Reading Festivals as a Route to Improved Reading Skills

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What’s a great way to encourage confidence and improve reading skills?

A reading festival and competition held among the Merti and Logologo schools of Marsabit County in Kenya.

Kids practice their English reading skills in a local reading competition.

Kids practice their English reading skills in a local reading competition.

Last month, more than 80 children in primary grades showcased their reading skills in front of their peers, teachers, and parents. The festival featured reading comprehension and word pronunciation tests, as well as informal activities where the children could show off a little of their creativity. Some kids recited poems while others read local “news” features that they composed themselves. There was even a “teasing game” locally known as “mchongoano” that involves wit, imagination, and a lot of fast thinking.

The children from IIRR-supported PEP schools did comparatively well in letter and word recognition, and they also displayed a wider vocabulary range. They proudly showed off their improved comprehension skills and were able to answer analysis and application-related questions at various levels.  Two schools, Lakole and Dima Ado, finished 2nd and 4th (of 9 schools) in the Merti group and their students have been invited to read during District Education Day.

Children show off their reading skills as their fellow competitors watch.

Children show off their reading skills as their fellow competitors watch.

It’s hard to tell if the simple desire to learn- or the prospect of being the best reader around- is what’s driving these kids to improve their reading skills, but a little competition never hurts!

An Interview with Tom Yellin

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Tom Yellin, Executive Producer of Girl Rising, came to our screening of the movie on March 9th to speak to our supporters about the making of the film. We had very limited time at the theater, so I sat down with him last week to ask a few more questions about the process and the film itself.

Brianna Plaza: How did you get involved with the Documentary Group? (Note: The Documentary Group is the company that produced Girl Rising) 

Tom Yellin: The Documentary Group is a company that I run along with two other partners. It grew out of PJ Productions, a company I created with Peter Jennings after working in network television for years; specifically at ABC and CBS.

BP: What inspired Girl Rising?

TY: What inspired it, really, was the experience […] The greatest experience you can have as a journalist is to discover something that is deeply and profoundly true, but people don’t know it. Years ago we discovered something that was well-known in the world of development which is to say, if you can educate girls, get them in good schools and keep them there throughout adolescence, everything changes for the better. Not just for the girl, but for her family, her community, her country, and broadly, for everybody. Indices of world problems shift very powerfully in a good way when girls are educated. All the good things that happen, happen more, and so on. It was just so overwhelming we almost couldn’t believe it. How come no one is talking about this? We had to figure out how to tell the story, but more importantly, figure out a way to motivate people to act. In this case, we felt a profound responsibility to do something, we felt a responsibility to tell people.

BP: How did you pick the girls involved?

TY: We didn’t pick the girls. The girls were chosen by writers that we picked from each country to tell the stories. The girls had interesting life stories and we selected a subset of girls that were really interesting. In almost every case, the writers chose a different girl than we thought they would choose.  We wanted authentic stories and authentic voices. We believed that the storytelling should come from the culture, not from us. And the best way to do that was to pick writers who shared cultural roots with the girls, and that they chose compelling stories to tell.

BP: How then, did you decide which girls to put in front of the writers?

TY: We went through a long journalistic process, meeting many girls, and interviewing them about their lives and hopes and dreams and families. Some strike you in ways that feel really compelling. That’s what you’re trained to do as a filmmaker and journalist; to identify interesting characters.

BP: How did you choose the writers?

TY: That was hard; there were countries we wanted to go to where we couldn’t find writers that fit. I should also add that we worked through NGOs that have become our partners. We didn’t go out and put up a sign [looking for girls], that would have been weird. We worked through the organizations that have programs that girls are engaged with. That’s how we got the broadest set of girls. We chose the writers by reading their work, and then by meeting them, and then by begging them. We felt that the writers couldn’t really understand what we were asking until we really engaged them. In every case, we think they found the process to be enormously rewarding.

BP: During the film, particularly with Wadley, we’d see a camera crew filming Wadley being prepared for the next scene or picture. Is every girl that’s featured the real girl or are they actresses?

TY: All but two girls’ stories are portrayed by the girls themselves. The girl from Egypt- we felt that her identity needed to be protected because Egypt is hostile for women and girls.  We also wanted to protect her since she was victim of violent sexual crime, and all victims of that kind of crime should be protected. Also, Afghanistan is very dangerous as a girl [so that girl is portrayed by an actress]. All the other girls are themselves. They are acting in a screenplay constructed from their own lives. It’s an interesting dynamic; it’s the real girl, but in some stories, like Ruksana’s, the Indian girl, the mom and the dad are actors playing the part of her parents.

BP: How did you get all of the famous people involved?

TY: It was hard. The answer is that we went to them through the people who represent them. The first person was Meryl Streep. We also knew that whoever we got first would set the bar. The first question we were asked was always, who else is involved?

