SCHOOL TRIP: EXPERIENCING ROOM TO READ’S IMPACT IN AFRICA AND INDIA

Since our partnership began in 2016, IMC has donated more than $40 million to Room to Read, a non-profit tackling illiteracy and gender inequality. This funding has so far benefited more than 7.8 million school students across Africa and India and enabled the training of more than 33,000 educators.

But sometimes, the true meaning of impact only becomes clear when you see it up close. That's how Andrea, IT Project Manager at IMC in Chicago, felt as she observed children at an elementary school in KwaZulu-Natal take part in a literacy lesson: “These weren't abstract statistics we hear during monthly updates; they were children, sitting right in front of me, building their love and joy of reading.”

Andrea was taking part in one of two trips organized by Room to Read for a select group of IMC colleagues to visit schools supported by the program in South Africa and India. Here, they reflect on their experiences and what the trip meant to them personally.

CONNECTING WITH ROOM TO READ’S MISSION

Many of those selected for this year’s trip felt a personal connection to Room to Read's mission, and all were excited to experience the organization’s impact on the ground.

“Books were a big part of my childhood,” shares Dacian, a software engineer at IMC Amsterdam. “Looking back, having the right books to reach for was a real blessing, so when the opportunity arose, I jumped at it. I wanted to see what happens behind the scenes and find out how our support actually changes lives.”

A student reads to Dacian at a school participating in Room to Read's library program in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (Photo: Room to Read)

For Sydney-based software engineer Hamish, it was about cutting through assumptions and getting a real-world perspective. “The Africa we hear about in the media is often defined by war, famine, and poverty,” he shares. “What's it actually like for the people living there? How do people feel about receiving this kind of support, and how do we make sure it empowers them rather than taking away their agency?”

Karolina, who is Head of Philanthropy at IMC Mumbai, visited Room to Read's projects in India's Jharkhand and Uttarakhand states with a similar drive to explore beneath the surface. “We receive regular updates from Room to Read about the work they’re doing. But I wanted to go deeper and understand their impact beyond the reports,” she explains. “I was curious to see how Room to Read's model comes to life in schools and how it interacts with the public education system here in India.”

LEARNING IN ACTION

To realize its mission, the organization empowers teachers and librarians, creates child-friendly libraries, and supports local publishers and authors to produce a wide range of high-quality children’s books.

The libraries, which Room to Read helps establish and stock in partnership with schools and local government, also left a mark on those who visited them. “It was a space where children could step out of their day and lose themselves in a book,” says Dacian. “A book on programming caught my eye; I found myself thinking that one day a child who picks up that book might get inspired and, years from now, end up joining IMC!”

“In Jharkhand, I saw how a school library can become more than a room with books,” adds Karolina. “It can become an active learning space where children are encouraged to listen, read, ask questions, and participate.”

Karolina (center back) joins the class at a school supported by Room to Read in Uttarakhand, India (Photo: Room to Read)

BREAKING BARRIERS

Gender equality is another cornerstone of Room to Read's mission. Around the world, more than 120 million young women are excluded from education—a reality that the organization is working hard to change.

“On a personal level, my experience in South Africa was also about my daughters,” Andrea shares. “As I was leaving the last school we visited, a group of girls crowded in for a selfie, laughing, throwing up peace signs, making faces at the camera. And I just stopped, because I was looking at my daughters and I was looking at myself. A child who can read has options, and every one of those girls deserves them.”

A student reads to Andrea at a school participating in Room to Read's library program in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (Photo: Room to Read)

“The sessions I attended in Uttarakhand focused on adolescent girls and life skills, such as climate leadership, financial literacy, and building confidence,” adds Karolina. “What stood out was how the work extended beyond the classroom: conversations with teachers, families, school leaders, and government partners, all working together to make gender equality a reality, not just an aspiration.”

A LASTING IMPRESSION

Our partnership with Room to Read has much farther to run, with IMC committing to donating an additional $30 million between 2024 and 2028—including via our annual Trading for Charity event. Each ambassador returned home with their own powerful sense of why this commitment matters.

“Room to Read’s model is built on partnership,” Hamish says. “At the school level, the libraries belong to the community; what struck me most was how proud the kids, parents, and communities were of their schools. It wasn’t just a school; it was their school. Meanwhile, at the government level, the organization focuses on building strong relationships to make sure their programs can scale. Seeing their way of working up close left me genuinely impressed by their thoughtfulness and competence as an organization.”

This school library was created by Room to Read to help students discover the joy of reading. (Photo: Room to Read)

Dacian echoes that sentiment, reflecting on the people who make it all possible: “IMC's financial contribution is clearly important and makes a lot of this possible, but what really stood out was the team behind the work: ambitious, passionate people putting in the hours to turn the vision into reality. It was inspiring getting to know the librarians, the field managers, and the teachers.”

For Andrea, the visit transformed IMC’s commitment into something deeply personal: ”There’s a difference between trusting that an organization is doing important work and actually sitting in a classroom, watching a child sound out a word and light up when they get it right. When we invest in this work, it's not abstract: it has faces, it has voices, it has children who deserve every resource we can provide.”

Explore the IMC website to learn more about our Room to Read partnership, and to read about our work with other impactful non-profit organizations around the world. At IMC, we are committed to giving back, with a firm belief that businesses like ours should contribute to a better society. If you share this value and want to make a positive impact, IMC could be the next step in your career—check out our open roles.