I remember, Dr Y Suresh Reddy, Director of Shriram Foundation introduced me to Mr. R S Dalal, IPS, former Director General-Police, Haryana. I invited him on the inauguration of the READ Library in Chainnsa, Hathin Block, Palwal, Haryana. He was so convinced by the READ Model that he discussed with his family to dedicate the 100 years old Haveli of Mehndipur village, the ancestral property for holistic development of the community in Mehndipur and surrounding villages. I remember, 7 years ago, the inauguration was a gala programme, army band, family members, especially his elder brother, retired Army Colonel, police officials, corporate senior officials, READ India Advisory Board members and above all hundreds of community members.For local community, it was a welcome opportunity. Though many affluent families stay in the village and their children go to English medium schools in Bahadurgarh, but many more are in the village, who cannot afford the expensive education and study in the government school nearby, especially girls who go to the nearby government school. The Principal, school teachers and other school staff, local sarpanch and senior citizens always join any event in the READ Library. Though the programme started with books, Early Learning Center, Computer Education, but during the passage of time, audio studio, livelihood programme of women was initiated. While children enjoy the training of sharing stories through their own voice, the elders sung the glory of village and their own lives through audio studio, one of the major attractions for all.
The production unit was started in 2015 with the collective efforts of READ India and enhanced with the network of Mr. R S Dalal to get the cloth, sewing machines and orders for production unit of sewing and stitching. Women came forward with their traditional skills of crochet, knitting and many more. It is still a happening space because every month the retired senior citizens come to get their pension from the CSC within the READ Library. The staff continued their higher education, girls started learning advance computer courses, children started reading story books, women started earning money by enhancing their skills, school teachers came to learn computers, youth prepared for competitive examinations in the library. What else is needed in the village!Mr. R S Dalal, being a passionate personality, involved the local community to clean and green the village and shared the concept with the family members staying abroad to donate to READ India for this work through READ Global.
The beautification of the village has been done no less than a picnic park in urban areas, cleanliness campaign is one of the best practices I have ever experienced. Thanks to Mr. Dalal’s dedication and love for his own village. He is not tired of narrating his past life while he was staying in the Haveli and his hard work to reach to the highest cadre in his life. The purpose is to motivate the youth.
He also arranged a football coach for girls to learn and bring them at the State level competition and practice for national level participation.
The story is endless, the collective efforts are still going on. Here I do not want to mention the numbers but deep impact which has been witnessed is much emphasized.
While Mr. Dalal dedicated his ancestral haveli, he also encouraged the others from the same profession, to dedicate his Haveli in Tandaheri village, just five kilometers away from Mehndipur. Mrs Urvashi Singh, Lecturer by profession in the Government College, Gurgaon, dedicates her time to visit the READ Library in her Haveli and has keen interest to give back to the women and children of her village for holistic development.
READ India is blessed to have these kind of partnerships and networks to join hands for holistic development and to define the ownership of the READ Model.
The life is a big teacher, we sometimes do not realise what it is teaching us. We take everything for granted as the Sun, Moon, Air, Water……..
The reality is different. Our ancestors practiced barter system for their survival. We have forgotten as we have now the power of money, cash, plastic or whatsoever. In barter system, give and take used to depend on fulfilling the needs. We spend much more in purchases which are not needs but greed. The needs desires and greed are completely three aspects, having different mind sets, thought process, decision making, resulting in compromising values, but somewhere causing comparisons, differences and distances. Where the life is taking us…….
We say the pandemic has taught us many things but to whom, who lost their close family members, children lost their parents, parents lost their children, many lost their jobs, many slept without meals at night, many went under depression losing their business.
Not only pandemic but many other situations of survival are not because of pandemic but disparity, access to right opportunity, lack of capabilities, no guidance, no mentor in life. Why? Because of hesitation in sharing, restrictions due to society pressure, unsafe environment around and above all the huge gap of rich and poor.
