm here, and Vietnam is 15 hours into the future – 9am breakfast) that cost all of $.33 and came from a cup that did not have a Starbucks label on it.

Since back, I’ve sat down several times to put down a few words about my experiences in Southeast Asia for all of you. It’s been difficult to find words to express all that I encountered while there, and several times I’ve put aside my notes for other things, waiting for the words to come to me.

What struck me most in this entire adventure was not the incredible temple visits that we did (see Aaron King’s January 13^th blog posting entitled “Life Comes at You Fast” for an insightful and thoroughly regaling account of our trip itinerary), or the fuzzy feeling that comes from being on the other side of the world, or the inherent beauty of Southeast Asia, or the food or even the poverty (which was certainly striking) – it was that deep-rooted optimism, that trust in tomorrow that so many people displayed and felt so intrinsically. In the week I spent in Cambodia with Room to Read and the many people I interacted with while there, I saw it over and over, and the impact of it was so humbling I know I’ll never find the right words to describe it no matter how long I stare at this computer. Again, perspective.

For those of you who are unaware of what’s been happening in Cambodia over these past many decades (don’t feel bad) – here is the quickest of recaps: the Khmer Rouge was a very radical communist party that was in power in Cambodia from 1975-1979 (and thereafter, though less officially). Its main goals were to turn Cambodia into a classless agrarian society, and to that end it abolished currency, private property and religion, and forced people out of the cities and into intensive labor camps to work the fields. During this four year period, roughly 1.5 – 2 million people (about 20% of the population) died from overwork, starvation, torture and execution. Almost immediately after its rise to power, the Khmer Rouge began a program of mass executions – among the first to die were the elite, religious figures and the educated … right down to anyone who wore glasses. In a few short years, an entire generation of educated citizens was wiped out, setting the stage for a most dire situation in the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge’s reign of horror.

Not only did the Khmer Rouge implement mass-killings of the educated but it also destroyed much of the education-based infrastructure that existed throughout the country. In Siem Riep Province , where we spent our week with Room to Read, only one high school and twenty primary schools remained after the Khmer Rouge regime’s fall from power. Cambodia has faced an arduous uphill battle on every imaginable front to get to the point its reached today, and yes, there is still a long way to go. Today, Siem Riep boasts 56 high schools and 452 primary schools, along with 2 vocational training centers and a teacher training college. That’s quite an improvement! Ask any Cambodian and they will proudly acknowledge how far they’re come, recognizing of course how much is left to go.

As a westerner, I’m going to have to take a moment to be a realist and relay to you a few of the things we noted on our trip. For starters, resources are still so lacking that no child in a Cambodian public school attends for more than half the day. Teachers can sometimes be fairly under-educated themselves, and are always extremely underpaid (about $40 per month). The government only has $600-$800 million as its total annual budget, thus its contributions to education cannot meet demand. On a Room to Read visit to Angkor Wat High School (where Room to Read had built a beautiful library and also supplied a computer lab and language lab), the headmaster identified the school’s most imminent need as electricity – the school’s monthly electric bill is in the vicinity of $300-$350, and this cost cannot be subsidized by the government. The school lives in constant fear of not being able to keep its lights on. And then there is the issue of supplies – another school we visited (one where Room to Read is planning to build a library this year – 2008!) had 2,315 students and a current total of 200-300 books … to share … between everyone.

I think back on my childhood and on the privileged path I’ve been on since the age of two. I’ve always been a reader – a passion that was heavily supported by my family and my teachers throughout my formative years. In all my life, I’ve never suffered for the lack of a good book to read. I’ve also been given plenty of recognition and offered numerous scholarships to help me achieve my dreams. I grew up in a country where I was taught that if I think big and believe in myself there is no threshold I cannot cross – no barrier to keep me from my dreams. How much of this have I taken for granted? How many classes have I skipped in my life because I had something “better” to do? I look back on myself and my classmates growing up and I realize that all of us – the richest of us, the poorest, the most clever and more challenged – we all approached our education with at least some degree of indifference, at least some of the time. And why not? Education was always a given, at least through high school. I remember whining about going back to school after a long vacation, wishing I could spend my days outside instead of being cooped up in a classroom with all of its rules and expectations. Cambodia put that all in perspective.

