Global literacy nonprofit Room to Read announced a partnership with the Asia Foundation's Books for Asia, which provides donated educational material throughout the region.
Founded in 2000, Room to Read began its own publishing program in 2003 in order to provide culturally relevant titles in local languages, producing over 800 titles in 14 Asian languages. Books for Asia typically donates up to one million books annually in 19 countries, reaching 3,000 schools. Under the partnership, Books for Asia will be able to reprint or share in the cost of printing Room to Read books and distribute them to this network, allowing more children access to reading material in their own language.
“Children’s books in local languages have been one of the most frequent requests from our network, so we are thrilled to work with Room to Read on this project,” says Books for Asia director, Melody Zavala. “Their books have been created with the highest standards in mind. Without a doubt, providing these books to more schools, as well as to public libraries and drop-in centers for children who don’t have access to formal education, will have a significant impact on the children we serve.”
Room to Read and Books for Asia are exploring initial projects in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, with an eye towards future collaboration in Cambodia, India, Laos, and Vietnam.
