Pennies for Peace

Pennies for Peace FAQ

What is Pennies for Peace?

Pennies for Peace is a fundraising program developed to teach children about the world beyond their experience and to show them they can make a positive impact on a global scale, one small act (or penny) at a time.

Based on the work of Greg Mortensen, described in the book Three Cups of Tea, One Man's Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time, Pennies for Peace raises funds to build and endow village schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pennies collected by American children provide materials and skilled workers to assist village residents to build their own schools. Funds also support teachers' salaries and books.

Why was the Pennies for Peace program developed?

When Greg Mortensen decided to build a school for the village of Korphe, he sent 500 letters to celebrities, and received only one check back. He became discouraged, and his mother, a principal, suggested talking to the children at her school. They raised $623.40 in pennies. The generosity of the children prompted adults to give, and Greg was able to raise $12,000 in a year, enough for the first school.

The philosophy behind Pennies for Peace is that our best hope for a peaceful and prosperous world lies in the education of all the world's children. Pennies for Peace encourages children, who will be our future leaders, to participate in creating global peace through education. Through the program, children gaincross-cultural understanding and learn how to approach world problems with a "solution" orientation.

Where does the money raised for Pennies for Peace go?

Pennies for Peace is a program of the Central Asia Institute (CAI), the non-profit Greg Mortensen established to build secular schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The board of CAI designates 100% of the money raised through Pennies for Peace to go into a restricted fund that is spent overseas to support building and supplying schools.

How many schools has the Central Asia Institute built?

CAI has helped to build 78 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It Also supports 48 schools in refugee camps in the region. The organization has helped to improve the lives of over 33,000 children, in a part of the world where the literacy rate is as low as 20%.

Why is it called Pennies for Peace?

First of all, the penny, 1% of a dollar, is symbolic of the "1% of Gross Domestic Product" goal set by the United Nations for wealthy countries to give in foreign aid to impoverished nations each year. A penny in the United States is virtually worthless, but in Pakistan and Afghanistan a penny buys a pencil and opens the door to literacy. By focusing on pennies, it is possible for all students, including those of very limited means, to participate fully in the fundraising campaign, and to see that they can make a significant difference in the world.

As for peace: education is the key to global peace and cross-cultural understanding. The pennies collected provide educational opportunity to thousands of children living in small mountain villages in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Literacy, for both boys and girls, provide better economic opportunities in the future. By giving students more choices, the power of despot mullahs and other extremist leaders is neutralized. Since Greg Mortensen began his work to build schools in 1993, there has been a decrease in violence in the mountain villages he and his organization have helped.

Have any schools being supported through Pennies for Peace been bombed or destroyed?

In Three Cups of Tea, Greg notes that because CAI's schools are built by community residents, the Taliban risks alienating people by bombing these schools. As of March 2009, NO schools supported or built through Pennies for Peace have been bombed or destroyed. 

How many U.S. schools have participated in Pennies for Peace?

More than 4,000.

For more information please go to www.penniesforpeace.org.