Help children get access to books and libraries

In 2014, we started Reading Keeda Library with 120 books and 5 members.

In 2024, Reading Keeda has 7500 books and magazines across genres and languages and has worked with more than 400+ children through various literary and holistic development activities.

In India, non-academic literature and reading for pleasure by children is not always considered first priority. As per research done, access to good quality and relevant children's books is a huge issue for the majority of children. For children in rural villages, migrant and tribal communities, accessibility is an even bigger challenge as schools and villages don't always have good libraries and good children books' collection.

Hence, at Reading Keeda Library, we work with a vision to make books accessible via libraries to children in the age of 1 to 18, irrespective of their caste, community, religion, gender, location, and socio-economic conditions. 

In the last 3 years itself, 235 children have visited Reading Keeda Library, Nagpur around 2029 times and have read 5,240 books.

Since 2022, we have conducted a cumulative of 88 sessions, engaging 288 children:

1. Toddler Talk – Weekly program for ages 1 to 4, introducing rhymes, rhythm, and vocabulary.
2. Let’s Hear a Story – Monthly storytelling session for ages 5 to 8.
3. Readers’ Circle – Free monthly book club for ages 9 to 12.
4. Teens’ Book Club – Free monthly book club for teenagers and young adults.
5. Swap It – A free book exchange program designed for teenagers.

In 2025,

• Reading Keeda Library, Nagpur plans to move into a bigger place so that we can host 10,000 books across various genres and languages and cater to 200 more children.
• Under our "Kitabon ki Duniya program", we will be setting up children libraries with 10 organizations/schools working with children.
• In Gurgaon, Haryana, we are starting our Free Community Library for children of an urban slum catering to ~40 children.

However, to bridge the gap between children and books required not just individual vision but collective efforts. The cost for 1 child getting access to books is Rs.6000 for 1 year.

Join us in reaching these children, one book, one story at a time. Even a small amount will help us go a long way.