Want to develop a nation? Educate a girl.

Hurrah that a 14-year-old recognizes what studies show, but U.S. funding for foreign aid has yet to reflect: Educating girls in poor nations is the best way to develop a nation [“Student’s charity begins at school,” page one, Oct. 22].

Want to boost incomes? Educate a girl. Want to reduce child mortality? Educate a girl. Want to reduce the transmission of HIV? Educate a girl. Want to reduce terrorism? Educate all children. But right now, 75 million children around the world don’t have access to an education, and many of them are forced into child labor.

As a candidate, President Obama promised to launch a global fund for education that would pool the resources of wealthy nations to ensure all children can go to school. It’s the best possible investment for our foreign aid, and it’s about time.

— Lesley Reed, Vashon

Second Seattle-based program to be honored

Seattle can be proud of Garfield High School freshman Jessica Markowitz for creating a program that helps support education for Rwandan schoolgirls. She sounds highly deserving of the 2009 World of Children Founders Award she is about to receive from UNICEF.

Seattle can also be proud of something The Times story did not note: This is the second year in a row a major World of Children award has gone to a project with Seattle roots. Last year, UNICEF made a similar award to Rita Conceição, the Brazilian co-founder of Bahia Street, a highly successful program based in Seattle and co-founded by Seattleite Margaret Willson. Bahia Street focuses on schoolgirls in the shantytowns of Salvador, Bahia.

Starbucks and Windows 7 are great, but projects like Markowitz’s IMPUWE and Bahia Street are among the best things our city gives to the world.

— Michael Kischner, Seattle

Making a difference

We should take a lesson from those who are younger. Jessica Markowitz’s story should inspire those in every walk of life. We live in a society and a culture where material wealth overpowers the drive to help others.

Markowitz is showing us you do not have to be rich, be in a place of influence, or be old to make a difference. She is giving one of the greatest gifts anyone could give, which is herself. At 14 years old, she is making more of a difference than some make in their whole lives. People need our help, not just in Third World countries, but in our very own as well.

It is time we take a lesson from those that are younger than us. It is time we placed action to our thoughts and words.

— Haley Durrett, Kirkland