Above all, we say have positive thought process, live in positivity, lighten your baggage of assumptions. All good to hear but how many practice in reality and how many share their best practices with others. Are we living in the real world and what are we leaving behind for our next generations.
All said and done, if a few handful of people with clarity, confidence, courage and grace, handhold others to make them understand how valuable life is, it’s beauty does not lie in what glitters, but it is inside you. Keep this inside beauty clean, make it shine with your efforts, thoughts, sharpen and share this beauty with your words of wisdom, life is colourful with brightness and with ambitions to reach the heights which you see through your own eyes!
This picture inspired me to write a few lines. Innocence and brightness in eyes looking up with some hidden ambitions in life…….May the colours of Holi makes this child and every child’s life colourful, bright, hopeful, ambitious and let us all strive to help these children fulfil their dreams and leave behind the virtues of happy and healthy life!
Muradgarhi village of Jewar, Greater Noida, adjacent to the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development, is a village selected by READ India to establish Community Library and Resource Centre. Before establishing the READ Centre, I visited the village with my colleagues and was concerned about the education of the children, who study in the government school in the village, but what fascinated me was the happiness on their faces, running around, enjoying the what so called amenities in their school. Met with the school Principal, who shared his concerns but very happy to be in position and organise the study of the children with a group of teachers, who do not belong to Muradgarhi but travel to the village from Noida and other parts of Uttar Pradesh. While talking to the teachers, they seem to be very happy with minimum amenities, showing their commitment and praising the students who really want to do big things in their lives. I was so impressed and motivated to establish the READ Centre, thanks to Avery Dennison team for suggesting Muradgarhi too and joining hands with READ India in this endeavour. They are present in the Industrial area and would like to give their best to the village for Education and Development of the community as such.
Today was the blessed day to visit the READ Centre for the inauguration. Met with the Avery Dennison team, who are impressed by the READ Model of strong community engagement and empowerment. This is the third READ Centre with the support of Avery Dennison. I remember, on 7th June 2019, when READ India and Avery Dennison launched the first READ Centre in Basai village of Gurgaon. Today, the children, youth, women and other community members are availing the services and are socially and economically empowered. The Basai team expressed their ownership by visiting Muradgarhi for conducting community meetings, decorating the READ Centre with passion and encouraging the local community by telling their own stories of empowerment. I do not have much words to express the bonding of these two village community as if their dreams come true by having access to books and computers, to learn how to speak English, write their resumes and get interview skills for suitable jobs.
Women who have never stepped out from their houses are keen to learn stitching and sewing and hope to have the production unit to earn their livelihood and above all do something for themselves. There is a facility of Early Learning Center to bring the small children along and the trained teacher will take care of the small children with Montessori education. What a blessing to have all these facilities in a village!
The CEO of Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority, Dr. Arunvir Singh (I.A.S.) expressed his happiness after seeing these amenities and addressed the local community that their future is in their hands as government authorities with the support of Corporates and non-for-profit Organisations like READ India is focussed on rural development with the common objective of creating the opportunities for their growth with dignity and self-esteem. In changing times, with modern amenities, giving back to the roots and strengthening them with Education and Development is the way forward for holistic growth.
The best part is Non-Profit Organisations and Corporates are understanding the needs of the rural communities and contributing their efforts and financial support for a common cause! The young and dynamic teams joining hands in brightening the future of the people who otherwise do have dreams but are unable to realise them because of the gaps which need to be reduced through conversations, understanding, handholding, supporting and creating knowledge platforms for them with consistent motivation as the conversion of thoughts into action is half way through in life towards bright future!
Mid-nineties I visited Santiniketan with my family and my fond memories of visiting the craft mela revived when I visited on 19th February 2022 again to have a meeting with Surul Swastha Samiti, established in 1934 on the values inculcated from the mission initiated by the Nobel Laureate, Rabindra Nath Tagore, “Rural Reconstruction Programme”.
