Media Awareness Impact Stories Room to Read and Credit Suisse change, his teacher began to provide extra The partnership between Room support around Prashanth’s reading and to Read and Credit Suisse has Prashanth is a Grade 1 writing, using Room to Read’s trainings to Ten Years of Partnership: 2005–2015 been highlighted in key global student from Kanthapuram help direct those sessions. While progress was media including: Vani Vidiyalayam, a small slow at first, Prashanth began to excel in his region outside of Vavuniya’s language periods. Prashanth’s mother also city center in Sri Lanka. His became more involved with her son’s school father, a coconut picker, had been injured life, making sure that he had a place to study when Prashanth was quite small and the at home. “I thank Room to Read for making young boy’s mother and sisters were forced to my son brighter and happier,” his mother said, provide for the family. The family’s financial and his teacher added, “Now his attendance struggles began to weigh on Prashanth, and has improved, and he is always ready to read his grades began to decline. Noticing this with a smile on his face.”

Vietnam with us since 2012, won the Scholastic Picture Book Award, for their unpublished picture book A critical element of Room The First Journey, the adventures of a little boy to Read’s Program named An as he rows his small boat for the is training local writers and first time across the Mekong Delta to school. illustrators to create local The continent-wide competition, an initiative language children’s books. of the National Book Development Council We work with individuals of Singapore and Scholastic Asia, judged to develop manuscripts 135 authors, both amateur and established. and artwork for publication “Attending Room to Read’s workshops and and distribution, with the learning about children’s classics opened up goal of building a sustainable and engaged our imaginations,” Quang and Lien said. “With community. This year Phung Nguyen Quang Room to Read’s support, our vision for our and Huynh Kim Lien, who have collaborated books has totally changed.”

Laos resource, helping to develop materials, organize meetings, and mobilize the community. Prior Houmphone to Room to Read’s work in her school, Ms. Phakphonekham Phakphonekham’s students often struggled has been teaching to meet national standards, with the majority 1st grade for 26 years of the class falling below the average reading in the KeoOudom scores. However, last year, 80% of her students district of Vientiane reached the “outstanding” level, and the Province, . She is proud to have the remaining 20% were average or above-average. longest teaching record in the district, and “I would like Room to Read to expand to every when Room to Read launched our Literacy primary school in Laos and to integrate its Program there, Ms. Phakphonekham provided techniques into the school curriculum,” she our team with key information on the needs exclaimed. “I have never seen any literacy of her students; she immediately became a program here have such strong success.”

We continue to see how investing in this work makes a difference in children’s lives. In Sri Lanka, 82 percent and 76 percent of students in Tamil-language and Sinhala-language partner schools, respectively, are now checking out library books, a significant indicator that they are forming a habit of reading. In Laos, children finishing Grade 2 in schools that partner with Room to Read have a reading fluency rate 3.5 times greater than those without Room to Read support!

