Libraries for Poor Children in India

• We have utilized the total amount of donation from the March 2018 Accelerator (statement attached) in anticipation of actual receipt of donations from GGF and including donations received through ImpactGuru on account of Accelerator.
• We have gifted 40 books to 604 existing BREAD Children’s libraries in government schools in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in April 2018. We are attaching the list of 40 books and a statement of account with names of schools and contact numbers of headmasters and library teachers.
• We have also set up three new libraries as two donors have made full contributions for setting up libraries through GGF and one through Impact Guru. They selected the schools and we set up libraries there. We are in the process of establishing one more library in the name of another donor who contributed a total of $ 1,000 (Ramana Kumar) with matching grant from his employer.

A field research study conducted by TATA Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) sponsored by WATIS (Wipro Applying Thought In Schools) submitted its Report in October 2017. It had the following to say:

“Achievements of BREAD Society’s school library program are extremely impressive both in terms of operational model as well as the many positive effects that have followed from the setting up of the libraries at select government schools.

a. The operational model:

i. It is likely that the libraries set up by the BREAD Society are the largest network of school libraries in the country established by any one organisation.

ii. Cost effectiveness and efficiency are the hallmark of the program with all funds that are raised being used for setting up the libraries in terms of procuring the books, supplying and maintaining the school libraries. The overheads are kept to the minimum through the voluntary effort of the BREAD Society members. 

b. Use of the libraries:

i. The selection of books for the BREAD libraries is a careful one wherein without excessive expenditure, BREAD Society has been procuring books that cover various genres, attract student attention and interest.

ii. BREAD libraries are better than the libraries set up with funds provided by the government. BREAD libraries are better stocked with age-appropriate books for children’s reading.

iii. Students utilize the BREAD libraries more than the school libraries, drawing primarily upon the books in the BREAD libraries to complete a range of curricular and co-curricular activities.

iv. The study also provided evidence of books being used by the school teachers. Moreover, it emerged through the study that some parents too showed interest in the books borrowed home by the children.”

The study has pointed out that very few schools are visited by Members/Volunteers to monitor the program.

To overcome the deficiencies in monitoring the performance of libraries we spoke to headmasters/library teachers of all library schools, nearly a thousand schools, on telephone in December 2017. 

• We have asked the headmasters/library teachers of 400 schools to which we supplied 80 additional books during 2017 whether they received the books. They all confirmed having received the books.
• We then asked them whether they are lending books to students to take home to read and return. Most of them were lending books but some were not doing so for fear of damage/loss of books. We assured them that they will not be held responsible for losses/damages to books. We promised to replenish all schools with additional books every year from 2018.
• We have also asked them to advise students to exchange library books among themselves during summer vacation so that they can read many more books and that they should also do brief write-ups on books by taking guidance from their siblings/parents. And BREAD Society will award prizes to ten students from each school for best write-ups based on recommendations of headmasters.

GlobalGiving Foundation’s field team may please visit any of the schools in the attached statement and ascertain the impact our library books are creating among children in the schools. Besides, they can contact any schools at random on telephone and assess the performance. Donors can also contact any school(s) on telephone and find out the utility of the library books donated by them.

GlobalGiving Foundation Team and donors may please visit and/or contact BREAD Library schools in July 2018 or thereafter as the schools are colsed from mid-April to mid-June 2018 for summer vacation.

I can't possibly indicate the points of location of the project " libraries for poor children in India" as there are more than a thousand locations. The one indicated in Kakinada is the place where library material is prepared and sent to schools.

• 1._GGFs_statement_of_account.pdf (PDF)
  
• 2._Receipts_from_GGF__IG_up_to_end_April_2018.xlsx (XLSX)
• 3._40_books_to_BREAD_libraries_in_2018.pdf (PDF)