Three Cups of Tea is a bestselling book by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin and relates the amazing story of do-gooder Greg Mortenson, a mountain climber turned humanitarian. Greg’s story is heart-warming, inspirational, and really just amazing. In 1993 Greg attempted to climb K2 in honor of his sister who passed away. His climb was interrupted by a rescue mission for another climber, and during his descent Greg strays from his group and reaches a desolate area of northern Pakistan. In dire need of food, water and shelter Greg’s finds himself in Korphe, a remote village in northern Pakistan. It is here that Greg is nursed back to health by the warm and generous people of Korphe. While recovering, Greg notes that the children in this remote village have no school, and are forced to learn while sitting outside scratching their lessons into the dirt with sticks. The village was so poor that it couldn’t afford a teacher of its own; the cost of a teacher’s salary $1 a day. In efforts to repay the hospitality shown by the people of Korphe, Greg promises that he will return to build the village a school. While this may seem amazing in itself, Greg’s story is so much more than this, and his deeds have spread much further than this one village.
Greg Mortenson’s heartfelt promise to build one school for one village has led to the creation of the non-profit organization Central Asia Institute which promotes and supports community-based education, especially for girls, in remote regions of northern Pakistan and Afghanistan, and Pennies For Peace a program for students that encompasses cultural education, and philanthropy while raising funds for students in need pennies as a time. As of 2009 he has established and significantly supports more than 100 schools in the rural and remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, which provide education to over 58,000 children where few education opportunities existed before.
It’s stories like Three Cups of Tea that keep team thinkGood. motivated. Remember it all starts with one person and their desire to make a difference!
For more info visit www.threecupsoftea.com
Until next time,
Do Good, Feel Good, Live Good,
-team thinkGood.
Tags: Central Asia Institute, Greg Mortenson, Korphe, Pennies for Peace, Three Cups of Tea