Volunteers make reading a fun activity for children

A resident of Balya Children's Home, Thanya transformed from a shy child expressing herself to her peers to a voracious reader who never lets an opportunity to voice her opinion go.

Such extraordinary change in a short time may seem remarkable for outsiders, but volunteers who encourage children read books and motivate themselves observe it almost continuously. Introducing them to books does the magic, they say.

Part of the LibReady initiative, the volunteers meet children in homes twice a month, offer them books in a wide range of topics and read them aloud. The books include epics like the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, moral stories and biographies, which instill values and inspire the young minds alike.

"We primarily intend the reading sessions to be fun, since children read textbooks all through the week," said Pavan Tapallikar, who coordinates LibReady. "We gradually make them read the books for themselves and nudge them to narrate the story to their peers or even enact them."

The volunteers currently visit two schools: Balya Children's Home near Bangalore University and Government Urdu Primary School near Lalbagh, which also has a home.

Tapallikar explained that the volunteers first set up a library at the home in Kanakapura, but observed that the children were reading only in their presence.

"A couple of books went missing because no one could monitor the library," he said.

Volunteers meet children in homes twice a month, offer them books in a wide range of topics and read them aloud.

This prompted the volunteers to start a mobile library that allowed them to carry the books during their visits and help them read. "The transformation was for all to see," noted homemaker and volunteer Hamsa Raghuram, who loves reading to children.

"We let the children pick a book and read it. We then hold a storytelling session, letting them tell a story from the book or perform the story as a skit," Hamsa said.

Tapallikar observed that the children, who initially have trouble reading books in English, are making a steady progress with the help of the volunteers.

LibReady is part of Volunteer For a Cause, a city-based voluntary initiative.