In the past eight years, Raven Supply has donated a portion of our profits to support global education non-profit Room to Read, which seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in low-income communities by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education.
This year, we have set a fundraising goal of $20,000, to sponsor 50 scholarships for girls in Sri Lanka. These scholarships will pay for tuition fees as well as school supplies such as books and uniforms. As part of Room to Read’s Girls’ Education Program, students will also receive valuable mentorship and life skills training.
Girls in Sri Lanka face unique challenges and barriers to education. This is especially true in the Central Highlands and tea plantations where girls often work long hours for low wages, and in the border communities which still feel the impact of a civil war that only ended in 2009.
Room to Read’s Girls’ Education Program is currently focused on the border communities, where many girls were victims to the violence of war. Families were often displaced for years, living in camps that lacked educational opportunities. War-torn areas were also hubs for human trafficking and prostitution. Many parents, desperate for work, have now become migrant workers abroad, leaving girls at home to care for siblings and with no opportunity to go to school.
Despite the ongoing pandemic closing many schools on the island country, Room to Read continues to reach children by pivoting the way they deliver education, including adopting distance learning through technology and distributing printed materials for home study. Local staff are also trained to identify and support girls who may be at risk of dropping out, such as those who cannot study at home or whose family faced a sudden loss of income.
With this year’s fundraising goal, we look forward to achieving our target and provide girls in Sri Lanka with life-changing education. For every discount that we receive from a vendor or customer, we will match it with an equal donation to this cause.
Raven Supply supports a number of local and global organizations to benefit the wellbeing of our communities. Since 2013, with your generous help, we have raised over $210,000 for Room to Read projects in developing countries in Asia and Africa.