Change in the world starts with educated children, John Wood, the founder and CEO of Room To Read said yesterday at XL Capital headquarters in Hamilton.

One of the goals of the organisation is to educate underprivileged children.

Partnering with Room To Read, XL has made a three-year commitment to assist in rebuilding schools in Sri Lanka, one of the areas badly damaged by the tsunami last December.

This commitment is for a minimum of $50,000 per year plus any funds XL employees give to Room To Read.

So far this year the company has given $107,000 which has been partly utilised to build a school which has been named in honour of XL?s donation.

Room To Read will use the money and funds from other donors to build reading rooms or libraries, and donated books and scholarships for young girls to attend school.

Gavin Arton, XL Capital global director of corporate social responsibility, said: ?XL employees gave generously but recognised they could do more.?

?They looked for a longer term partnership to assist in the rebuilding in the region and two employees of XL, including Carolyn Moss, suggested Room To Read.?

?The organisation was partly chosen because of the success of its founder John Wood whose personal goal is teach ten million schools to read.?

Mr. Wood said Room To Read did not plan to expand into Sri Lanka until 2007 but this plan had to be changed when the tsunami hit the Island.

?We saw the devastation that had happened, we received reports from friends of ours on the ground in Sri Lanka telling us that 200 schools had been wiped out,? Mr. Wood said.

?If you talk to child psychologists and other experts on relief, you are told that the best thing you can do for children who have been traumatised by an event, be it an earthquake, a flood or a tsunami, is to get children back to school.?

?We quickly leaped into action and made some commitments to some existing non-governmental organisation partners we knew in Sri Lanka to fund the reconstruction of at least ten schools.?

Mr. Wood said Room To Read soon realised that ten schools were not enough and should build more schools.

?The great thing about the support we have received from companies like XL Capital, is that it has allowed us to think big.

?Not only have they given us large financial commitments but they have made long term commitments.?