Amaa Kritishaala | Our Creative library

---

 To give accessibility of quality books, games, and art to less privileged children by creating self-driven libraries led by the youth from with-in the community. 

May 1st, 2021

• Be a Team Leader, if you are living in an area where education is not accessible to underserved children and you wish to support their education. 
• Volunteer with us to create drawing instructions, or interactive games for children.

To fix a call with us to know more about the program whatsapp us at +91 93487 31510. 

or/and

To help this project sustain.

Picture this: Your school is closed, your parents have lost their jobs, there is zero learning accessibility, no one to guide you, and you are exposed to domestic violence and substance abuse. How likely are you to drop out?

Unfortunately, this is not a thought experiment; it is reality for children in the slums of Khandagiri and Baramunda, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, where the crisis is exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Let’s look at one of such critical story: 

Ravi (name changed) lives in a Saradhapali Basti (slum) of Bhubaneswar, Odisha, with his mother who used to do household chores to support her son and herself. Due to the pandemic, she lost all her jobs. In the second wave, they were left with no option but to take loans to pay for daily meals.

After failing to pay school fees for a year, she had to remove Ravi from his school and is now planning to admit him to a government school next year. But what worries her the most is "Ravi has lost complete interest in studies. Despite the lockdown, he doesn't stay home, and he spends more time with vagrants. I have no way to keep him engaged at home." She adds, "I don't know whether he will continue in class 6 next year or he will remain a class 5 dropout for his entire life. I just don't know what he will do."

During a crucial moment of their formative years, lakhs of poor children in Bhubaneswar — like Ravi — have lost not only their means of education, but also their essential social connections.

Further, according to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2020, only 50% of children in Odisha had access to smartphones during the pandemic. 

Despite a dire need for intervention, virtually no local organisation addressed this problem in the slums of Khandagiri and Baramunda, Odisha.

We aim to create community libraries of books, creativity kits and games/toys led by community youth. The project will consist of our local community representatives, each of whom will manage 10 young, enthusiastic team leaders, who will in turn manage and run the libraries, safely catering to 20-25 children each. This project helps to engage children as well as transform community youth into dynamic leaders who can lead and manage their community libraries. 

Segment of the population it will serve

Children in the age group of 6-16 years and youth of the marginalized communities.

Program Duration

The project duration is 12 months, to support the children during the pandemic and help them be prepared for when schools are reopened.   

Focus Areas

Our focus is to develop reading, creative and cognitive skills in children while keeping them engaged productively. 

Within one month of our pilot community library project, children had borrowed more than 130 books, spending 2 hours or more every day solving puzzles! Several of them finished their drawing books and are now eagerly awaiting their next kit. And, gratifyingly, their parents are relieved to find their children safely and happily engaged in quality learning at home.

We believe these times require an extraordinary effort from a multitude of people and organizations to ensure the underprivileged children have access to education.

Join us to make this world a little better than today!