Not always are in a comfortable place that makes it convenient. John Wood seemed to feel it. Held positions as Director of Marketing for Microsoft's Asia-Pacific region turned out to not make the Wood home. He instead chose to pull out of the software giant it and move on to humanitarian activities. It all started when Wood's visit to Nepal in 1998. At that time Wood traveled for 18 days. "For two days I lived in a village called Bahundanda where I met a headmaster who wants to show his school to me," recalls Wood, as he told CNNGO. Heart Wood was cut when the school saw it.
One room in the school was filled with 80 children. The school had no resources and no books in his library. Amid the shock, he asked the headmaster how it happened. "We are too poor to fund education in Nepal. If we do not have education, then we will always be poor, "said the headmaster had told Wood that time.
"The statement that changed my life forever," said Wood. Moved to help, Wood then contacted friends, family, and colleagues. He managed to collect 3000 books and return to Nepal to submit it to the school in Bahundanda it. "It was the biggest day in the history of the village. All the villagers out of the house. There was music, dance, speech, and flower necklace, "said Wood.
Not only for the villagers. The day was also a big day for him. On that day Wood realized that he felt much better located in the village rather than behind a desk. "I feel better than being at my desk in Beijing and make rich people richer. Income that is good, but on a point of life, you realize that there are more things more important.
I want to replicate the events in Bahundanda that hundreds, even thousands of times, "he explained. Memories in Bahundanda and a replica of events that kept popping up in his mind that makes Wood should choose. And, he chose to pull out of Microsoft. "I can think of it as a hobby and doing the little things or make it as my life and do great things," said Wood.
After leaving the corporate world, Wood founded Room to Read Foundation. The trip was he profiled in his book Leaving Microsoft to Change the World. He admitted that everything was running smoothly at the beginning of the foundation. "The first few years were difficult because suddenly there was no one else cares about me because I lost status.
Many people who I thought were friends were not friends and many ordinary people who hang out together with me no longer answering my phone, "he said. After struggling in his first year, slowly, began to embrace the success of Room to Read. This organization began to seize significant attention from the media after three years of operation.
"Our coverage CNN, TIME magazine gave me one of the Asian Hero Award, Forbes magazine cover and we started to get much traction, especially in the business community," said Wood. Attention to the foundation he founded grew after his book came out in 2006. In fact, Oprah Winfrey invited Wood to his show and his presence could reap more than $ 3 million fund for the publication of Room to Read program.
The program was published in local languages and has produced several books written by alumni from their school. Room to Read is currently one of the children's book publisher in Asia. Wood described the success of Room to Read it with what he described as the language of "tech-geeky" from his days while still working at Microsoft. "We assess the (success) is in the sense that there is feedback. The more money we bring, the more schools and libraries are built.
The more we get, the more people who know us and impressed, and that means more and more money coming, "said Wood. He explained that the foundation is using his money wisely. The result is that there is now evidence that they indeed do so. "Last year we opened our school to-1000 and open the library to 10,000. Many people are asking questions. How to do it? We do not have anything 10 years ago and now suddenly we have a big number like this, "said Wood.
And, this month, Wood came to Mumbai, India, with a mission that might be considered impossible. He wants to raise $ 1 million in one night. However, the Executive Chairman and Founder of Room to Read was convinced of what he would do with the money. "With a $ 1 million, we can open 200 libraries. The impact will reach at least 50,000 children, "said Wood.
Its mission is successful, he even gets the result is bigger than she expected. In a fundraising evening at the Westin Hotel in Goregaon last week, no less than 200 richest people in the city that gave him more than $ 1 million. The audience was promised to fund the construction of 171 libraries in India and provide 754 years of education for girls.
Overall, they were lightly spend up to $ 1 each, 5 million and give it with a smile. Until now, Wood's educational foundation that has helped at least five million children and they are on track to reach target embrace the 10 million children by 2015. This result is closely related to Wood's commitment that the money will not be discarded for a bloated bureaucracy.
When giving a presentation in Mumbai, Wood introduced a policy of "No Range Rover" - his audience. The policy refers to the vehicles commonly used foundations of the United Nations (UN). "This is how we send our books," Wood exclaimed with pride while moving the slide in the projector. A picture appears to show a dilapidated trucks filled with large packages.
"We are cheap and cheerful," said Wood. On that occasion, Wood recounts that the travel and hotel accommodation in India is paid by donations and the Oberoi family. Wood insisted that its activities will remain live until his death. In between her busy schedule back and forth across nine countries in Asia and Africa, a man who spent much of his time away from home is often thought of a peaceful rural life in Bahundanda. "I would love to stay there, but it seems the world has other plans for me, "he concluded accompanied by laughter.
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