BP: What do you hope the outcome of the movie will be and how will you measure its success?

TY: We don’t hope the movie, by itself, will do anything. But we hope the movie will be used in a larger movement called 10×10. The campaign is designed for impact. First, change people’s minds, and change the way people think about the value of a girl. And if you change the way people think about the girl, you can, ultimately, change their behavior. We also want to change lives by directing resources to girl-focused programs on the ground. Generating financial support and allowing tools to be used by our partners who raise money to ultimately help our partners scale up and change people’s lives from around the world.  Lastly, we want to change policies, to change the rules. We are working to get this message in front of the world.

We have our theory of change [Change minds, change lives, change policy] and we are measuring the results in a quantitative way, using an organization called Mission Measurement. [We are measuring the] reach of the film and content created. How can we measure attitude change? How much money is being generated and how is it flowing to action on the ground? We are working hard on the last part of our theory of change; the enforcement of laws or law changes. We are very focused on measurement and it is a key part of this project. We will be able to tell you soon.

BP: Is this a one-time thing (Author’s note: One-time meaning will the movie be shown again next year or edited to reflect progress)?

TY: YES. 10×10 is designed to be out of business at some point. We hope and believe that the world can, should, and will change.

Women in the World 2013

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Earlier this month,the  US Office attended “Women in the World”, an event to highlight the advances of women around the world and the challenges they still face. The event was hosted by Newsweek and the Daily Beast, and wow, it was inspiring! There were panel discussions on topics ranging from the crisis in Syria to prominent women in business.

On Thursday night, we heard from an outstanding lineup of celebrities and activists as they spoke about the women that inspire them. We heard from Meryl Streep about Inez McCormack, a human-rights activist who helped facilitate the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland.

Clockwise from top left: A Young education activist from Pakistan speaks with Christiane Amanpour; Newsweek's Editor-in-Chief, Tina Brown, speak with the press; the Stage; Hilary Clinton during her powerful speech on Friday morning.

Clockwise from top left: A Young education activist from Pakistan speaks with Christiane Amanpour; Newsweek’s Editor-in-Chief, Tina Brown, speak with the press; the Stage; Hilary Clinton during her powerful speech on Friday morning.

On Friday there were panel discussions about women in technology, the 2011 uprising in Libya, a Ugandan chess champion, and the plight of orphans worldwide.

It’s impossible to quantify how inspiring each participant was. As soon as each panel discussion was finished and you felt immensely inspired to change the world, another group of women (and some men) took the stage to inspire yet again. While the topics varied greatly, there was one major takeaway: Women are inspired by each other, and we should support each other in our efforts to further our rights. Hillary Clinton said it best: “”Women are not victims. We are agents of change, drivers of progress. We just need a chance.”

You can view all of the panel discussions here.

A Night at the Movies: Girl Rising

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Last Saturday, we hosted a screening of Girl Rising, a film about educating girls and changing the world.  Over 100 people attended the film, and we even had the film’s Executive Producer, Tom Yellin, on hand to talk about the making of the film. It was a great night and we’re so thankful to everyone that came!

The film highlights 9 girls from 9 countries sharing the stories, as told to writers, of their lives and their hopes for the future. The movie featured girls from Haiti, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Peru, Ethiopia, Egypt, Afghanistan, and Sierra Leone, and each told a very different, but amazingly similar story, about their desire to go to school and make a better life for themselves.

First, we met Sohka from Cambodia. A child of the dump, she was orphaned and forced to pick through garbage to survive, but has now found her way into school. We then met Wadley from Haiti who, after the 2010 earthquake, refused to stop attending her school even when she couldn’t pay her dues. Suma, from Nepal, was “bonded” at age 6 and worked for many families, yet still managed to learn how to read and write in a night school for bonded girls. She was eventually freed when a local social worker convinced her master to let her go. Yasmin from Egypt and Amina from Afghanistan were interesting cases because in both, little or none of the girls’ faces were shown because of fear for their safety in their respective countries. Both Yasmin and Amina live in countries where it is particularly hard to get an education as a girl, but both girls told stories of hope that in the future, they will be able to attend school. Azmera in Ethiopia successfully avoided early marriage and remains in school. Ruksana from India and Senna from Peru both love the arts (painting and poetry, respectively), and are using them as a vehicle to express themselves and empower others. Ruksana lives in the slums of Kolkota and Senna lives in a poor mining town, yet both continue to excel in school and continue their passions.

These girls come from some of the poorest regions of the world and face a steep, up-hill battle in the game of life, but they all want one thing: to remain in school and break the cycle of poverty. They know that if they get an education, their daughters will get an education, their communities will be healthier, and their countries will prosper. The movie was not about talking about girls as victims of their situation, which can surely be argued, but as vehicles of change for the world. The film’s main message is “Educate a girl, change the world,” and it’s not hard to see that these girls and all of the others around the world are able to be their own tickets out of poverty.

