Sometimes the
simplest ideas if put into practice properly can be extremely effective. An
example of this is the Social Action Project being implemented by Kiran Kumari:
a book bank; a simple but effective concept.
Being a school teacher
in Sindh, Kiran knows well the hurdles faced by economically disadvantaged
individuals – especially when it comes to educating their children. So it was
only logical that when Kiran completed her Active Citizens training she would
start a Social Action Project to make the education process less costly for
parents who struggle to make ends meet.
Kiran asked her
students to donate school books to her so that other, less fortunate children
may use them. She also reached out to friends, relatives, and other teachers in
the area for any reusable books that they could spare. With the help of her
students she got rid of any erasable markings from the books and covered the
books with clean scrap paper to protect them.
A large section of
Kiran’s class consists of children whose parents don’t have a steady source of
income. To make ends meet they work odd jobs – mostly as manual labourers.
Kiran made a list of students who came from such homes.
As the donated
books started coming in Kiran let the more deserving children know that they
could use the books from her book bank free of cost. Her two conditions: that
they take care of the books as if they were their own, and that they return
them to her at the end of the term.
Kiran first
‘tested’ her social action project in April, and nearly 60 students were able
to make use of the books provided by Kiran. According to Kiran parents who rely
on daily wages to get by this was an added bonus.
When asked about
her plans for the project, Kiran replies: “I have decided to do this activity every year collect
books from last batch and provide to next batch. Through this more than 100
students can get benefit from my book bank”.
