Want to gauge the power of a book? Gift it to someone for whom it is a luxury and marvel at the wondrous excitement that bubbles forth. Especially a child. We recently conducted a book drive at Billabong High International School, Santacruz on the lines of the theme of our concert - ‘Power of One’. Our students thought it would be a wonderful idea to donate books - across genres - to children who don’t have access to such a basic necessity. Inspired and celebrating the spirit of the child hero Brandon Keefe, who in 1991 had initiated a book donation drive and made it into a nationwide movement in the U.S.
The book drive in our school with the interact club brought a million smiles on the faces of 600 students and 40 teachers of Chinchale Ashramshala (3,000 books donated) a municipal village school in Dahanu, Vile Parle West Municipal School (200 books donated)and Eklavya Balwadi run by Sona Sarovar Trust. Through our PTA members, and active student campaigning, we were able to collect 3,200 books in English/Hindi fiction, textbooks, dictionaries, color books for 5-14 years and stationery which was given to Eklavya Balwadi. Perhaps, one of the most striking moments is when the principal of the Vile Parle school, Roasrio Sir thanked our students efforts and mentioned that the school will now have a library. It was so moving that tears welled up the eyes of our children too. The Ashramalaya library was inaugurated last week and we are told that the children can’t seem to stop beaming about it. (any other feedback shared by principal).
As most know, municipal schools in our country are riddled with day-to-day challenges in terms of lack of teachers, teacher absenteeism, lack of special educators, poor infrastructure etc. Can one imagine though how it would be to go to a school without books? Sadly, this is one of the starkest realities in municipal and public schools in India. In February, a media report highlighted how until the end of the last academic session, students in a Delhi Municipal school had not got any books. It was only after a petition was moved by a student of an East Delhi Municipal Corporation school in the high court that the civic authorities woke up to the grim reality.
If such apathy continues where students need to sprawl around school corridors to be accommodated and not even be provided with stationery and books, how then do we plan to improve child literacy across the country? Can the importance of books in imparting knowledge be emphasized any more in a country that they say is on threshold of becoming an economic superpower? How can anyone really buy that growth story when there are children who crave to lay their hands on a book, and worse still, not even know how to read one.
What if each private school adopted a municipal or public school nearby and donated certain essentials/resources to it? Why blame the government alone? I am proud to share that the idea of conducting a book-donation drive was recommended by our students! Surely we as educators can come together and commit to do our best to promote and establish 100%child literacy in the country. The Power of One is a marvelous thing. A single germane idea or inspired thought can influence hundreds and thousands. Towards the end of an academic year, we were humbled by the thoughtfulness of our students and the little sparks of brilliance waiting to be tapped and set free upon discovery. There is great power in One and in its Collaboration!
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