Update: Room to Read school and library built with DSVP Partner support

At the January Afterhours event, DSVP Partners Ginny Jackson and Steve Raab, Anne and Bob Wood, and Justin Nezda spoke about their experiences traveling to Nepal to see the Room to Read school and library built with DSVP Partner support. Guests at the Afterhours event were lucky to hear stories and see pictures of how the entire community welcomed the group and demonstrated their deep gratitude to our DSVP representatives. A big thank you to Ellen Wood for introducing DSVP to Room to Read!

Below are some reflections by Bob Wood:

What Brings You Here?
By: Bob Wood

Child of Nepal
Beautiful, round-faced child of Nepal
What brings you here today?
Was it the horn? The drum?
The excitement in the air?
The dancing? The songs?
A chance to see traditions as old as this valley?

Was it your Mother, who watches patiently
Under a tree at the back of the square
Tired, but proud
Showing her love for the school and for you
By wearing her school-blue sari
And her omnipresent smile.

What brings you here with marigolds?
What drove you to stand, shoulder to shoulder with the other children
Bedecked in blue, lining both sides of the street,
With flowers in your hands?

Was it your Father, who stayed behind
Because the harvest won’t wait?
Your Father, who carries an extra weight so his children can go,
But smiles as he contemplates proudly his children?

What brings you here to stand in the dust and the sun?
Was it your brother, who gently gathers your hand
When the movement of the crowd threatens to envelope you?
Or the teachers or the elders or the guests
Who bathe this gathering with words of encouragement and praise?

No, I think you came seeking a room to read.
A safe, quiet place where books could open a world unknown to you.
You came looking for a book, to open it and bravely step within.
And glimpse a world beyond this village.
Beautiful, round-faced, brave child of Nepal.