Greg Mortenson

Greg Mortenson of Bozeman, Montana, for going above and beyond as an advocate of literacy in Central Asia. In 1993, while attempting to climb Pakistan’s treacherous K2, a lost Mortenson stumbled upon a small desolate village with no books or tools for teaching children how to read. Mortenson returned home to America and founded the non-profits “Central Asia Institute” and “Pennies for Peace.” The organizations build and staff schools and promote education and literacy in Pakistan and Afghanistan, with a special focus on educating young girls. To date, the “Central Asia Institute” has constructed 61 schools and educated 25,000 students. Although Mortenson’s efforts to educate girls in Islamic societies have made him a target of death threats and kidnappings, his fervent belief that through education peace can prevail still holds strong.



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