In Cambodia, we met students who, though they lived 15 (very rough) kilometers from home, couldn’t afford to get there more than twice a year. These students came from very poor, very isolated fishing islands and would not have had a chance for a secondary education without Room to Read. Room to Read sends them to school on scholarship, pays for their meals, pays for their housing. I can’t imagine, in 7th grade, being faced with knowing that my stab at an education would come at the price of having to leave my family and everything I’ve ever known. That’s dedication. That’s perspective. I’m so overwhelmed by the bravery of these students, and of the mothers they leave behind as they work towards a better future!

We met hundreds of students on this journey – students of all ages. It was wonderful to have an opportunity to speak to so many of them, and to hear their stories (video footage soon to follow so we can share these stories with all of you). No one’s story was easy, but the one resounding theme I heard throughout – from students and parents alike – was that education is extremely valuable. These students were so grateful for the opportunity to be in school – to study, to work hard, to prove their worth and to build those bridges to the better tomorrows they knew lay ahead. That utter faith, that utter resolve, that perseverance and hope and trust – it was beautiful, astonishing, uplifting … staggering. My latte has long gone cold but if you’re still reading – I’d like to end with this. We don’t all start life on the same footing, but we all deserve to get the most we can out of it. Doing something good for someone else in the world is a lot easier than you’d think – and no problem is ever so overwhelming when you break it down into manageable bits. Some good places to start? I’d of course suggest running a book drive to benefit Room to Read as a most excellent beginning step. Personally, I feel invigorated to start pounding pavement with Better World Books so I can bring on as many book drives as possible. After all, more book drives = more money raised = more scholarships, more libraries … more everything. Here are just a couple other suggestions:

- Run book drives with Better World Books to benefit Room to Read

- Donate directly to organizations that you have researched. Funding a one-year girl’s scholarship through Room to Read is only $250!

- Educate yourself on global issues and share what you learn with friends, family, your barista, your bank teller – everyone you can. I think we’ll all be more inclined towards action if we understand the world as a smaller place.

- Travel – anywhere you can, whenever you can. New perspectives will change you in wonderful ways that you’ll hopefully never quite recover from.

Thanks all, for reading this. Look for more to come from other trip companions in the next few days.

Above are some of the beautiful faces of students that we met during our travels with Room to Read.

Have your say » | Tagged Uncategorized, campus division in southeast asia, Impact, Natasha, Our Partners, room to read

All About Perspective (pt. 1)

Posted by admin on 01.17.2008 at 10:13 am

(posted by Better World Books alum, Natasha Harris)

Since back, I’ve sat down several times to put down a few words about my experiences in Southeast Asia for all of you. It’s been difficult to find words to express all that I experienced while there, and several times I’ve put aside my notes for other things, waiting for the words to come to me.

What struck me most from this entire experience was not the incredible temple visits that we did (see Aaron King’s January 13th blog posting entitled “Life Comes at You Fast” for an insightful and thoroughly regaling account of our trip itinerary), or the fuzzy feeling that comes from being on the other side of the world, or the inherent beauty of Southeast Asia, or the food or even the poverty (which was certainly striking) – it was that deep-rooted optimism, that trust in tomorrow that so many people displayed and felt so intrinsically. In the week I spent in Cambodia with Room to Read and the many people I interacted with while there, I saw it over and over, and the impact of it was so humbling I know I’ll never find the right words to describe it no matter how long I stare at this computer. Again, perspective.

For those of you who are unaware of what’s been happening in Cambodia over these past many decades (don’t feel bad) – here is the quickest of recaps: the Khmer Rouge was a very radical communist party that was in power in Cambodia from 1975-1979 (and thereafter, though less officially). Its main goals were to turn Cambodia into a classless agrarian society, and to that end it abolished currency, private property and religion, and forced people out of the cities and into intensive labor campus to work the fields. During this four year period, roughly 1.5 – 2 million people (about 20% of the population) died from overwork, starvation, torture and execution. Almost immediately after its rise to power, the Khmer Rouge began a program of mass executions – among the first to die were the elite, religious figures and the educated … right down to anyone who wore glasses. In a few short years, an entire populated of educated people was wiped out, setting the stage for a most dire situation in the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge’s reign of horror.

