The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share a cup of tea, you become family.
In 1993, Greg Mortenson attempted to climb K2. The second highest mountain in the world. He failed.
On his way back down, he lost his way and nearly perished. He was saved by the people of Korphe. A Balti village of Northern Pakistan. The village rescued him. Nourished him. Cared for him. Allowed him to rest and recuperate. They opened their homes to him. Then they sent out word that they had a foreigner who had been lost on the mountain. The experience and kindness of the people of Korphe left a mark on Greg that would change his life forever.
While staying amongst the people of Korphe, he noted that they had no schoolhouse for their children. The Korphe school was a field above the village with one part time teacher who was rarely paid by the Pakistan government. The children only attended school in the summer weeks as the rest of the year it is too cold to sit outside. Aside from having no full time teaching staff, they had no supplies or desks. Nothing to facilitate learning. Children were left to scratch out their mathematics equations on the bare earth of Korphe.
As a way of repaying their kindness to him, Greg vowed to return to Balti and build a school for their children.
Three Cups of Tea is the story of Greg’s journey and the challenges that led Greg to a new life purpose. He dedicates himself now to the education of the people of the Pakistani Northern Frontier. Greg’s journey leads to the founding of the Pennies for Peace organization and the Central Asia Institute. These organization are dedicated to education and combating illiteracy, poverty and the the extremism that victimizes the peoples of Pakistan’s neglected border regions. Greg has built schools for both boys and girls in the region. One of the girls from the first school went on to go to University. There are more and more success stories like hers.
14 years later, Greg Mortenson translated his failure to reach K2 into a grand achievement. He and the Central Asia Institute have built some 50 plus schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. In the regions that are neglected by those governments. The ignorance and illiteracy left by the governmental void makes these areas fertile ground for the extremism and fundamentalism that produces terrorists and taliban fighters. The US should start pushing more of the funds that are spent on the War on Terror to organizations such as the Central Asia Institute. The future is in the education of the worlds children. Keep them out of the hands of the extremists by providing for their education. This will go a long way towards solving the terrorism problem in the future. Moreover, Greg has empowered women. Girls in these villages are being educated alongside their brothers and cousins. Some of these women are going on to higher education and coming back and serving their communities in ways that were improbable a mere decade ago.
“Three Cups of Tea is one of the most remarkable adventure stories of our time. Greg Mortenson’s dangerous and difficult quest to build schools in the wildest parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan is not only a thrilling read, it’s proof that one ordinary person, with the right combination of character and determination, really can change the world.” -Tom Brokaw
“A stunningly simple story of how to make peace” -Bloomsbury Review
“Fascinating…one only hopes U.S. policymakers read Mortenson’s book” -Philadelphia Inquirer
“Astonishing tale of compassion – and of promise kept” -Time Magazine Asia Book of the Year
“Laced with drama, danger, romance, and good deeds” -Christian Science Monitor
