Mobile Library Initiative taken by the children itself in the tea gardens areas

[Dheeraj Lepcha]

Hi everyone ! This is Dhiraj Lepcha from Rural Aid NGO working with support from Global Fund for Children in Alipurduar District, Kalchini block (State of West Bengal, India) on community ownership and sustainability.  Through this blog, I am glad to reflect on “How the Adolescent children has taken initiative for organizing the Mobile Library at tea gardens of Kalchini Block, Alipurduar, West Bengal”. 

About the Children’s Library :  On the 16th September 2022, the children's Library in the community was inaugurated to attract children to encourage them to read books and to inculcate a reading culture in them. The main motive of organizing community library is due to Covid19 pandemic, worldwide lockdown and closed of many school children including adolescent children of tea gardens have lost their studies, lost habits of reading and pronunciation of words and also the addiction of electronic gadgets/ social media largely affects the children during the period of covid and post covid at tea gardens of Kalchini block.

Hence, the establishment of Children’s Library in the community will create a peaceful and joyful environment for the children to learn, extend support for both community and children to improve in their reading habits, progress of knowledge and gain information literacy from the different sources of books. In addition, it will help to mitigate the time of children in extents of using electronic gadgets and social media. Despite this, the reason for Children’s Library is a dream of sustainability and community ownership from Rural Aid where the community along with children will operate and sustain the library in community.

Location of Children’s Library:  Children’s Library is located in 22 Dhura, of Raimatang Tea garden, Kalchini Block.

Goal of Children’s library: To promote sustainability and build community ownership in the community of tea gardens and enhance the ambience of reading rooms for the children and increase the knowledge from the books.

However, since then, adolescent children of Raimatang tea garden regularly function in their library in the community , especially on the weekend. 

Mobile Library Initiative taken by the children itself in the tea gardens areas– 

Background of initiative:

The initiative of a mobile library taken by adolescent children was to provide  educational support in our local area. Many children do not receive proper education, as most parents are not literate and are unable to guide them. The objective is to spread awareness about the importance of education among both parents and children. The children also observed that children studying in Hindi-medium schools often cannot read or speak English, and vice versa. To address these challenges, the mobile library initiates children to teach Hindi, Bangla, and English.
In addition, since many parents are careless regarding their children’s studies, the library team visits villages to provide guidance. Encouragingly, children in tea gardens now participate willingly in the mobile library. 

The idea of the mobile library emerged -

Initially, the group was not aware of such an initiative. However, with the support of Rural Aid, they learned about child rights, the value of education, and its positive impact. Inspired by these learnings, the team decided to deliver the same knowledge to others. The aim is to help children and communities grow together, as their progress is a shared achievement for both the community and the block. The group also noted that society often withdraws support in times of need, leaving others behind instead of uplifting them. The mobile library was conceived as a way to challenge this mind-set and foster collective growth especially in education in the community. 

Experiences of running the mobile library -

The mobile library adolescent children team feels a sense of fulfilment and pride in contributing positively to society. Running the mobile library has also helped them develop personally. Initially the mobile library initiators feel shy and hesitant to interact with officials or community leaders, but the team has now gained confidence and speak without shyness and hesitation. This is through regular early Rural aid children groups meetings, exposure visits, and practice of being leadership roles, also have learned to speak about sensitive issues such as child rights, child trafficking and child marriage. The mobile library itself has played a vital role in their  personal growth by providing opportunities to engage with children and parents in different villages.

Observed changes among children -

Children participate joyfully and are eager to ask questions. They requested team to visit daily, showing enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Their excitement motivates the team to continue. Many children express appreciation by saying, “Humko achha laga” (We enjoyed it) and applaud after sessions.

Coverage of tea gardens -So far, the mobile library has visited eight (8) tea gardens: Nimti tea garden, Beech Bagan tea garden, Bhatpara A Tea garden, Bhatpara B Tea garden, Gangutia Tea garden, Raimatang tea garden, 22 Dhura line and Kalchini tea garden under Kalchini Block. 

Team composition - The group consists of four female members, all above 16 years of age who were earlier adolescent children of Rural Aid under the GFC project.

Children’s who participant in the Mobile Library - Age group: 8–15 years (including some Class 2 to 8 students). Ethnic groups: Adivasi, Nepali, and Muslim communities.

Pre-session activities during Mobile Library  - Each session begins with introductions, short meditation yoga, and interactive activities such as games and quizzes. Children are also guided in reading English. These activities help in creating a friendly and engaging environment.

Children and parents’ response -    Initially, children appear hesitant, but once the session begins, they participate actively. They often request the team to return and show eagerness to learn. Sessions usually end with chocolates (sweets) for the children.
Parents, too, attend sessions at times. Many appreciate the initiative, ask for the schedule, and encourage their children to participate regularly.

Challenges faced during the initiative - Children’s initial reluctance in some areas; Lack of proper shelter during rainy days; Difficulty in locating children in villages; Limited knowledge of local roads during the early stages.

Learnings and reflections - Despite challenges, the team has developed strong communication skills, confidence, and local knowledge through this initiative. They now feel more comfortable interacting with stakeholders, community members, and children alike. The team hopes that, just as they received guidance and encouragement, other children will also benefit from the mobile library. They envision this initiative running long-term so that all children can receive education in a simple and joyful manner.

[Brinty Saha]

Adolescent Children found a issue in their community, idea emerged & then it was executed by them!👏👏