I believe in karma. I believe in paying it forward. And I believe in thank yous. Because of all these, I have pledged fifty percent of the proceeds from the sale of A Tale of Two Djinns to UNICEF’s new Schools for Asia initiative.
One of the best gifts my parents have given me is my education. Thanks to it, I discovered my love of reading and writing, pursued an adventurous journalism career, and became a published author.
Growing up in Bangladesh, I have seen the poorest of poor. I have seen children forced to work instead of attending school. I have also seen education make a difference —lead to job opportunities, raise the quality of life for entire families, and allow individual new possibilities.
Unfortunately, many don’t get this precious education. According to unicef, 67 million children are currently not enrolled in school worldwide, and 26 million of them live in the Asia-Pacific Region. How much potential is the world losing out on? How many Einsteins, Joyce Carol Oateses, and more remain undiscovered because they were born in bad circumstances?
My mother never finished high school. Back in the early 1950s, in traditional Bangladesh where arranged marriages were the norm and good proposals a blessing, my mother was married to a handsome young sailor. She was seventeen and he was nineteen. Her father, who had great hopes for his clever eldest child, agreed to the marriage only after the groom’s father promised to let her continue her studies. This promise was not kept.
Many years later, older and wiser, my mother insisted on her daughters being educated, finishing college. Her favorite saying is “No one can take knowledge away from you.” My late father, who knew a thing or two about raising daughters, made our education a family priority.
(They were married 53 years: 1958 to 2011)
To honor my parents, to give thanks for my blessings, I’m passing forward the gift of education through UNICEF’s Schools for Asia, which will work in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
I need your help. I hope you will consider picking up A Tale of Two Djinns, and if you enjoy the read, I hope you will tell others about it. Meanwhile, every RT and share helps & is greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance! I hope together we will make a difference.
