PATNA: Turning an adversity into an opportunity, a group of young professionals from Bihar’s Samastipur district, who had returned home during the Covid-mandated lockdown, pooled in money and mobilised resources to set up a library and a sports zone in their village.
The youths, all working in big companies/organisations, took the initiative as they faced difficulties in accessing books and journals in the village, Bhagwanpur-Desua.
Thanks to their initiative, the village now has facilities it can boast of.
“Our village has everything from a railway station to schools and a bank, but there were no library or sports zone. So, all of us who work in corporate and business sectors came together and set up these two facilities in the village,” said Rajeev Kumar, who works with Unicef and was among the ones who took the lead.
District magistrate Shashank Shubhankar recently inaugurated the library and the sports zone.
These young professionals also motivate the other villagers to utilise their leisure time in reading at the library.
The library building was constructed by the efforts of the local MLA while youths like Nitish Kumar, a JNU alumnus working with Anand, Manish Arjun, and others contributed to arrange books, chairs, table and other facilities.
Rajeev also sought help from Quest Alliance, an agency working in the field of education.
A big support came from Poonawala Fincorp, which helped develop the infrastructure through its corporate social responsibility fund.
In the sports zone, the youths have built a cricket pitch and a volleyball court and arranged cricket coaching facility.