One person can make a difference.
Just ask Greg Mortenson—former mountaineer, medic, nurse, co-founder of Central Asia Institute and of Pennies for Peace, humanitarian, and author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace.
Mortenson was born in Minnesota in 1957. He grew up on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania where his father co-founded a local teaching hospital and his mother founded International School Moshi. Mortenson carried on both of their professions with his work both as a nurse and then as co-founder and executive director of the Central Asia Institute.
Mortenson’s transition from nursing to building schools began in 1993 with a journey to Pakistan to climb K2, the world’s second highest mountain in the Karakoram Range. Mortenson was climbing in honor of his sister, Christa, who died in1992 of a massive seizure.
On the way back from the climb Mortenson took a wrong turn and ended up in the remote village of Korphe. The villagers had nothing but compassion for Mortenson and cared for him until he recovered from the climb. Prior to leaving, he promised the village that he would build a school for their children.
When Mortenson returned to the states, he co-founded the Central Asia Institute with Dr. Jean Hoerni. In his role as executive director of the CAI Mortenson has now built over 130 schools and brought education to over 58,000 children in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In 2009 Mortenson received Pakistan’s highest civil award, Sitara-e-Pakistan (“Star of Pakistan”), for his dedicated and humanitarian effort to promote education and literacy in rural areas for fifteen years.
Greg Mortenson. Living a life of Purpose…Pass It On.
From values.com
No comments:
Post a Comment