The meeting was basically to join hands for having a Community Library and Resource Centre along with the Health Centre. The READ Model encourages the partners to provide free space wherever possible and Sural Swastha Samiti, provided the first floor of the building, next to the cultural heritage, Rajbari, just adjacent to this Centre.
On Shubho Nobo Borsho (Bengali New Year), 15th April 2022, the READ Centre, with books, computers, early learning material, was inaugurated. The reflections of community commitment, community participation, art and culture, traditional cultural performances by local community, local exhibition, enthusiasm, kantha embroidery as a proud art display and on the above authentic food were some of the highlights of the programme. I was so fascinated by the beauty and the dressing of the girls, women and boys who performed on the wonderful Bengali songs written and composed by Rabindra Nath Tagore. India’s true culture and heritage one can see in rural India, we can still name it as “India’s real dharohar (India’s richness). Here money is not an upfront issue, but respect, dignity, dialogue and Visva Bharati University Professors and Teachers when talked about the Rabindra Nath Tagore and is followed religiously was a great learning.
While staying in the guest house PALASH, talking to the care taker, Shyamal, who very proudly said that he knows the English very well, is well-versed in handling day to day needs of IT tools and can efficiently do work on MS Office, I was fascinated by his commitment to take care of the guests 24×7 with his humble personality. I had a chat with the cook, who is the mother of Shyamal, a simple lady, dedicated to cook food for the guests and a helper, Sangita, who is 12th pass, taking tuition at home for children and also assisting her Aunt when the guests come at PALASH for taking care of them to the best possible extent.
They both shared with me that their sister is an expert in embroidery and make beautiful embroidery pieces, if I can give a chance to meet with her. On 16th morning, I called her at the guest house and she showed me her work. I was amazed to see the neatness, the quality assurance and the wonderful designs. Further interaction with her revealed that this heritage craft of Kantha every girl has to learn from the childhood, what is required is designing, colour combination, the cloth on which they do embroidery and the need to enhance their skills to match with the expectations of the buyers. She also showed me the samples of Gujarat embroidery. She mentioned that the small shift in the stitch can help them learn the art of another State. This made me realise the Unity in Diversity still exists which may be invisible in the forefront, but the India’s strong culture cannot ignore. It’s a natural instinct which we all have but are losing our simplicity to express, show and practice in our day to day life.
READ Centre was launched with deep happiness as the Mission set 100 years back, still works very well, people may leave this world but the values never die. This we have to understand and do a bit of goodness every day so that they become part of our rich culture, take the shape of values and we all should leave some legacy for remembrance and the journey should continue for years to come! This could only be possible if Education is our back bone, cultural values are in our hearts, discourses are meaningful, and the dialogue should be “What we can do for others, not, what they have done for us”!
This quote is very true in the current times of COVID 19 crisis that has impacted each one of us personally, professionally, economically and socially.
The whole community is shattered. This pandemic hit the human beings, thus the humanity. People while sitting at home were able to introspect themselves, where do they stand vs a vs these pandemics or frustration, fight and tension among family members. The sufferers were busy in taking care of themselves or near and dear ones. Every individual had to take care of. Him or herself. The true meaning of family, Neighbours and extended families were realized. The GOD gave the clear message “You came alone, you have to take care of yourself alone and will go alone”. Everything else is an illusion. Children while observing the scenario understood the reality; young ones seeing the helpless situation learnt a big lesson of life, elders learnt that we should take care of mental, social and physical being of ourselves and it is never late! Libraries are human centric. Though a common man has an understanding the library has books, those who are educated can only enter this domain, rest just feel pride of having a library in their vicinity. But, no one thinks what Libraries can do to change their mindset, social life, academic career and provide direction to individual’s life. Being a common and open space for everyone, the library could be a source of information, knowledge, Center for support of any kind and human encyclopedia of a better life.
