In 1966, l started school unable to read. Thanks to a wonderful Reading Specialist, l discovered the joy of reading. Later in life, l understood the power of literacy and how all learning starts with the ability to read.

In 2001, I read a United Nations report and I was deeply troubled by the high rates of illiteracy. Then I traveled to Ethiopia in 2002 and was shocked to see classrooms empty of any books and basic educational resources. I witnessed first-hand the link between young people and the poverty trap due to their limited education.

After a successful commercial career, l wanted to give back to the community. Therefore in 2003, I established the World Literacy Foundation with the goal to bring books, tutoring and literacy resources to children without any support. In 2005, we started with the transportation of children’s books to Africa and a few years later, incorporated the creation of low-cost digital e-books in local languages.

In 2016, we designed a solar panel tablet device called “Sun Books” to bring an e-library of local and international educational books to classrooms in Uganda where there is no internet, electricity or textbooks.