This girl is a student at one of our schools in Kenya. She is featured on our Tumblr Blog that we organized for International Day of the Girl. Learn more at dayofthegirl.tumblr.com

This girl is a student at one of our schools in Kenya. She is featured on our Tumblr Blog that we organized for International Day of the Girl. Learn more at dayofthegirl.tum

The girls featured in the film are also not much different from the girls that we work with in East Africa and South East Asia. By supporting girls’ education, we are ensuring that these girls, their communities, and their countries can have a prosperous future. Donate today and help us continue our work.

Why Talking About Women’s-Specific Issues Still Matters

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On March 4th, I attended the opening ceremony of the 57th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). CSW is part of the UN Economic and Social Council, and it is dedicated exclusively to the promotion of gender equality and the advancement of women. Each year, representatives of Member States gather at UN Headquarters to evaluate on gender equality, identify global challenges, set global standards, and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and advancement of women worldwide.

This year’s main focus is eliminating and preventing violence against women and girls and it comes on the heels of the reauthorization of an expanded Violence Against Women Act here in the United States. During the initial remarks, I couldn’t help but wonder why we are still continuing to talk about women-specific issues. The commission, now in its 57th session (aka years), is seemingly a bunch of talking heads reading their recommendations about elevating the status of women around the world year after year.

But, despite the fact that large commissions with thousands of participants don’t seem to accomplish a lot each year, they do perhaps what’s most important in the fight for women’s equality: keep the conversation going. As much as I want these conversations to end, for people to stop bickering over whether women’s rights are human rights (they are), the fact of the matter is, is that we still have a long way to go.

Each year, 7 of 10 women will experience physical or sexual violence. Every day, 200 million work hours are consumed by women collecting water for their families, and that means less time earning a living, caring for their livestock, getting an education, or caring for their families. 1 in 4 women can’t read and 53% of students that are out of schools are girls (source).

It’s statistics like those that are the reason for the continued conversation. It may seem like not much progress is made each year, but because the global community continues to keep women’s issues as part of a greater conversation, more and more women are beginning to prosper. An increase in women and girls who are educated means more children will be vaccinated against disease, more money will be invested back into the community, and more children will avoid HIV/AIDS. And when women are allowed great access to education, participation in business and politics, and have a say in what happens to their bodies, their families, communities, and nations prosper.

This International Women’s Day, do your part to keep the conversation going. Volunteer with organizations that have a focus on women and girls. Become a leader in your community and advocate for increased rights for women in your local community and around the world. You can also donate to us to help us support women and girls around the world.

The most important thing, however, is to not let this conversation end until all women are treated with the dignity and respect that all humans deserve. Speak up, take a stand for equality for all, and let’s see the end of discrimination.

Join Us at the Movies!

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Email Announcement

Girl Rising spotlights the strength of the human spirit and the power of education to change a girl – and the world. Many millions of girls face barriers to education that boys do not. We can help break those barriers by bringing global attention to the enormous benefits of educating girls.

You can view the trailer here.

See you at the movies!

Engaging Millenials

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This article originally appeared in the December issue of Monthly Developments Magazine. You can see the online version here.

We arrived at the grassy field right as the Black Keys were set to hit the stage for the Global Poverty Project’s Global Citizen Festival, and I couldn’t have been more excited. I had won tickets to the concert, one of my favorite bands was playing and it was a splendid fall evening. Plus, I was there to fight global poverty!

I never expected to win free tickets to the concert just by watching videos, reading articles and sharing the information online. And considering my life’s mission is to tackle poverty, I was excited that thousands of people were also taking action.

So when the Black Keys finished their set and we were watching presentations and videos from organizations and people fighting poverty, I was surprised to realize that I was mostly wrong about the thousands in attendance. Jeffrey Sachs, famed economist and special advisor to the UN Secretary-General, took the stage and the people around where astonishingly uninterested.

“Boooo! Get off the stage! No one cares,” they said. “We just want to see the Foo Fighters!”

I was shocked, sad and annoyed. Why didn’t people care? This is POVERTY we’re talking about! This was our chance to do something big and make a lasting impact on the elimination of global poverty.

I left the concert excited about the music, but also thinking that our generation was just not the “Woodstock” type that camps out for a few days in honor of peace and love. We were the generation that put Kony 2012 on the map, after all. So why didn’t people care now?

As a part of the Millennial Generation—people currently in their teens and 20s—it is frustrating that many adults see us as self-centered know-it-alls that are constantly glued to our smart phones. I usually try to defend us, but at the concert I began to understand the stereotype.

