Donate A Book and More!

Stories and songs hold a special place in a child's life. Listening to the tale of Chiu-Kau while eating, or pretending to be a character from a story told by grandma—it’s these little moments that children cherish deeply.

As they grow older, they begin to hold storybooks in their hands. The pictures, the various events, and the curiosity about how the story will end—all of this combines to create a magical experience for them. When they love a book, they read it again and again. If they can’t read yet, they ask their parents to read it to them. Books gently take children beyond their small world and connect them to something bigger.

But what if some children don’t even know what a storybook is? What do they read then? If their parents are not literate, who reads stories to them?

What about those children who are separated from their parents and live in shelters? Do Chiu and Kau ever reach their lives?

What about children whose villages don’t have libraries? Or if they do, there are no fun, engaging books for young readers?

It was these questions that kept troubling us… and from those questions, Kitabghar was born. A space where children with difficult childhoods can connect to the outer world and express themselves fearlessly. A facilitator who can walk them through the world of children's literature!  

BELIEF runs an active library program, KITABGHAR, for the children with challenging backgrounds in Nashik. This program aims to create a safe, brave, and non-judgmental learning environment for children. Curated, vibrant children's literature is made available in KITABGHAR. Additionally, a trained facilitator communicates with children through read-aloud sessions, book talks, book displays, character alive activities, and library games. We are trying to create a rich reading culture through frequent sessions, interactions, and library activities. The activities in the project are planned in such a way that we aim to create a safe space for children where they will not just engage with library books but also respond to the books and share their thoughts and experiences. We are also hoping to create a culture of reading among children with challenging backgrounds.

BELIEF has been engaging with the children from the orphanage in Nashik for more than a year. We also work with the children from observation homes and street children in Nashik city. We conduct daily library sessions for the children with different age groups. We have conducted about 225 sessions so far. Children are enjoying the session. They eagerly wait for Manisha tai to begin the session. The orphanage staff has also noticed the change in the children and are supporting this program wholeheartedly.

IMPACT

• For children in the Balwadi group, sitting in one place to listen to a story, looking at pictures in books, and participating in activities were all new experiences. Initially, managing their sessions was a big challenge. However, with consistent efforts and regular sessions, the children have now begun to enjoy reading books. They listen to stories with full attention, look for themselves in the book’s illustrations, and relate the stories to their own experiences. Their understanding of books has also improved. They now take special care not to tear the books.
• Children from grades 1 & 2 are now able to interpret the pictures in books nicely and make logical guesses. They can identify their names on the attendance sheet and have started writing their names. Earlier, they hardly took part in group activities, but now they love participating in them.
• Grade 3 and 4 children enjoy participating in activities based on book reading. Book puzzles and book-themed Damsheraj are their favorite games.

One kid, Somanath (name changed), read ten small books in a single day. He used to avoid books earlier, but now he enjoys them and even helps in conducting the sessions.

• At the organizational level, the caretakers (Tai) now attend the Kitabghar sessions regularly. They listen to the stories and happily share their feedback when they like something.

Various studies suggest that exposure to the library creates a long-lasting impact on an individual’s life. Children from challenging backgrounds don’t have access to books, and if at all there are some books available, they are not curated as per the reading level, age, and interests of the children. Thus, mere access to good-quality children’s literature becomes a critical aspect of this project. The activities in the project are planned in such a way that we aim to create a safe and non-judgmental space for children where they will not just engage with library books but also respond to the books and share their thoughts and experiences. We are also hoping to create a culture of reading among these children.

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www.beliefforchange.org

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connect@beliefforchange.org

Talk:

8767954709