Greg Mortenson's father created the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center, and his mother created the Moshi International School. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that Greg became what he became. A well-known philanthropist, founder of the Penny for Peace project, one of the authors of Three Cups of Tea, a book that conquered the public, which was published in 50 countries of the world and sold in 7,000,000 copies, one of the founders of the Central Asian Institute. In 2009, he was awarded the “Star of Pakistan” for his contribution to education and helping many people. I would like to note that this is an incredible achievement - to become a respected person in a country where Americans are not too favored. And at home he was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize. Greg Mortenson traveled thousands of kilometers. Photos from some of his travels can be seen in the article.
The beginning of life
In the United States of America, in the city of St. Cloud, Minnesota , Greg Mortenson was born. Date of birth - December 27, 1957. His childhood passed in Tanzania, near the volcano Kilimanjaro. His parents moved there when the future philanthropist was not even a year old, and he lived there until he was 25 years old.
In order to earn his studies at the university, Greg Mortenson has to go to serve in the US Army, which he passed with dignity and was even awarded a medal (he was in the army for 2 years, from 1977 to 1979). After which he went to get an education, and the choice fell on the University of Dakota. Greg decided to become a medical professional.
Journey to the top
In 1992, a tragic event took place in his life, a sister dies of a seizure of epilepsy (the girl was ill since 3 years old), whom he loved very much. The decision to become a physician was made in order to find a cure for epilepsy and once to cure it. Alas, not all dreams were destined to come true. In order to pay tribute to the memory of his sister, he decides to carry out the journey, which will subsequently become a turning point in his life. Greg Mortenson sets off to conquer the summit of Mount K2, which after Mount Everest is the highest point in the world, and lay on the top a necklace that once belonged to his relative. An accident occurs during the ascent. Greg doesn’t reach the intended target quite a bit and comes back - sick, exhausted, lost his way. Then he could say goodbye to life if he had not come across the village of Corfe. Representatives of the Baltic people helped him get back on his feet. Although they themselves could not boast of a happy and prosperous life, they regretted nothing for the exhausted stranger.
Life in Corfu
So he stayed in the village for about a month. There, Greg tried to learn their language, get used to the way of life. He was not idle, trying to help everyone. His education came in handy, if necessary, he went home and healed wounds. And one day Mortenson saw how school was being taught. 78 boys and only 4 girls (who were not afraid to go to study) just sit on the ground and display the multiplication table. And the teacher does not even come to work every day, because the village does not have the opportunity to pay for his daily services, the cost of which is a dollar a day. What he saw was a huge shock for Greg, so he promised that one day he would return and help establish the school.
Keep a promise in all circumstances.
And Mortenson did not forget about his promise for a minute. When he returned to the United States, he had nothing - no well-paid job, no housing, no money and connections. But he got something more - a noble goal. He set to work. To begin with, he sent letters to wealthy people asking for financial assistance, unfortunately, this did not bring the proper result. The amount that we managed to collect on our own was insignificantly small.
Although he still managed to contact Jean Ernie, with whom they subsequently founded the Institute of Central Asia. He agreed to give 12 thousand dollars to build a school in the village that Mortenson promised to return to.
School construction
Knowing almost nothing about the construction, the young man seemed to be leading the conduct. He was lucky with the people who helped him in the construction, and therefore he turned out to be an excellent specialist. The school grew literally before our eyes, after only three years, the children could study in human conditions. True, I had to ask Ernie for another 8 thousand dollars to build a bridge, otherwise it was simply impossible to deliver building materials to the village. Ernie agreed, witty noting that his ex-wife used to spend more over the weekend. Then, in 1997, he allocated a million to Greg to create the Central Asian Institute, so that he would build many more schools and help a huge number of people get an education.
And he began to do this, traveling from one village to another, overcoming obstacles and misunderstanding of some local residents and establishing mutual understanding with others. Getting into dangerous situations, risking his own life.
Purposefulness, fearlessness and perseverance are qualities that Greg Mortenson has become famous throughout the world for. This person’s biography is sometimes like an adventure novel. Many incredible events happened to him during this time. He managed to survive after the smugglers abducted him, he was held captive for eight days. Or one day he got into a shootout of two warring groups of drug dealers. Greg was able to escape only because he hid for eight hours under the carcasses of animals. Overcoming all the formalities and personal dislike of conducting financial and legal affairs, he simply built schools.
US Social Work
Upon returning to his homeland, Greg gave lectures, the purpose of which was to collect more money. His success was variable, sometimes he had to speak in front of huge crowds, and sometimes in half-empty audiences. The reaction of people is also ambiguous, some hated him and said that he was helping the “Muslim fanatics” (in particular, he received a lot of angry letters after September 11), while others simply favored him, admiring him.
Greg says that he helps educate children so that they grow up to be educated people who will be against violence. At the moment, he has helped build about 200 schools in which more than 64 thousand children studied. Just incredible numbers.
A family
As for his personal life, Greg has been happily married since 1995 with his wife Tara Bishop. She bore him two children, a boy and a girl. The wife supports her husband in all his endeavors. Therefore, we can confidently say that not only a bright public figure, but also a happy family man Greg Mortenson. Personal life, by the way, previously did not work out for a young man. In love, he considered himself a failure.
Penny for Peace Project
The project got the name “Penny for Peace” due to the fact that you can’t get anything for one penny in European countries and America, but in Pakistan, a student can buy at least a pencil, from which his path to learning will begin.
Three cups of tea
Greg Mortenson also wrote books. “Three Cups of Tea” - his work, written in collaboration. On the pages the reader will find magnificent events with unexpected plot twists, beautiful descriptions and quotes, motivating to great achievements. But, most importantly, this book is a true story, which is being completed now. A story about an ordinary person who was able to change tens of thousands of lives, while having a minimum of opportunities.