I originally intended to write about how Millennials were not the right group for sweeping declarations about things like ending world poverty, because I was focused on the image of my generation as a group who don’t want to do anything that doesn’t benefit them directly. But then I realized what I should have seen from the start: Millennials like a challenge. They want to be involved, not simply show up. Countless articles and studies have been written on how to engage Millennials, but few hit the nail on the head like The Millennial Impact Report. The 35-page report essentially advocates for one thing: “Stop trying to figure out Millennials and just include them.”

What the Global Citizen Festival didn’t do was include Millennials in the personal way we want to be included. That would have been virtually impossible, of course, when dealing with a crowd of 60,000 people, most of whom got free tickets to the concert. I’m not saying that the concert didn’t raise at least some awareness; it just wasn’t the platform for engaging thousands of 20-somethings.

Millennials like to be social, personally engaged and more involved than simply giving money. We give to and work with nonprofits because we feel personally connected to their causes—from curing cancer to saving puppies to fostering our political voice. It’s not just because we feel the need to donate money.

Seventy-seven percent of Millennials have smart phones, 67 percent of us engage with nonprofits on Facebook, and the overwhelming majority of us prefer short-term volunteering opportunities. And with money being tight, 75 percent of Millennials want to know how their donation will make an impact. So instead of going to a huge concert to end global poverty, a smaller, more involved event (where it is actually possible to really engage and feel personally involved) will have a greater impact.

I identify with these statistics. I want to know what a nonprofit is doing, how they’re doing it and where my dollars will go. I work for a nonprofit, so that information is readily available to me. But to most of my friends it is not. When asked, one friend said she identifies more with health-related nonprofits because she works at a hospital so she can see exactly what happens when she donates to a pediatric or cancer-focused charity. When focusing outside her profession, her connection changes because, “The resources for nonprofits aren’t as available to me unless I am looking for them.” She wants to be able to find key information about an organization right away and not have to dig through layers and layers of websites or Facebook postings to understand what it is doing. With a bevy of information coming in our direction, it is hard to sift through what is important and what is not. In a busy Millennial’s life, there isn’t time to find out what every nonprofit does, so make that information front-and-center and easily accessible. Nonprofits should work to connect directly with Millennials so there is a more tangible impact of a donation. Does your charity fight cancer? Then tell me the story of a particular person who benefited from the research that donations supported. Are you working to end global poverty? Then tell me if my donation will go towards an entrepreneur or a school for girls or an agriculture project. I want to know what is going on, and I want to be able to share that story. Millennials and vagueness don’t seem to mix. And as another friend pointed out, “I think it’s a bit of a turnoff when an organization seems to have no clear goals, [and works] just to ‘engage in education/immigration/women’s issues.’”

What does this mean for nonprofits struggling to involve this large new group of donors? Always make it personal. I want to hear your story and I want to be involved in other ways than through my checkbook. Don’t try to teach me what I might already know. Instead, involve me in the process of your work through board meetings, volunteering, fun events or working with you in the field. Make me feel the good you are doing.Give us the chance to lend our tech, social,smart phone, on-the-go skills in a more personal manner, and I promise we won’t let you down

How to Invest in a Brighter World

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This is a guest post by Bright Funds, an innovative platform that connects individuals’ charitable goals to innovative nonprofits. IIRR is a member of the Bright Funds Poverty Portfolio, a group of high impact nonprofits working to fight poverty worldwide. We are proud to be a member of Bright Funds and encourage everyone to “invest in a better world”.

About Bright Funds:

Bright Funds is a better way to give. Individuals and employees at companies with gift matching programs create personalized giving portfolios and contribute to thoroughly researched funds of highly effective nonprofits, all working to address the greatest challenges of our time. In one platform, Bright Funds brings together the power of research, the reliability of a trusted financial service, and the convenience of a secure, cloud-based platform with centralized contributions, integrated matching, and simple tax reporting.

At Bright Funds, we understand giving as a deeply personal act, a reflection of both our core beliefs and our aspirations.  When we give, we are investing in the world as we would want it to be.

Donating should not be a reluctant handover of funds or powered by guilt. It should be an enjoyable experience, something you seek out and feel good about. You should always feel richer after you give.  Donate not because of obligations, but because you want to see change and sustainable impact. Give because you are invested and because you are genuinely interested in making a difference.

Think of your giving as a targeted contribution to a social good. Insist that your donor dollars are well spent and have the potential for maximum impact.  In other words, we should demand the same from our charitable giving that we do from all other aspects of our personal finances.

Set your standards high for the types of organizations you give to. Donating to IIRR is a perfect example of an “investment” with a high “return” in the field of sustainable development.  Supporting IIRR’s practical and innovative solutions to poverty is a wonderful way to maximize the impact of your donor dollars if you want to donate to alleviate global poverty.

And, as we head into the new year, we encourage you to make the most of your giving.  In 2013, how will you best invest in a better world?