It is said that reading broadens perspectives and open minds and we have no reason to dispute this age old saying. We think it is quite saddening that many Malaysians tend to read very little with some statistics quoting that the average Malaysian only reads a total of two pages of print a year. Reading is in fact a very cheap way of exploring the world and experiencing much of what it has to offer from the confines of your own home while expanding your vocabulary and communications skills. It’s particularly important to inculcate this habit from a young age.
We still need to be mindful, however, that the ability to indulge in reading is really one of life’s little luxuries and that it can be too much for the most disenfranchised amongst us. With that in mind, a former Microsoft executive, John Wood, left a high flying corporate career in order to found a charity called Room to Read, a non-profit organization that is focused on bringing books for children in underdeveloped countries. The motivation behind this charity came from a trip he took to the Himalayas where he found that books were so rare they were kept under lock and key to protect them from the children! He’s even written a book called “Leaving Microsoft to Change the World” that chronicles his story and what moved him to start a charity in this fashion.
Needless to say, we can’t all make changes in the way that John Wood has managed to do – it takes great strength, resilience and courage to leave a promising career like the one we had in Microsoft to have a shot at saving the world but thankfully we don’t have to make such great sacrifices in encouraging people to read. If you have any old books or magazines at home which you think would make decent reading material, you can always donate them to orphanages or any other charitable organizations in Malaysia who would take them. It would be even better if you just took the time out to read to some children or orphans who would not only learn about the interesting things that could be learned from books, but who would also enjoy the human company.
