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| Username | Post |
| ashu | Posted
on 12-Feb-03 07:11 AM
Going by the book Homraj Acharya’s native village in Kapilbastu district is called Buddhi. Although the word means “intellect” in Nepali, there wasn’t much for the children of Buddhi to read. Children would go to school to learn to read and write, but after graduation there was really nothing for them to read and no reason to write. Many lapsed back into illiteracy. Today, Homraj Acharya is working on his PhD at the American University in Washington DC, and he decided to do something about it by starting a unique project called “Books in Every Home”. Homraj (with children in his native village, below) uses his own savings and money from fund-raising dinners at Nepali restaurants to support a pilot scheme to provide reading materials to schools back in Kapilbastu. The experiment has proved so successful that he now wants to expand its reach to five other districts. “It is important to show that if you want to make a difference, you have to be ready to put in your own resources and energy,” Homraj told us while passing through Kathmandu on his way to Kapilbastu with another load of books. The problem is that the project has become so successful that Books in Every Home now needs more funds to expand. Which probably means more fund-raising dinners in various Nepali restaurants in the DC area. Homraj has already cancelled his own cable TV subscription and isn’t ordering anymore takeout pizzas so he can stash the saved-up money into his book fund. “It may not sound like much, but it adds up and you can do a lot with little in Nepal,” he says. How do you make people love books, get hooked to reading so they can unwrap the knowledge in them? Books in Every Home tries to bring books with appropriate information and relevant facts to villagers. The project publishes a quarterly booklet called Desh ko Abaj containing all kinds of information on everything from bee-keeping to short stories, poetry or chapters on the importance on safe drinking water. The material is written by readers themselves who want to share their ideas. The latest issue contains an article Man ko Biraha by a teashop owner, and his neighbours are impressed he can write so well. The books are distributed through schools, and readers range from boys and girls in grade five to 70-year-old grandmothers. Besides Desh ko Abaj, the project also circulates books in a mobile village library system organised by readers’ groups called Pathak Samuha. Members gather every fortnight to discuss what they liked, why and how they could apply some of the things they have read about in their daily lives. Some members take the books home to read to their children at bedtime. Says Homraj, “We bring books to people rather than take people to books.” And what could be a better place to spread enlightenment than in a village called Buddhi, in the district where the Buddha was born. http://www.nepalnews.com.np/ntimes/issue131/nepali_society.htm |
| VillageVoice | Posted
on 12-Feb-03 07:40 AM
Great work, homraj-ji. And to you Ashu for spreading the word. |
| Biswo | Posted
on 12-Feb-03 06:06 PM
Homrajji needs to be lauded for his work. The day these kids grow up to be people of intellectual values, and contribute something to mankind, we will be really proud of these contributions. It is remarkable that Hom Raj ji has personally involved himself in this work, both here and there.Sally/Homrajji haru, please feel free to contact for small contribution anytime. When people call of Nepal Bandh, specially college/schools bandh, I don't quite understand what they are doing. Our ancestors fought against brutal Rana regime for their right to go to school. Our ancestors even went to Banaras, ate dirty food, begged for food in merchants'houses in Kaashi for sustainance so that they could recognize a few good letters. My grandpa always wanted us to study hard, and used to add,''haamile ta padhna payenau..". Let's make educational institutes a sacrosanct place, above the periphery of influence of our day-to-day political bickering. Despite my other differences with the late king Birendra, I would like to quote him here, "Shikshyaako Ujyaalo Ghaam baata kunai pani baalbaalikaa le banchit huna naparos". |
| NK | Posted
on 12-Feb-03 08:22 PM
Inspirational. [by the way Sally, anything happening on the 'Tax Free Status' front?] |
| H R | Posted
on 13-Feb-03 08:06 AM
Thank you, Ashu-ji, for posting the article, and thank you, Village Voice-ji, Biswo-ji, and NK-ji,for your kind words. I went around villages and saw really promising kids who could do really well in school, but their potentials might not be brought out because of the lack of books, lack of encouragement, and the overall environment. Whether they really contribute something to the country and people, definitely they can contribute to their own lives and villages. That's also something. There was this kid in one village, Ajay Tharu, whose mother had just committed suicide and his father has vanished, and the kid is so bright. He is in first grade and he can read books like fourth and fifth graders. I saw he had no difficulty reading all the things, even written at adult levels. But the question is, would he be encouraged to maintain that talent all the way? That's what I am worried about. And that kind of kids are our targets also. He is in a reader's group now, and maybe that will help a little bit for him. I hope so. The 501(c) 3 tax exempt status is underway, but we are registered in Nepal. If people are in Nepal and they have Nepali books in their house which they are not using, these books could be used by Books in Every Home. Already Nepalis in Kathmandu have been really helpful in donating books. You can contact me at homrajacharya@hotmail.com Thanks! H. |
| Poonte | Posted
on 13-Feb-03 08:31 AM
Homraj-jee, First of all, welcome back! I am truly impressed by your desire and ability to work towards the betterment of the children of your village. Your efforts are inspirations to many Nepalis livng abroad to do whatever we can to provide for the underprivileged back home the opportunities that we ourselves have been blessed with. I wish continued success to Books in Every Home, and I genuinely hope that many more of us would be following the path of Homraj-jee in the years to come and help the misfortuned in any way we can. Poonte. PS: I am sure we'll get to indulge in the ganthan of your experience in Nepal over momos next week...chez notre ami, HK! Mark your calender: Tuesday, the 18th. |
| Dilasha | Posted
on 13-Feb-03 12:08 PM
Homraj ji, although I have not met you, I have heard a lot about you and your project-A book in every home and I admire your spirits. Hats off to you for such a wonderful contribution! I wish you all the best and hope that this project which already seems to have brought an enormous impact on village kids, be more successful in reaching out wider geographical areas. I would definitely love to support this effort. You said you’ve raised funds by hosting dinners in the DC area; have you thought of raising funds during the ANA convention in Denver this year? What could be a better opportunity than this where you can spread the word and distribute fliers to a majority of people? Just a suggestion. |
| sally | Posted
on 13-Feb-03 01:48 PM
Hey Dilasha, Yeah, we're thinking about Denver. For one thing, I'll take any excuse to go to Colorado! It might be harder to get me to leave, though ... I might insist on opening up a Books in Every Home branch office in Telluride. Everyone's welcome to join the effort. It'll be low-cost cuz it'll be in a tent. I promise I'll put up with all those irritating movie stars who bought up the nice funky old Victorian homes there if they just give money for literacy in Nepal ... Or they can do a commercial. "Hi. I'm Richard Gere. I'm into Tibet and that's kinda like Nepal so I say, Help Nepal! Psssst ... now would someone get rid of that girl who just moved all her raggedy camping gear onto my tastefully rustic million-dollar porch? ... ooooops sorry, CUT!!! ..." Something like that. If we get enough of us onto Richard Gere's porch, it could make a big difference :-) |
| sally | Posted
on 13-Feb-03 02:17 PM
btw ... Hi NK, I tried to send you a message thru sajha messaging and it bounced back :-( I think mine works ... write me and I'll fill you in. I want to hear about what you've been doing, too! |
| Biswo | Posted
on 13-Feb-03 05:12 PM
Sally, Richard Gere Dai is upset these days, he is the only person left out of Oscar nomination from 'Chicago':-) Better, think about Steven Saigal(?) and Robert Redford. They have old Nepal connection. If I remember correctly, Robert Redford even inaugurated some disco or bar in Kathmandu.Utah's Sundance is not that far from Colorado's Denver. |