In a world where imagination knows no bounds, every child deserves the chance to turn the pages of a book and have countless adventures. But not everyone is so lucky. According to the annual State of Education report, 40% of students enrolled in public and private schools do not have access to books at their grade level.
Srishti Parihar, 33, wanted to address this gap. His efforts would eventually lead to the Share A Book India Association (SABIA) – an organization that is building libraries and organizing donation drives and book fairs as well as providing school education and training programmes.
As a storyteller and writer, Srishti understands firsthand the transformative power of books. “Storybooks have influenced my life a lot when I was growing up. It is because of my passion for reading that I have been able to do something in life,” says Srishti. Uttam India.
Through SABIA, she wants to help give every child access to books, and the ability to understand them. In 2024 alone, SABIA has expanded its reach to over 30,000 children in 175 schools.
A UPSC aspirant and a voracious reader, Srishti was heavily invested in volunteer work. Srishti, recalling the conversation she had with a friend who took her son who works at home to enroll him in a school under the Right to Education Act, says, “My friend said that there is no library for children in government schools. They had no place to study! That really stuck with me. ”
As products of a privileged education system where access to libraries was a given, many of us fail to consider that such a fundamental resource is missing for so many children. Srishti soon started a Facebook page, then moved to Instagram and formed a strong ‘Bookstagram’ community, where she gathered friends and family to donate books. It was here that they found a group of people who really understood and sympathized with the cause.
Eventually, it grew into a full-fledged initiative that now includes library development programs for rural and remote schools, teacher training programs, book fairs and donation drives.
A holistic approach to education
A survey conducted by Sabia in March 2022 found that more than 50 government schools in Rajasthan were not implementing it. ‘Read India Grow India’A government scheme that aims to provide additional reading material and inculcate reading habits among students.
“Therefore, even when there is a government scheme to solve this identified problem, those books are never used,” says Srishti. “This is something that we are working diligently on. We are making all stakeholders within the school system, teachers and principals understand that it is okay if the books are used and damaged. Otherwise, it is pointless to even have them here,” she says.
However, access to books was the only problem.
“The situation was more serious than we thought. The children in class 8 didn’t know the alphabet. They couldn’t differentiate between ‘d’ and ‘b’,” recalls Srishti. “They used to recite poems in English because rote learning is ingrained in us, but they didn’t understand what was being said.”
To fix this, SABIA not only builds libraries but they also conduct a library development program that includes storytelling sessions, activities, and assessments to monitor children’s progress.
“When we find out their grade level, most are at 0 or 1,” Srishti says. This program works to raise children’s reading levels and foster a positive, active relationship with books. “By focusing on social-emotional topics like mutual understanding and respect, we ensure that children improve academically while developing important life skills,” she says.
“Our storytelling sessions have a theme, and we try to bring in social-emotional topics. We make a group agreement at the beginning of our program, and we make a list where everyone is asked how they would like to see others treated. So we put on that list respect, kindness , etc. and we agree to abide by it for the three-month period we are there,” says Srishti.
Within a few sessions, children begin to show significant changes in their attitudes and interactions with each other.
For SABIA, which primarily works with school children between the ages of 6 and 14 — many of whom are first-generation learners — the selection of books plays a key role.
“Most of our 14-year-olds are not able to read at grade level. We carry books for children from the age of four or five; Books will help them build basic literacy skills,” says Srishti. The aim is to ensure that children of all reading levels, from preschool children to those who are further behind in their educational journey, can engage with books.
The foundation also focuses on the use of Hindi and vernacular books to ensure cultural and linguistic relevance. These books have been chosen to create a welcoming and fun learning environment, which encourages children to be actively involved in the reading process.
This approach is especially important because many of these children come from troubled homes to schools where corporal punishment is still common.
“It’s sad, but the kind of environment they come from and the kind of environment they’re in – where they’re not heard and their opinions don’t matter – challenges learning,” Srishti points out. By creating a space that encourages children to explore, engage and express themselves, SABIA instills a love of reading and learning.
A world of stories
Suman Mishra, supervisor of Holy Star School in Malad, Mumbai, says, “It is always a rewarding experience to see students interested in books and learning. “Our school is located in a community space, which has always been a challenge in terms of space, and so we didn’t have a dedicated library,” she explained.
Today, Suman is proud that the school has built a library for its children. “When Sabia came, they turned our storeroom, where we kept supplies, into a small library by clearing half the space and filling it with books that our children could use.” Since March 2024, about four volunteers have been visiting each Saturday, each working with 10 to 15 children.
SABIA believes in building a people’s movement where people come with heart and purpose to help, and volunteers form the backbone of the organization’s operations. In 2024 alone, they had a team of 200 volunteers who worked and were able to enrich the learning experience of over 500 students in need.
“Frontend to backend, everything is done by volunteers. We have a core team, but only two of us are full-time,” says Srishti.
The foundation has reached more than 30,000 children in 175 schools in 16 states. The group’s community libraries in cities like Kota, Jaipur and Delhi stock more than 5,000 books, recently welcoming 232 new members. SABIA also improved library spaces in schools across Delhi and Noida, and set up its first model school library in Jaipur which houses books and serves as a place where children can learn, creatively engage or study.
In 2023, the organization organized storytelling sessions in public and low-budget private schools in and around Jaipur conducted by a team of 14 storytellers. These sessions focused on perspective, empathy, and creative thinking, helping children develop important life skills and a love for literature.
Challenges, and the way forward
However, challenges remain. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the digital divide that exists in the country, with many children lacking access to the internet or technology for online education.
“Of the 25,000 children we worked with, only 1,000 could sign up for online sessions, and only 300 were regulars,” admits Srishti.
As lockdown measures eased, SABIA managed to set up community spaces and adapt to the situation. “I established a library space in my own home, and later moved to Jaipur and opened a home library there as well. This place was able to keep the children engaged in studies even when schools were closed due to the pandemic,” says Srishti, narrating the story of Anita and Rani, who stayed out of school for years due to Covid. were able to catch up because they had a supportive learning environment.
To continue this work, SABIA also relies on project-based funding through crowdfunding campaigns. They first identify schools that need help and then share their goals with the public, explaining how people can get involved. They also receive support through corporate social responsibility (CSR) funding, where companies invest in specific projects.
For example, in partnership with Hindustan Petroleum, Sabia has set up libraries in 20 schools in Kashmir. Government support has also been essential, granting permits and providing access to schools in areas most in need of support.
In December, SABIA is organizing a book fair in Mumbai on 13th and 14th December at YMCA, Andheri, to raise funds by selling books that have been donated to them but are not suitable for their students. Sabia has prepared to bring Braille books by the end of this year, ensuring access to books for blind children.
As they grow, SABIA remains dedicated to empowering children everywhere, ensuring every child has the opportunity to discover new possibilities through learning.
Edited by Arunav Banerjee; All images courtesy Srishti Parihar