Veda Libraries was established by Divya Shastri upon the realization that children living in impoverished conditions had the same desire to learn and many of the same ambitions as she did but that they did not have the resources necessary to fuel their ambitions or even to enable them to be fully literate and thus better contribute to their world. This realization came from hours of interaction with the children, who themselves voiced their desire to become proficient readers, writers and speakers of English as a means to equipping them to find more meaningful work upon graduation and to improving their ability to become effective members of society.
Veda Libraries believes that early intervention in the lives of these children will not only instill a love of learning but empower them to improve socioeconomic conditions for their families, their communities and their country. We establish libraries in primary schools that do not otherwise teach English effectively and use the libraries as centers to give motivated students access to English tutoring and English books. Each library is staffed with a librarian who aids the children with their learning and guides their education while they explore their particular interests. Each library also houses an English tutoring program that is run by dedicated volunteers.
We only set up libraries in schools that provide us with the space to do so. This ensures that the community which we serve has a vested interest in the success of our programs and the children who participate in them. The students who participate in our English teaching programs do so voluntarily. This ensures that they are willing to put in the work to better their skills. The teachers who teach through our programs are all enthusiastic volunteers. The combination has proven very effective and we have had measurable success.
Veda Libraries currently runs two libraries in slum schools in Gurgaon, a suburb of New Delhi, and one in a girls orphanage. We aspire to open as many more libraries as we can fund. Our operational model is solid, sustainable and replicable. Our low overhead means that every book we get and every penny we raise goes directly into building the skill set of children who will drive the future of India. We are confident that together we will be able to have a positive impact on our society and the development of our country.
Veda Libraries believes that early intervention in the lives of these children will not only instill a love of learning but empower them to improve socioeconomic conditions for their families, their communities and their country. We establish libraries in primary schools that do not otherwise teach English effectively and use the libraries as centers to give motivated students access to English tutoring and English books. Each library is staffed with a librarian who aids the children with their learning and guides their education while they explore their particular interests. Each library also houses an English tutoring program that is run by dedicated volunteers.
We only set up libraries in schools that provide us with the space to do so. This ensures that the community which we serve has a vested interest in the success of our programs and the children who participate in them. The students who participate in our English teaching programs do so voluntarily. This ensures that they are willing to put in the work to better their skills. The teachers who teach through our programs are all enthusiastic volunteers. The combination has proven very effective and we have had measurable success.
Veda Libraries currently runs two libraries in slum schools in Gurgaon, a suburb of New Delhi, and one in a girls orphanage. We aspire to open as many more libraries as we can fund. Our operational model is solid, sustainable and replicable. Our low overhead means that every book we get and every penny we raise goes directly into building the skill set of children who will drive the future of India. We are confident that together we will be able to have a positive impact on our society and the development of our country.