Twitter: Wine buys books
By Techgirl

I am writing this sipping a glass of French wine and the irony does not escape me.

Twitter, which is the hottest micro blogging platform in the world, had announced the Fledgling Initiative in 2009.  The Twitter sponsored Fledgling Initiative involved making and selling wine to benefit a charity called Room to Read. According to Twitter, every case of wine sold will provide approximately 60 local language children’s books and promote education in the world’s poorest regions.

Microsoft executive John Wood started Room to Read, and today this wonderful charity operates in a number of countries like India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka which have a sizable Muslim population. As the name suggests, it brings book and education to the rural and poor who are denied proper education.

While any charitable initiative should be commended, this is clearly a case of American large heartedness overshadowing cultural sensitivities in some parts of the world where religions forbid wine and have strict rules of what is halal and what is haram.

Perhaps this is merely the same as someone selling beef burgers to raise funds to educate poor Hindu children.  The heart is in the right place and helping children overshadows any strong religious views.

Check out this Twitter employees first hand account on visiting such a Room to Read School in India

“
 I was thrilled. This past month, my enthusiasm and commitment increased dramatically when I had the chance to visit some of the sites where Room to Read works in India.

Teachers and students in Hardiwar gave me the warmest of welcomes. I was given the opportunity to help children read books in English and one group of students even invited me to sing a song for them. My performance of Itsy Bitsy Spider, sent the kids into fits of laughter.

The schools in these areas face incredible obstacles but the community approaches problems with passion and vigor. One school was having trouble with a dangerous elephant so parents volunteered to take turns walking the kids to school and would even sleep there for a night or two. When I was little there were snow days but nothing like this.

Seeing kids get excited about learning to read made my heart skip a few beats, and made me feel proud to work at a company that chooses to partner with world-changing organizations like Room to Read.
“

Techgoss note:  Techgirl is a senior Tech journalist who reports on the IT, KPO and KPO Sectors for a leading media house.  In her spare time, she dabbles in satire in her blog http://techgirltalk.blogspot.com