Support Dharavi Art Room To Setup A Library

CHOTA  LIBRARY                                                                   

We want to set up a community lending library in Dharavi because there is no proper library here. The neighborhoods we will deliver books to are low-income. Many children lack books in their homes or cannot access books elsewhere. Their school libraries have limitations, they live too far away from public libraries and their families cannot afford to buy books. For many families, taking care of basic needs will always win over buying books.

We believe access to knowledge is essential in the process of social mobility.

Our library books will be for children from 6 to 16 years.  Our books will be interesting and colorful and attractive. Once children come and see the books they will want to read. We will also have interesting activities for the library members, things like read-alouds, vocabulary and literacy games and maybe even literature circle. We will also give prizes to children with the best attendance. This will automatically support students who might otherwise slip out of practice with reading.

It will be absolutely free for children to come and read books in the library and to borrow books to take home. We will ask children to pay INR 50 as a one-time registration fee, a tiny fee will make children understand and respect the value of this facility.

With our existing books-lending facility we have already noticed students tell us about the books they had borrowed the previous week and look for similar titles, or for titles that their friends were reading. Kids of various ages often started reading to each other and their parents.

Our library will also be one of the very few in the world that will actively engage users as content creators. Each month a series of artistically geared workshops will have a thematic focus woven into drawing, painting, collaging, and other art-making activities. Ultimately the youth will assemble collaborative zines/publications from the collective works of the participants. All participants will receive a copy to take with them. Also there will be regular exhibitions that bring the voices focused on issues affecting the lives of young people. Parents, friends and family will be invited to the open house/exhibitions to learn about their children's work. This consistent group of young participants will ultimately take more ownership of the publishing and find ways to creatively cover the cost of space/materials/publishing/exhibition so as to make this unique experience accessible to more youth.

We see library as more than just books. It's about growing stronger connections within a neighborhood.

Help us get books into the hands of those who need them most. 

We need                                                                       

INR 30,000 x 12 months = INR 3,60,000 (space rent and maintenance)             INR 90,000 for initial infrastructure (metal book-shelves, water-filter, sitting mattresses and more)                                       

INR 12,000 x 12 months = INR 1,44,000 (space attendants)                        

INR 1,50,000 for initial stock of books, (we will want a certain collection of books to be there at the library, apart from the other books that we collect from people)                       

INR 1,50,000  for digital cameras, voice recorders, laptops, scanner and other requirements for the children’s independent publishing unit at the library                                                     

INR 1,80,000  for the designing, printing and distribution of the first 12 children’s publications from our publishing unit at the library

In all we require INR 10,74,000 for the whole year.

You can see more of our projects at: http://artroom.strikingly.com/                            

You can also find Dharavi Art Room on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

Please spread the word! You could share this with other people — online and off, — and help us find more people who want to help us. Our community grows by word of mouth.

If we are successful together, we will be celebrating the triumph of knowledge over anguish and economic struggle. We shall celebrate community effort over dispersion. We will celebrate the joy of coming together as friends and families over territorial limits. We will celebrate the voice of co-operation and the power of sharing.

Once again - thanks for your support!!!