EDUCATION = CONFIDENCE
FROM MENTEE TO MENTOR
When Chamodi enrolled in Room to Read’s Girls’ Education Program in 2012, she didn’t know what to expect. She’d never heard of Room to Read and had little sense of what the program would entail. On her first day, she met her social mobilizer, who immediately became an important role model. The social mobilizer regularly visited Chamodi’s home, speaking with her parents about the importance of girls’ education and working with Chamodi on foundational life skills, like communication, time management and leadership.
Meet Chamodi from Sri Lanka
She helped Chamodi create a home library and study corner and taught her how to create a schedule. Throughout their time together, Chamodi’s belief in herself and her abilities grew stronger.
“Slowly, I felt myself change. I had previously been afraid to speak in front of the class and express my opinions and feelings. After working with my social mobilizer, I found myself wanting to be a leader in group activities and give everyone equal opportunity to express their ideas,” Chamodi shared. As life skills lessons and individual mentoring sessions bolstered her confidence, Chamodi began to take part in extracurricular activities, like debate and drama. She often wrote on her own about past experiences and made time to reflect on how the experiences had shaped her relationships and her identity. As she approached her national exams, she worked with her social mobilizer to take advantage of opportunities for one-on-one tutoring and exam preparation. When she graduated from the program, Chamodi thought about the many ways in which she had benefited from the mentorship of her social mobilizer. She was interested in providing similar support to girls in her community. It didn’t take long for Chamodi to become a social mobilizer herself. “Room to Read brightened my life in every possible way,” Chamodi said. “Not only do I support myself and my family today, but I also get a chance to change the lives of more girls like me by being part of Room to Read’s Girls’ Education Program.”
Watch Chamodi deliver a virtual life skills lesson: www.roomtoread.org/2021-annual-report
26 | ROOM TO READ 2021 ANNUAL REPORT
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