Schools Made of Bricks and Compassion

Mountaineer Greg Mortenson has contributed a decade of his life to building schools in two of the most poverty-stricken countries in the world - Afghanistan and Pakistan. To him, educating young minds is incredibly important and no compensation is needed for his actions save the smile of a child reading a book. Mortenson's non-profit organization, Central Asia Institute, has built 78 schools for 33,000 children in local villages. Mortenson recieved the Sitara-E-Pakistan in 2009, in recognition of his deeds in the country. His time and effort into the righteous cause shows just how much humanity can accomplish with a compassionate heart and a mind determined to help.