Not only did the Khmer Rouge implement mass-killings of the educated but it also destroyed much of the education-based infrastructure that existed throughout the country. In Siem Riep Province, where we spent our week with Room to Read, only one high school and twenty primary schools remained after the Khmer Rouge regime fall from power. Cambodia has faced an arduous uphill battle on every imaginable front to get to the point its reached today, and yes, there is still a long way to go. Today, Siem Riep boasts 56 high schools and 452 primary schools, along with 2 vocational training centers and a teacher training college. That’s quite an improvement! Ask any Cambodian and they will proudly acknowledge how far they’re come, recognizing of course how much is left to go.

As a westerner, I’m going to have to take a moment to be a realist and relay to you a few of the things we noted on our trip. For starters, resources are still so lacking that no child in a Cambodian public school attends for more than half the day. Teachers can sometimes be fairly under-educated themselves, and are always extremely underpaid (about $40 per month). The government only has $600-$800 million as its total annual budget, thus its contribution to education cannot meet demand. On a Room to Read visit to Angkor Wat High School (where Room to Read had built a beautiful library and also supplied a computer lab and language lab), the headmaster identified the school’s most immediate and pressing need as electricity – the school’s monthly electric bill is in the vicinity of $300-$350, and this cost cannot be subsidized by the government. The school lives in constant fear of not being able to keep its lights on. And then there is the issue of supplies – another school we visited (one where Room to Read is planning to build a library this year – 2008!) had 2,315 students and a current total of 200-300 books … to share … between everyone.

Have your say » | Tagged Uncategorized, Better World Books in the field, campus division in southeast asia, Impact, Natasha, Our Partners, room to read

Nev-Cal Phi Theta Kappa Supports Education in Sri Lanka

Posted by admin on 03.15.2007 at 4:19 pm

(posted by Better World Books alum Natasha Harris)

I was delighted to have attended the Nev-Cal Phi Theta Kappa Spring Regional Conference in San Diego this past weekend. What a blast! In the fall Better World Books had agreed to embark on an initiative with the Nev-Cal PTK region to fundraise for a very wonderful non-profit organization called Bridge 2 Peace (www.bridge2peace.org), which services a school in tsunami-ravaged Sri Lanka. We never imagined at that time how successful this initiative would be (we should have known better – when DOESN’T Phi Theta Kappa exceed our expectations?). In total, Nev-Cal PTK members raised $2,237.25 through this fundraiser last semester. This money, raised through running book drives, is going directly into a travel fund that will pay airfare for PTK students in the Nev-Cal Region traveling to the Bridge 2 Peace school this summer. In total, participating students will be there for six full weeks to teach English and work with students, and we can’t wait to hear stories after their return! I’m so excited to be able to support this partnership, and hope to triple the amount of money raised NOW in the spring semester!

As you can see, we took some great pictures this weekend. This first is of Nelioufer Jayawardana and I. Nelioufer is Sri-Lankan born and very involved with Bridge 2 Peace.

The second photo is of Zoie Lewandowski (Palomar), Jason Dunn (Palomar), Kurt Meyer (Irvine Valley College, Advisor), Me (Natasha, BWB) and Nelioufer. Nelioufer had just accepted a Better World Books check on behalf of Bridge 2 Peace.

Zoie, Jason and Kurt will all three be traveling to Southeast Asia this summer to teach at the Bridge 2 Peace school in Sri Lanka. I’ve asked them to take lots of pictures while they’re overseas, and will post some on this blog when they get back. We wish them all the best! Go PTK!

Have your say » | Tagged Uncategorized, california, Natasha, nevada, Phi Theta Kappa, sri lanka

Arizona Phi Theta Kappa Update

Posted by admin on 03.07.2007 at 1:20 pm

(posted by Better World Books alum, Natasha Harris)

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the 2007 Spring Regional Conference for Arizona chapters of Phi Theta Kappa. This event was hosted by Cochise College, which is in the Southeastern corner of Arizona. I had a great time! The conference had a record number of attendees, and I must say that they were a very active bunch. I was impressed to see all the awards being presented, and even more impressed that the state of Arizona has 15 5-Star chapters. That is awesome!!

On Saturday I did a presentation, which was attended by a number of different schools. Everything went really well, and, as usual – I got a lot of really great questions from the group. Since the conference, I’ve been contacted by a number of new Arizona chapters who are interested in getting started right away. I want to thank everyone who attended, and am very much looking forward to running some great book drives with you at the end of this spring semester!

