Room to Read's John Wood: Bringing the Power of Education to Children around the World
Knowledge Wharton, 23-Dec-08
After a trek in the Himalayas brought him face-to-face with extreme poverty and illiteracy, John Wood left his position as a director of business development at Microsoft to found Room to Read, an award-winning international education organization. Under his leadership, more than 1.7 million children in the developing world now have access to enhanced educational opportunities. Room to Read to date has opened 725 schools and 7,000 bilingual libraries, and funded more than 7,000 scholarships for girls. Wood talked with Knowledge@Wharton about the launch of Room to Read, the book he wrote called Leaving Microsoft to Change the World and his personal definition of success ...
Nepali boy submitted for world's smallest person record
AFP, Aug 28, 2006
A 14-year-old Nepali boy who is only 50 centimetres (20 inches) tall has been put forward for a Guinness world record as the world's smallest person, his family and supporters said.
"We found out that a Jordanian boy holds a record in the Guinness Book of World Records and he is 25.5 inches tall. But Khagendra is 5.5 inches smaller than the Jordanian guy, so we sent an application to the Guinness Book of World Records," said Min Bahadur Rana, president of Khagendra Thapa Magar Foundation, an organization set up to collect funds for the boy.
Fourteen-year-old Khagendra Thapa Magar weighs only 4.5 kilograms and will be taken on tour round Nepal to raise money for his upkeep, his father told AFP.
"We show him in exhibitions to collect fund for his education, health and future," said Rup Bahadur Thapa, his father.
According to the website set up by his supporters, www.khagendratma.org, Thapa weighed only 600 grams at birth and his hobbies include "playing with pebbles" and "worshipping Buddha."
Khagendra Thapa Magar, 14, dances in Baglung village, 270 kilometers (169 miles) west of Katmandu, Nepal, Monday, April 17, 2006. Magar, who is only 20 inches (50 centimeters) tall and weighs 4.5 kilograms (10 pounds), is waiting for word from the Guinness World Records, where he has applied to be named the shortest in the world, his supporters said on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006. (AP Photo/Prakash Mathema)
For more Pictures of Mr Thapa, click here
After a trek in the Himalayas brought him face-to-face with extreme poverty and illiteracy, John Wood left his position as a director of business development at Microsoft to found Room to Read, an award-winning international education organization. Under his leadership, more than 1.7 million children in the developing world now have access to enhanced educational opportunities. Room to Read to date has opened 725 schools and 7,000 bilingual libraries, and funded more than 7,000 scholarships for girls. Wood talked with Knowledge@Wharton about the launch of Room to Read, the book he wrote called Leaving Microsoft to Change the World and his personal definition of success ...
