Kiara Nirghin Named Room to Read Global Ambassador and Launches Fundraising Campaign for Girls’ Education

Kiara Nirghin Named Room to Read Global Ambassador and Launches Fundraising Campaign for Girls’ Education

SAN FRANCISCO (July 9, 2024) — Room to Read, a global education nonprofit creating a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality, has announced Kiara Nirghin, technologist, bestselling author and sustainability advocate, as its newest global ambassador. Alongside the news, Nirghin is launching a fundraising campaign — Create Change with Kiara Nirghin — with the goal to raise $10,000 for Room to Read’s award-winning Girls’ Education Program. All donations will support adolescent girls around the world with the life skills, mentorship and resources they need to succeed in school and navigate key life decisions.

"Each young woman I encounter carries an incredible depth of strength and potential, yet not all have the chance or the confidence to fully realize it,” said Nirghin. “As a Room to Read global ambassador, I aim to empower young women globally by letting them know they are seen, supported, and never alone. My hope is that by sharing stories of resilience and triumph, we inspire these young women to become the heroes of their own narratives.”

Originally from South Africa, Nirghin first gained international acclaim at a young age when she won the Grand Prize at the prestigious Google Science Competition for her tech and data-driven innovation against climate change. Since then, she’s become a prominent Gen Z sustainability advocate and technologist, having already published her first book with Penguin Random House and as a guest contributor to The Economist and TIME 100 Voices. Named one of Glamour Magazine’s Women of the Year and a Forbes Generation Disrupter, Nirghin is globally recognized as a scientific and cultural pioneer for her generation. She is currently co-founder and chief technology officer of Chima, a leading tech startup focused on redefining the new potential of generative AI.

“Kiara provides radiant inspiration to girls everywhere, showing that passion, education, and perseverance can unlock their power to make lasting changes in their lives and communities,” said Dr. Geetha Murali, Room to Read CEO. “When girls see other young women crafting their own futures with knowledge and skill, they will be motivated to shatter limiting gender norms and claim their rightful dignity.”

Nirghin’s commitment to raise funds for Room to Read is aligned with You Create Change, Room to Read’s flagship fundraising campaign to raise $10 million for girls’ education and gender equality. Earlier this year, Room to Read partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery for the Asia premiere of She Creates Change, the first nonprofit-led animation and live action film project to promote gender equality through the stories of young women around the world.  

About Room to Read 

Founded in 2000 on the belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children®, Room to Read is creating a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality through education. We are achieving this goal by helping children in historically low-income communities develop literacy skills and a habit of reading, and by supporting girls as they build life skills to succeed in school and negotiate key life decisions. We collaborate with governments and other partner organizations to deliver positive outcomes for children at scale. Room to Read has benefited more than 39 million children and has worked in 24 countries and in more than 192,000 communities, providing additional support through remote solutions that facilitate learning beyond the classroom. Room to Read aims to benefit 40 million children by 2025. Learn more at www.roomtoread.org.