The pandemic has taught us, where to go for the basic information or a telephone number of the doctor, from where to get the medicine, who can provide the online prescription of the medicines required, hospital and ambulance contacts, oximeter, blood pressure testing machine, sugar-testing machine, oxygen cylinders and so on. No one thought that this common space in the vicinity of the village can help provide all this. What was needed was a few volunteers who could manage to strengthen these libraries.
Post COVID the priorities of the people changed from reading to skilling, higher education to livelihood, online support for banking, online food and medicine supply, thanks to technology and the mobile services. Otherwise, it would have been complete isolation.
Libraries should take this as an opportunity and train all on use of mobile technology, digital learning, online banking, online business and reaching out to masses instead of one-to-one meeting.
As heading an Organisation, Rural Education and Development (READ) India, during the first lock down in 2020, the sudden shift to technology made rural people think twice on how to use technology, but understood well that this is the only way forward.
I remember, the first training was organised on zoom was to understand leadership traits and how rural women can become the leaders in their own vicinity. This training was combined with entrepreneur skills, cyber safety and security, technology empowering girls, keeping in view the interest level, basic qualifications and access to mobile. Constant handholding made them confident complemented with the workshops on mental health, life skills, confidence building etc.
I also recall that ration distribution, availability of sanitizers, soaps, masks etc. was also done by the community volunteers through libraries. Instruments like oximeters, sugar testing machine with strips, blood pressure testing digital machines were made available at the libraries for free service. The changing needs were addressed in changing time by Libraries.
During this time when the dire need of medical infrastructure and resources was tested to its limits, READ India took cognizance by contributing to prepare a ready workforce in the form of Community Health Workers in the rural communities. READ India in 2020 trained 1100 rural young women and girls by experienced doctors at multiple locations where the Centers are located. Trainees integrated under this training are now well equipped to measure Blood Pressure, Blood Glucose, Temperature, Pulse Rate, Oxygen level and measure other body parameters using different devices.
Children in all age groups suffered a lot during this period. Restricted movement outside the house led to depletion of both cognitive growth and interpersonal communication skills. Isolation and feeling of uncertainty affected the emotional state to a great degree. Educational institutions being shut and no effective learning, further deteriorated the situation. Rural communities where READ India is present, witness the dearth of amenities and resources that were available to children in urban areas. In order to bridge the gap, READ India created e-content with focussed and refined video lessons for children in the age groups of 7-11 years, 12-16 years, 16 and above. These video lessons were uploaded on a portal and each student accessing this content online was given a dedicated username and password free of any charge with no limit on content access.
Extending support to these underprivileged children in rural communities, READ India strived to fill the gulf of education and learning in the villages during the tough times when schools were completely closed.
READ India undertook short term strategic decisions to make READ Community Library and Resource Centers dynamic standpoint in the village, wherein the resources offered through could be harnessed for the best of its use.
Short term programmes were introduced through libraries:
Sharing audio programmes made by READ India designated staff based on the certified information by the Government sources being actively shared through WhatsApp groups – Some examples are: – Sessions made on precautions to be taken during COVID 19, Hygiene practice.
Distributed masks stitched by women, soaps and handwash kits.
Trainings online using zoom and other tools to women, young boys and girls, parents of the differently abled children.
Programmes on COVID– 19 and mental health are being developed with the help of an expert in the subject area and then virtual TOT sessions are being conducted.
Reading and writing keeping age-appropriate curriculum for 2 – 6 years; 6- 10 years and 10 – 15 years. Self-evaluation forms are being added before and after each session to generate effectiveness.
Key Highlights:
Encouraged women entrepreneur leaders to make videos on how to stitch masks, make soaps and once the lockdown is open, how to make disinfectants.
More than 100 women have made around 1,00,000 masks for distribution.
Module on Social Media Marketing was developed, and these women entrepreneurs were trained on using online mediums of selling their products.