Thanks for everything!

Have your say » | Tagged Uncategorized, Arizona, Cochise College, Natasha, Phi Theta Kappa

GOOD Magazine

Posted by admin on 01.22.2007 at 11:07 am

(posted by Better World Books alum, Natasha Harris)

Did you ever have the experience of shopping for a gift for someone and having no idea what to get them? Well, outside of buying a book from betterworld.com, (which always goes over well) I would like to suggest that you look into a subscription to GOOD Magazine. GOOD Magazine is a very worthwhile campaign that just had its kickoff this past fall. Since that time, it has raised over $225,000 for twelve different non-profits around the world. As a matter of fact, one of the organizations it supports is our very own partner, Room To Read (www.roomtoread.org)! The high-quality magazine features articles focused around environmental, social and political issues of great import here in the USA and around the world. Best of all - a year’s subscription is only $20, one hundred percent of which will be donated to one of their non-profit partners (you choose which one to support!)! Check out their website at www.goodmagazine.com and get a subscription for yourself while you’re at it! You’ll be glad you did.

Have your say » | Tagged Uncategorized, gifts, good magazine, Natasha, non-profits, presents

Hunger and Homelessness Conference, University of Southern California

Posted by admin on 11.04.2006 at 2:00 pm

(Posted by Better World Books alum, Natasha Harris)

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to present at the 2006 Annual Fall Hunger and Homelessness Conference at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. This conference was attended by around 400 students from all around the country, and is actually the largest gathering of student leaders focused on hunger and homelessness issues. I had a lot of fun, and was pleased to have the opportunity to connect with students from so many different schools.

For me, this was a singular experience because I actually attended this conference for the first time a number of years ago, when I was still a student myself. I was, at that point, attending graduate school for Counseling. Though I’d always been service-oriented, it wasn’t until later in my college career (very much through events like this conference) that I decided to give up the idea of counseling and focus my career in the non-profit/social venture realm. I’ve always been very thankful to the folks at the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness for introducing me to so many caring and like-minded individuals and organizations. Such conferences give students a great gateway into getting more involved, and are also great ways that students can raise their own awareness about different issues. It was a landmark day for me to actually be presenting at this conference, and I was glad to see such a great turnout for Better World Books. Thanks to all the students that attended! We’re looking forward to working with you.

Have your say » | Tagged Uncategorized, conferences, Hunger and Homelessness, literacy statistics, Natasha, personal accounts

My Favorite Day in Africa

Posted by admin on 09.19.2006 at 12:23 pm

(Posted by Better World Books alum, Natasha Harris)

This summer, I was chosen to be part of a Books For Africa/Better World Books delegation which spent over two weeks in the countries of Ethiopia and Tanzania. The trip was incredible in every possible respect. We were able to visit numerous schools, non-profits, and libraries that have been recipients of books sent through Books For Africa.

Our travels brought us in contact with very many fantastic organizations and wonderful people; however, my very favorite experience was at the Mtopepo B Primary School on the island of Zanzibar. On that day, we were honored on stage alongside top USAID officials and Michael Retzer, the US Ambassador to Tanzania, for the direct support we’ve helped provide to Zanzibar’s school system. The ceremony was a lot of fun: our host school had obviously put a lot of effort into planning the event, and it went off without a hitch.

My favorite part of the day actually came after the ceremony was over, when we had the opportunity to walk around and visit different classes. A number of the younger children went directly back to class, but many of about age eight and over were more or less just lounging about in the open courtyard where the ceremony had been held. I went up and joined a group of them, and before I knew it I was overtaken in this massive crowd of beautiful, happy children. The group closed in on me and we were all jumping up and down together, laughing. It was one of those experiences where you can’t even really remember how it began, but you know even at the time that you’ll remember it for the rest of your life.

Part of my love for Better World Books stems from my love of children. I’m glad to work for an organization that helps create and further opportunities for youth around the world. I’ll never meet most of the children we help benefit, but I know they’re out there and I know I’m helping make their lives just that much better. For me, this single moment on this one beautiful day represented a reward much greater than the recognition we received at the ceremony. It was my favorite day in Africa.