Collaborating with our friends LitWorld to spread the power of reading:
When we first got to know our friends at LitWorld through our involvement in #StandUp4Girls, there was an immediate connection, and a strong friendship was born. We have continued to build on this relationship through constant communication and collaboration. It is through such collaboration that we were successful in forming a LitClub in Nepal. Through the support of LitWorld’s fantastic team, especially Madison and Leah, and through the dedication of one of Rukmini Foundation’s Didis (elder sister / mentor), Surabhi, 10 girls in Niharika school now get to enjoy the programs offered by LitWorld. We hope that this is the first of many LitClubs around Nepal.
Girls of the LitClub Niharika are excited to have us be the first LitClub in Nepal.
LitWorld’s good works extend far and wide, and their philosophy of fostering resilience, hope, and joy through the power of story aligns perfectly with Rukmini Foundation’s mission of empowering girls through education. In the short time that Rukmini Foundation has been in operation, we have already witnessed the positive impact that being able to express oneself through words and creativity can have on the youth. This self-confidence and self-belief is a far cry from the low expectations and discrimination that many of these girls faced.
When LitClub approached us to become an official partner of World Read Aloud Day (WRAD), we gratefully accepted and then began to come up with ideas on how to make it a memorable and meaningful event. We knew that we wanted to involve our entire organization and celebrate this grand occasion in Nepal and in the US.
To learn more about WRAD on LitWorld’s website, please check out: http://litworld.org/worldreadaloudday
To commemorate WRAD in Nepal, we will support LitClub Niharika and our Didi and LitClub Co-Facilitator Surabhi in conducting programs designed by LitWorld. Also in Nepal, we have planned for a full day of activities at A School for Community (ASC). All students of Shikharapur Secondary School, Open School, Women School and Child Care Center will take part in this celebration. One of the main objectives of this event will be to demonstrate how we can promote improvement in reading and writing through extra curricular activities like this program.
We have planned activities that will be appropriate for students of all levels. Here are a few planned items:
- Poem and Story reading
- Child Care (nursery) – Nursery rhymes and reading letters and numbers
- Class 1-3 = Citing common Nepali poems
- Class 4-6 = Storytelling and sing-alongs
- Class 7-8 = Picture stories
- A short drama about the importance of education
- We also have some group songs organized to encourage participation and inspiration through music
In Pittsburgh, we are collaborating with local Elementary schools through our board member and educator Lauren Shuty. The foundation’s honorary Chairperson Laxmi will be one of the guest readers at Myrtle Elementary School. The entire school is taking part in this event and is even going to be collaborating with other schools nationally and globally through a Skype program organized by LitWorld. This will truly be a global event, and we are excited about the potential of connecting students from different parts of the world through the power of stories.
We hope that this will be an yearly event for LitWorld and Rukmini Foundation to celebrate the importance of reading, power of stories, and also to celebrate our growing friendship. Many thanks to the wonderful team at LitWorld for making this event possible, and for inviting us to partner with them. What will you do to celebrate World Read Aloud Day? Please share your thoughts and ideas with us through Facebook or Twitter.
Namaste,
Bibhuti
