“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill.
Sundays are synonymous with service to me. The volunteer in me looks forward to spending my Sunday afternoons in the bylanes of Borivali, a busy part of Mumbai in Maharastra, India.
Loaded with a bag full of books and a heart filled with joy, I wade through the gullies. An eager and enthusiastic bunch of kids wait to be read aloud.
While children across the globe have a childhood in common, the socio-economic disparity sets them apart. The children in these gullies lack exposure to stories that spark imagination and create room for curiosity and wonder. In addition, gaps between language and comprehension also need to be addressed.
The Borivali Read Aloud Project started as an exchange of thoughts and ideas between Poonam Kurani (an educator and torchbearer to the Borivali Project) and the Lliferarian Association. We partnered with a shared vision of making a difference in the lives of these children.
How do we do?
- Build a team of volunteers (anybody who commits to offering a few hours of their Sunday)
- Each volunteer signs a child protection policy
- The volunteer provides a suitable date and time (any Sunday between 3 pm-5 pm)
- What do we do?
- Choose a book to be read aloud
- Identify the theme/vocabulary/idea to be shared
- Use of trans language during reading aloud (English-Hindi)
- Curating a library collection
Why do we do it?
- Access to books Borivali ProjectBorivali Project
- Set up a circulatory library
- Responsible use of the collection
- Bridge the gap between reading fluency and reading comprehension
- To instil a love for reading
- To enhance language skills (conversational)
Reading aloud to children allows them to listen and enjoy a story in its entirety. An adult voice gives them perspective and insight into the book.
In a nutshell, this blog is an opportunity to share my volunteer voice.
To each of you readers, if you have given your time to reading this, I believe there is a volunteer residing in you.
Please sign up here to volunteer for the Read-Aloud Project in Borivali, Mumbai
Read here: Borivali Project covered by the Midday Newspaper
By Darpana Baria