Founded in 2000 on the belief that World Change Starts with Through our Global Educated Children®, Room to Read’s innovative model focuses Initiative, Credit on deep, systemic transformation within schools in low-income Suisse supports selected countries during two time periods which are most critical in organizations in giving thousands of children and young a child’s schooling: early primary school for literacy acquisition and secondary people access to education and in improving the quality school for girls’ education. We work in collaboration with local communities, of educational opportunities through school scholarships, partner organizations and governments to develop literacy skills and a habit of teacher training, school refurbishment and learning reading among primary school children and ensure girls can complete secondary materials. As part of the Global Citizens Program, suitably school with the skills necessary to negotiate key life decisions. Room to Read has qualified employees share their knowledge and skills with benefited 10 million children across 17,000 communities in Asia and Africa and our global partner organizations, working several weeks on aims to reach 15 million children by 2020. Learn more at www.roomtoread.org. projects in emerging and developing markets. Room to Read and Credit Suisse Ten Years of Partnership: 2005–2015 2005 SRI LANKA 30 • Libraries Established 7 • Schools Constructed Room to Read believes that World Change Starts with Educated Children.® Room to Read envisions a world In-Kind Support 2 • Books Published in which all children can pursue a quality education that enables them to reach their full potential and contribute to their community and the world. This is very closely aligned with Credit Suisse’s Global Education 2006 Office Space Initiative goals of improved access and quality of educational opportunities for disadvantaged children. In addition to monetary donations, Credit & Suisse donates free office space for a 3 • Language Books Published Financial Support small staff of Room to Read fundraisers 3 • Computer Labs Opened in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Sydney, now • Libraries Established totalling more than 9 desk spaces. This 86 and Vietnam over two years, benefiting 15,037 students. It is anticipated that the enables Room to Read to invest more of Initial Funding 2007 16,792 students. Through the School broader impact of the grant support will its funding directly into programs. Credit Suisse and Libraries program, 37 libraries in India, far transcend these participant numbers. LAOS, , SRI Room to Read have and were set up, By investing in the start-up phase of Room LANKA & VIETNAM a well-established • Schools Constructed benefiting another 16,480 students. Funds to Read’s literacy work, Credit Suisse made 40 relationship that began through Credit 2008 were also used for the expansion of Room a strategic contribution to Room to Read’s • Students benefitted Suisse Asia Pacific in 2005, which funded 16,792 to Read’s operations, focusing specifically capacity to build a scalable, replicable through the 40 schools Room to Read’s post-tsunami efforts in on operations in its first two African program that can be adopted by other Sri Lanka, and various projects in India. In countries – South Africa and Zambia. governments and NGOs. Ultimately, 2008, Credit Suisse became the largest Room to Read hopes their work will INDIA & VIETNAM corporate funder of Room to Read's Girls’ make a substantial contribution to both • Girls Supported Education program across India and Reading & Writing Instruction 850 governments’ curricula and the field of Vietnam, funding the education of 850 In 2010-2011, Credit early-grade literacy for decades to come. Global Engagement girls at risk of dropping out of school. Suisse began More recently, from 2013-2015, Credit INDIA, SOUTH AFRICA & ZAMBIA supporting Room Suisse has continued its funding for Room Global Citizens Program 37 • School Libraries Established School Infrastructure & Libraries to Read’s 2010-2014 to Read’s evolution through core support strategic plan to Credit Suisse employees 16,480 • Students Benefitted Room to Read has in the growth of strong international strengthen reading and writing instruction are selected to go on one been a key partner in operations, the development of its 2015- in the classroom. Funding was awarded week and in some cases Credit Suisse’s Global 2019 Strategic Plan, and through major 2009 for literacy pilots across Laos, Sri Lanka longer assignments for Education Initiative. events that attract investment in Room SOUTHERN AFRICA and Vietnam. The results of the pilots strategic projects. Since The first Credit Suisse to Read’s programs. Credit Suisse has • Funded expansion of Room to paved the way for reading and writing 2010, a total of 38 Credit grant (2008 and 2009) was used to fund also continued to support key program Read’s operations, focusing on instruction to become a core component Suisse employees have provided capacity- work in parts of Asia, Zambia and South initiatives in Laos, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and it’s first two African countries— of Room to Read’s Literacy Program. Since building on a broad range of topics South Africa and Zambia. Africa. Funds were used to sponsor the Zambia to ensure high quality programs then, through Credit Suisse support, 742 such as administration systems, project 2010 construction of 40 preschools, primary and for children in many communities across teachers were trained to ensure high- management, financial forecasting and secondary schools in Laos, Nepal, Sri Lanka these four countries. quality, student-centered lessons for social impact investing for Room to Read LAOS, SRI LANKA country and global office teams around & VIETNAM the world. • Teachers Trained 2011 188 5,136 • Students supported Employee Engagement in Reading & Writing Instruction Credit Suisse’s CFO Division employees across the bank raised funds for Girls’ Education in Laos, supporting secondary school education for LAOS, SRI LANKA 151 girls. Credit Suisse’s e-learning 2013 & VIETNAM Solutions Team produced a “Literacy 554 • Teachers Trained Nugget” video for Room to Read that 9901 • Students supported in highlights the importance of literacy Reading & Writing Instruction in everyday life and features case ZAMBIA studies from Room to Read’s work. 2015 • Girls Supported Several Credit Suisse employees are 465 active in Room to Read’s volunteer chapters in their respective locations, raising awareness for global education TOTAL CHILDREN BENEFITTED: 89,037 through community based events.