Kollam library’s novel initiative gives fillip to tribal students’ education

Library is on a mission to provide free books to tribal students across the state of Kerala
Bappuji Smaraka Vayanasala, a library at Perumkulam in Kollam
Bappuji Smaraka Vayanasala, a library at Perumkulam in Kollam

KOLLAM: A library with a large number of books is not particularly surprising, but there is something special about Bappuji Smaraka Vayanasala, a library in the Perumkulam village of Kollam district. If you look closely, you will find meticulously organised old books from classes IX to XII. The library is on a mission to provide free books to tribal students across the state, starting in March, after the exams conclude for the academic year.

V Vijesh, the secretary of Bappuji Smaraka Vayanasala, states that the objective of this initiative goes beyond merely providing free books to tribal students. “Our goal is to support tribal students in pursuing higher education. Currently, the government only provides free books up to class VIII, and many tribal students lack the financial means to continue their education.

When I was the principal of a higher secondary school in Kisumam, Pathanamthitta, last October, I found that none of the tribal students had textbooks, even months into the academic year. Upon reaching out to other schools in different districts, I realised that this was a widespread issue. Thus, the library initiated this programme to make books available to all tribal children,” Vijesh told TNIE.

Since the programme’s inception, the library has received over 5,000 books, with heavy packages still arriving. The collection will continue until the end of May, after which the books will be sorted and sent to districts.

“Our initiative gained traction through social media, where we aimed to raise awareness about the challenges faced by tribal children without textbooks. The response we’ve received from across the district has been commendable,” Vijesh expressed. “We have established collection centres in each district where textbooks will be gathered and transferred to Bappuji Smaraka Vayanasala. From there, they will be dispatched to different districts,’’ he added.

‘Pustakam Vandi’

Initially, the plan was to transport the books from the collection centres to the library with the assistance of the KSRTC. However, the library’s request for support from the KSRTC went unanswered. Consequently, the concept of Pustakam vandi emerged, an innovative solution involving a van that travels up to 100 kilometres to each collecting centre to collect books and deliver them to the library.

“We have designated a person in every district responsible for collecting and sending the books to us. Collection centres can directly send to us or send them to schools in tribal hamlets. We have reached out to schools in each district, requesting them to provide the exact number of tribal students. By the beginning of June, we will receive the data, and then we will commence the decision-making process,” Vijesh said.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com