With the increasing reach of people to the digital world, what we fail to consider is that this easy accessibility of the digital medium for every age group might not always serve its purpose. The digital medium has indeed provided an assurance that the people are occupied by something or the other at all times, but the culture of reading has been heavily jeopardized especially among children.
Thus, to foster the reading habits of the young age group, Recycler Saathi as part of Waste Smart Club campaign installed reading corners in five Waste Smart Schools in collaboration with Kathalaya Inc., a publishing house in August 2019.
The reading corners each housed a total of 100 quality pictorial storybooks. The main aim of this project was to inculcate in children the habit of reading not just for the purpose of gaining new knowledge but also as a means to achieve sound mental health.
Along with the handover of the Mobile Library, the event also included a workshop to the students on improving their reading, learning, writing and speaking skills. Since it was conducted in a storytelling format, the session was more participatory and engaging than lecture-based. The workshop well complemented the installation of reading corner and acted as a reminder for students about the importance of reading.
The Mobile Library has been receiving positive feedback from the school management and students. The school officials have reported that ever since the installation of the reading corner, there has been an upsurge in the number of students investing their leisure time in reading. This is encouraging evidence to the impact of Waste Smart School campaign which points towards a positive change in the lives of students through the power of reading.