Belajar dari kisah John Wood

John Wood is a social activist, who inspires people around the world with his sacrifice and effort to help other people, specifically children.

In the beginning, he worked for Microsoft Company as a director of marketing for Microsoft Australia, in 1998. In the same year, after his success in Australia, he held the position as the company’s director of business development for China. Here, in his position as a Microsoft executive, he had 70 people reporting to him and was 34 years old when he left Microsoft for good in late 1999.

The reason appeared was the result of a trip in 1998, during his vacation in the Himalayas, Nepal. He visited a local school and was surprised with the reality that it had only a few books which were locked up to protect them from children. Secondly, a simple request from the school headmaster ‘perhaps, sir, you will someday come back with books’ changed his purpose of life. The request had stayed in his mind and plagued him all the time. To answer it, he responded by sending 3000 books in the following year to the village. However, the former question still remained and new disturbing questions arose ‘if I’m doing so well, why aren’t I happier? If I have achieved so much, why don’t I feel a greater sense of satisfaction?’ and most importantly ‘did it really matter how many copies of Windows we sold in Taiwan this month when there were millions of children without access to books?’ As the result, during his second trip to the village, when he came back to deliver the books, he made the decision to leave the corporate world in order to help more children.

After his resignation, he started a non-profit charitable organization recognized as Room to Read (R2R). This was founded on the belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children and Education is the Key to Breaking the Cycle of Poverty. In the beginning, it was only himself when he started from his house to finalize the concept, and built up networks with all his friends around the world.

Since its inception in 2000, R2R has reached an estimated 990,000 children by building 197 schools, establishing 2,900 libraries, and publishing 77 new local language titles representing over 700,000 books. It also has donated over 1,2 million English language children’s books, established 92 computer and language labs and funded more than 2000 long term girls’ scholarships. Their efforts are currently focused in Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, South Africa, and Zambia.

Furthermore, the success of the organization’s achievements is identified by 3 main important keys. Firstly, Local Community Partnerships; which develops awareness and sense of ownership. Secondly, efficiency and transparency; a vital component playing a significant role to obtain essential trust from potential donors. And the final important key is, Networks; he communicates everyday through email for sharing information about their programs and progress.

John Wood is a man who has changed the world by helping children. His belief has motivated and pushed more people to take part in his effort. The resignation from Microsoft perhaps, removed him from luxury, and not understood by some people. However this man has a big heart. I strongly believe if we had more people like him in this miserable world, then the world be a better place for children.