Amid Covid lull, libraries bring cheer to Gadchiroli kids

Nagpur: For school students in remote villages of Naxalite-infested Gadchiroli district, Covid days pass as if time’s frozen in some sci-fi type suspended animation, until a few days ago. As schools remain closed for primary kids and no chance of entertainment also for these tribal kids, the monotony is being broken thanks to small libraries being set up at government schools by a private trust.
With no smartphones and in places no Internet connectivity either, these libraries are actually a window to the outside world for these students.
Under the banner of Parag Granthalya (library), an initiative of Tata Trusts, around 50 schools in Gadchiroli district have benefited.
Sanjay Duga, coordinator of the project in remote Bhamragarh tehsil, said, “We want children to develop reading habit and the best way to do that is through colourful story books. Our members visit schools regularly and teach children how a book is to be read, how that story is to be narrated to others and how to also critically analyse points made therein.”
Dharmanand Meshra, block education officer of Bhamragarh, said, “For students, it’s a welcome change as they get to read different books. In those books, activities like colouring and sketching are also there, which make it all the more interesting for students. Last week, I visited Tadgaon zilla parishad school and it was apparent that students loved the concept.”
Rameshwar Jadhav, science teacher at Tadgaon ZP school which has around 80 students on roll, says, “Though school has students from Std I-VII, but currently only the last three classes are allowed to operate, hence very few students are present. The activities for children mentioned in the books help engage them creatively as well,” said Jadhav.
Tata Trusts is also providing stationery for students as part of this initiative. Duga said, “Right from books to colour crayons, we will ensure that students are able to complete activities mentioned in these books. We have stocked around 200 books for now and will keep adding in the coming months.”