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“Earlier I only used to graze cow, buffalo and play. After coming to the library, I came to know how important reading is.” (Shyam Kumar, age 15)
“The way we talk to each other in the library, treating everyone as equal, why don't other people talk to us like this?” (Fareena Khatoon, age 14)
“The way we talk to each other in the library, treating everyone as equal, why don't other people talk to us like this?” (Fareena Khatoon, age 14)
Due to the lack of quality formal learning spaces, children from poor backgrounds in rural Bihar are being sent to work – at the las, fields, grazing, small shops and other jobs – or pulled out of schools. We want to help facilitate creative, interactive and engaging education for those who do not have access to education, including those who are from marginalised caste and religious backgrounds, and/or come from low-income families.
Our team at Seemanchal Library Foundation is determined to expand its umbrella, and educate a greater number of children through the ‘Fatima Sheikh Memorial School’. Additionally, as part of our commitment to addressing educational disparities, we aspire to establish five learning centres in remote areas, specifically catering to Dalit and Adivasi children who face significant geographical barriers in accessing formal schooling.
These centres will serve as vital hubs of knowledge, ensuring that every child, regardless of their location, has the opportunity to receive a quality education.
These learning centres will mirror our core values of equity and equality, inclusivity, community engagement, and holistic learning. By extending our educational outreach beyond the school premises, we aim to uplift and empower these underserved communities, offering them a brighter future through knowledge and learning in Kishanganj, Bihar.
We ask you to help us with expanding our reach and donate generously to create a vibrant school cum library learning space!
We need to raise 25 lakhs to start building the first phases of the school - to create a safe, inclusive, and nurturing environment that promotes learning and academic success along with constitutional and democratic values and ensures holistic development for our children.
OVERVIEW
Kishanganj district in Bihar is one of the most backward areas of the country. With an abysmally low literacy rate of 55%, both the government and private educational institutes have failed to improve the situation of the district. In the absence of any educational movement that serves the economically weaker sections, the educated youth of the area are determined to put an active effort to bring a change.
Seemanchal Library Foundation
SLF was started by a group of like-minded youth from the community to establish libraries, provide free books and educate previously underserved and marginalised children of Kishanganj district. Since 2021 we have created and sustained 2 free community libraries called (a) Fatima Sheikh Library in Damalbari village, Pothia, and (b) Savitri Bai Phule Library and Community Centre in Belwa, Kishanganj. Through these libraries, we have managed to reach more than 700 children, many of whom are girls from Dalit and Muslim minority backgrounds. But now, we want to create a school where these (and other) children can realise their full creative and intellectual potential from their childhood.
OBJECTIVES OF THE SCHOOL
- Provide free or low-cost tuition to our students to fill in the huge gaps in learning that arise due to the absence of proper schooling.
- Organise and perform activities and plays to inculcate democratic values in our children.
- Engage and involve our students in poetry, storytelling, theatre, singing, drawing & painting sessions.
- Screen different documentaries and movies for our students at regular intervals.
- Organise regular games for our students to develop their skills and build a sense of teamwork in them.
- Actively perform community work along with our students to develop a sense of belonging in the community.
- Organise sessions of different learned and educated persons in our area to infuse positive energy in our students.
- Be a model school, following national education guidelines set by the CBSE, NEP, and NCF.
Our Vision- We plan to start our academic year in 2024. We are developing our school in different phases.
Phase 1- Development of APJ Abdul Kalam Library and Community Centre- A free and independent library running on the same model as other SLF libraries.
Phase 2- Infrastructure development for the school.
Phase 3- Training of teachers and Curriculum development.
Phase 4- Community awareness programme about school.
Detailed investment:
1- APJ Abdul Kalam Library and Community Centre - 4,00,000
2- School Building - 10,00,000
3- Furniture and Classroom equipments - 2,00,000
4- Electricity and Plumbing- 1,00,000
5- Playground and Sports utilities-1,00,000
6- Projector, Laptop and Sound System- 1,00,000
7- Teachers training and Community Awareness Programme-1,00,000
8- One year running expenses- 5,00,000
Total- 25,00,000
The funds are collected by the Seemanchal Library Foundation which is a non-profit organisation
