You might be interested to know that the inspiration for the rebuilding of The Porteno School was reading the book Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. His book tells the story of how he built schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan after experiencing the generosity of the people in the tiny village Korphe, Pakistan. Greg stumbled upon Korphe after a failed attempt at the summit of K2, the second tallest mountain in the world. The people of the town took him in and cared for him as he regained strength. While there, Greg saw 80 children writing in the sand by themselves, as their teacher only came 2-3 days a week from another town. After a little girl explained they didn't have a school, he promised her he would return to the village to build them a school. Over 80 schools later, Greg continues his mission for education and peace through his foundation, Central Asia Institute.
I met Greg this past Monday, November 24th, while he was speaking at a synagogue here in Washington, DC. The event was sponsored by the school I work at, and he was truly inspiring. Read his book, and you will begin to see just how much of a difference one person can make in our world.
