A fundraiser to share the magic of storybooks with children in Assamese, Bodo and Singpho
Pratham Books is a non-profit children’s book publisher set up in 2004. Our mission is to get ‘a book in every child’s hand and unlock the joy of reading’. Over the years we have published thousands of delightful storybooks for children in many Indian languages, and partnered with many organisations and individuals in our ongoing efforts to get ‘a book in every child’s hand’. Our books are affordable, accessible and engaging, making them a valuable resource for children and schools in India.
Donate-a-Book is a unique crowdfunding initiative from Pratham Books that enables NGOs that work with children to raise funds for delightful storybooks for the children they work with. Since its inception in 2015, we have helped get 450,000 Pratham Books storybooks to over 1 million children across India.
The Fundamental Role of Regional Language Storybooks
Our storybooks reflect a child’s lived experiences and serve as windows to the multitudes of cultures in India. However, for many children, a complete understanding of these picture books is often limited due to language barriers. Regional languages are intrinsically linked to the local culture and are central to the identity of rural communities. According to UNESCO, 40 percent of the global population does not have access to an education in a language they speak or understand.
This is where translation comes in. Translating picture books into regional languages is crucial to ensure that every child has access to stories they can understand and relate to. Research has increasingly shown that learning to read in one’s mother tongue early in school helps reduce dropout rates and makes education more engaging, meaningful and enjoyable for children. It helps them understand and appreciate different cultures and perspectives, and promotes mutual understanding and respect.
Overcoming Language Barriers
We are launching a special crowdfunding campaign to support the translation of picture books into 3 Northeastern languages. We need Rs 15,00,000 to fund the translation of 20 Pratham Books into the languages of Assamese, Bodo and Singpho, spoken in the Northeast states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya.
As part of the #OwnVoices movement, we have chosen to include storybooks that bring to life the rich diversity of Northeast India, created by authors and illustrators from the region.
By donating, you will be lending your support to a meaningful campaign to preserve and promote underrepresented languages. Together, we can help promote literacy, education, and cross-cultural understanding among children in India. Let’s give every child the opportunity to read and learn in their mother tongue language.