Join Vatsal in support of Every book I read helps educate a child in India (Raleigh-RTP)

Vatsal

250 from 4 donors 1 update 500 goal
What is the Readathon?
Pratham USA Readathon 2014 is a fundraising initiative that encourages kids in the U.S. to read more books and raise money to help less fortunate kids in India learn to read.
How does it work?
Kids ask their friends and family to donate money to Pratham for every book they read. The more books they read, the more money they raise. Learn more here.
Where does my money go?
All donations go to support Pratham’s work for child literacy in India. With the help of trained professionals and dedicated volunteers, Pratham runs pre-schools and after-school programs in many cities and villages of India so that underprivileged children can read, write and count at their appropriate grade level. Pratham needs only $25 to educate one child for one whole year.
Who can participate?
Kids of any age can participate (adults too!). Children too young to read can have a parent or other older siblings read to them, and count those books.
Why participate?
Reading is good for everyone. Reading to help others by participating in this Readathon is a great way to do community service, and enjoy the benefits of reading at the same time – increased vocabulary, improved communication skills and the joy of helping others.
Are there prizes?
Yes! Certificates of Appreciation go to all readers. Prizes will also be given to readers who raise $100, $250, $500, or more. A Young Reader Award will be given to the reader who raises the most money and a Young Leader Award will be given to the Readathon Coordinator who demonstrates strong leadership skills and whose team raises a significant amount of money.
What is a Readathon Coordinator?
A Readathon Coordinator (RC) is a high school student who will lead a team of younger readers and guide, support, and cheer them on in meeting their reading and fundraising goals for the Readathon. A RC will learn good management and leadership skills, and can also enjoy all the benefits of being a reader. For more information, click here.
How do I know if my donation makes a difference?
With every $1,000 raised, Pratham will be able to educate 40 children for one whole year. Readers and donors will receive a story about a group of students helped through money they raised or donated in the Readathon. For reading some stories from last year, click here.

My visit to a Pratham site in Mumbai (August 2014)

During our visit to India this summer, I had the chance to visit a Pratham site in Mumbai with my family.

Our visit was scheduled for the GN Ward in the Dharavi area of Mumbai.
Our Pratham coordinators in the US helped us get in touch with the ones in Mumbai, all of whom were very helpful.
Dharavi is considered to be one of the largest slums in the world where a diverse community of people speaking many different Indian languages lives in crowded conditions.
Ms. Savita Parab who helps supervise the Dharavi program very graciously met with us and took us on a guided tour.
Our first visit was to the Balwadi (3-5yo) program. We walked through some narrow lanes to reach this Balwadi which was housed the in the home of the teacher who runs it. Her living room was small but surprisingly very clean, well lit and well ventilated. She had about 14 children that day. They sat around her in a circle. It was an interactive and engaging learning environment where each child was encouraged to take turns to speak. There was also play time, arts and crafts, etc. Several of the wall posters were made by the instructor herself. I was impressed with the level of instruction and patience of the instructor.
Our second visit was to a Municipal school where Pratham has an instructor who works with 6th and 7th grade students for an hour a day, then goes to another school to do the same. Children who need help improving their fluency in Hindi (the language of instruction), are dentified and pulled out for an hour a day to a designated classroom. Here, under the encouragement of the instructor, they participate in classroom discussions in Hindi. On that day the children were eagerly discussing what they wanted to be when they grew up, and their smiles and enthusiasm was quite contagious.
Our third visit was to the Pratham library which was a unique experience. Pratham gives books to a trained instructor who keeps these in her own home. The library was actually a public space where families brought their children from 0 to 16 years. The instructor read picture books to the younger children and lent books to each child to take home for two to three days at a time. She even went door to door to the families that did not show up that day and handed them books. There were various kinds of books, and remarkably, they were in very good condition.
What makes Pratham special is how well organized it is at the grassroots level. At risk children are identified in each age group within a certain ward and instructors routinely make home visits to encourage parents to bring their child. The curriculum also strongly encourages active instead of passive learning.
In the end, I asked Ms. Parab what kind of progress Pratham has made in these neighborhoods. She said that some “at risk” areas have actually been removed from their list because of their success. This is partly because parents begin to understand the importance of education and therefore become actively involved in their children’s academic progress.
Pratham’s model of maximizing resources by hiring and training people from within the community, utilizing their own homes and public/ school spaces at once keeps expenses low and improves efficiency without compromising on quality.

After seeing how engaged the students are and how passionate the instructors are, it really made me feel great that all the funds I have raised through the Readathon will be going to an excellent cause.