EDUCATION = FULFILLMENT
CREATING SPACE DEVOTED TO LEARNING
A long, broad desk sits on the front porch of Pratik’s family’s house. Colorful books hang in orderly rows on the wall above the desk, just an arm’s reach away. Pratik’s notebooks and worksheets are stacked neatly below them, next to a radio — through which he listens to Room to Read literacy programming. This is Pratik’s home library, a space devoted to learning and imagination, a space of comfort and curiosity where Pratik, a 9-year-old student from Nepal, can focus on his studies outside of the classroom.
Meet Pratik from Nepal
Like many children in his community, Pratik found it difficult to continue his education during 2021 school closures. Because he is a first-generation student, members of his family were often unable to help him with his schoolwork. And, because the home lacked internet access and other technology needed for most remote instruction, Pratik was unable to attend online classes, leaving him on his own to navigate a complex and confusing educational landscape. In response to the accelerating global educational crisis, our team distributed home learning packages to students across Nepal. More than 6,000 children received a package containing worksheets with guided lessons, stationery and pencils, children’s storybooks and coloring books. Our staff also oriented parents on how to use the worksheets, and how to create an effective learning environment and study schedule. Many children, Pratik among them, were eager to find a suitable location in their homes to set up their own reading area. “I’d always wanted a storybook corner in my house,” Pratik reflected, “and the learning-from-home kit came with enough books to start a little library for myself. Before settling on the porch area, my sister and I looked around the house for a well-lit spot. It has a wide white wall where I can hang my books, and because my family gathers here frequently to talk, I can also read a few of the stories to them.”
18 | ROOM TO READ 2021 ANNUAL REPORT
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