Rural Literacy EmpowermenT

"Those who can read will read."

                                                 -- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 

I asked students at our first pilot school where they see themselves in five years. One student told me, “I want to be a teacher so girls like me don’t have to stop studying. I read about someone who changed her village's future, and I want to do the same.”

The power to read is monumental- it empowers and inspires students. Education is the only long-term solution to bridging economic disparities and driving generational progress. 

I hope to empower students in rural India by increasing access to diverse literature and authors. Reading has always been my sanctuary- my beloved novels and stories provide me with a safe haven and inspire me to be resilient daily. My first role models were fictional characters who helped me discover my values and ambitions. RLE's driving mission is that every child should be able to read and explore their literary fantasies and widen their worldview.

Most book banks in India are redistributing used curriculum books and test-prep workbooks to marginalized students. This can leave substantial impacts on students in their academic journeys. However, RLE believes reading books should go beyond studying- reading should be a cherished activity, and every child should have the opportunity to read memorable things. Diverse literature is essential for supporting diverse minds and dreams

RLE raises funds from US donors and collaborates with established nonprofits to channel those donations into building libraries. As RLE is still expanding its field team, we partner with nonprofit volunteer teams, local community members, and businesses to conduct needs-based assessments, facilitate the distribution of books, supervise infrastructure enforcement, promote community engagement, and monitor the library’s impact. . 

RLE hopes to build libraries and cultivate a myriad of books that feature contemporary authors. From pop magazines to action mystery novels; coming-of-age stories to comic books and science encyclopedias; and from narratives on overcoming sexual violence to resources on improving public speaking, RLE's mission is to ensure students can access such a library where they find literature that resonates with them.

Furthermore, as we progress through our pilot stages, we hope that these libraries contain inclusive reading materials for all abilities- including digitalized audiobooks in local languages and accommodated books, like in Braille.  Support us in making this possible!

                                                                                           -- Shaunya Kumar, Founder and Director