ERNAKULAM: The world of letters is a nice place to be in. And, sometimes, when these letters come together, they inspire exciting stories. Praveena Sunil, 48, of the quaint Udayamperoor village in Ernakulam, has one such story to share. It started with an opportunity to experience the Kerala Literature Festival held by Kozhikode beach in 2016.
The exposure to the myriad tales and their creators made her wonder about setting up a similar, enlightening world for womenfolk back home. This tiny seed that took root in mind gradually grew up into a library.
“That’s how Vayana Muttam came into being,” smiles Praveena, who is part of the ‘Lakshmi Ayalkoottam’ Kudumbashree unit at ward 18 in Udayamperoor. “Here, most people are financially backward. They don’t have the luxury of buying books. The small library helps them connect with the beautiful world of literature, especially the women who spend most of their time on family and household chores.”
Praveena presented the idea of a community library during an annual day celebration of the ayalkoottam unit. “I highlighted that the library would cater to the women and children of the area, and it got unanimous backing,” she recalls.
Soon a committee was formed and a seed fund was raised. The dream project took off with 35 books.
“We had only a meagre amount, but an acquaintance guided us to a major publisher who gave us books at a huge discount,” adds Praveena, who is in charge of 21 Kudumbashree units.Finding a space to set up the library was the next task. “One of the members offered some space in her courtyard,” says Praveena.
Later, it was shifted to a room in her house. That was just the beginning. Praveena wanted to spread the joy farther to the women in other Kudumbashree units. “I presented this idea to some members of the Area Development Society (ADS) team. They loved the idea,” she says. “Then, I discussed the idea with a teacher at the high School here, Babu sir, and got him to present it in front of about 300 women who had come to attend the annual ADS meeting.”
Praveena had drawn up an elaborate plan for the project. It included how librarians would be selected from each ayalkoottam unit, and a framework for management of the libraries.“Remember, the first library had only 35 books. So, to expand, we needed more resources. We decided to collect unused books from the houses. This initiative involved many women and children,” says Praveena, whose Vayana Muttam boasts of about 2,000 books today.
The credit, she adds, goes to her fellow ADS members Sinija, Maya, Girija, Bindu, Bindya, Viji, besides other women, children and the elderly of the panchayat. “We recently got the State Library Council’s recognition, making it the first certified home-based library. We have appointed a librarian, too,” says Praveena.