READ INDIA CAMPAIGN (2007-2009)

By June 2007, Pratham, in partnership with Calcutta Foundation, launched the Read India campaign in West Bengal. The READ INDIA CAMPAIGN is aimed at children who have EITHER not had the opportunity to be in a school, OR they have dropped out of regular schools, due to personal reasons.

This project caters to the literacy and numeracy needs of 4 to 14 year olds, in rural areas, with the help of mobile libraries. The objective of this project is to inculcate an interest in any one language, through accelerated learning programmes. This leads to an increase in levels of interest in studies; children, after the initial  months, are drawn to studies, and wish to attend a school in the neighbourhood.

The Foundation considers it a challenge to reach out to those who need guidance and to bring them up to levels where they can read and write at least one language, and do simple arithmetic.

In West Bengal, the campaign was named “Chalo Podhi” and was launched on a pilot basis in 3 blocks in 2 districts: North 24 Parganas (Sandeshkhali block) and Dakshin Dinajpur (Hilly and Kumarganj block). Now, it has spread to South Dinajpur, North Dinajpur. Koachbihar, Jalpaiguri, Purulia and Darjeeling districts.