READ Centers are beacons of hope, showcasing what can be achieved when people unite and believe in their own potential to build a more dignified, fulfilling future by tackling seemingly intractable problems. Villages have created more educational and professional opportunities for communities, reduced gender-based violence, prevented human trafficking, and helped people escape bonded labor. In doing so, they have brought people together across caste, class, religious, and ethnic lines. Today, we reach out to you with a special request: to support the launch of our newest READ Center, extending our impact to even more communities.
The Saraswati Dinabhadri Community Library in Nepal, currently under construction, exemplifies the transformative power of community collaboration. Named in honor of Saraswati, the goddess of learning, and Dinabhadri, a goddess revered by the marginalized Dalit caste, this library symbolizes unity, equality, and empowerment. It is being established in a poor village in Province 2, where most adults are illiterate and many have only recently broken free from bonded labor at nearby brick kilns, thanks to assistance from another READ Center in Siraha, 10 KM away.
The idea for this new READ Center emerged from the village's interaction with the Siraha Center and a mobile learning center that READ initiated in the community. Initially focused on children, this mobile center also became a hub for adults who began to share their aspirations for their families and community. This led to the introduction of adult literacy classes and other services.
Recognizing the value of the mobile center in their lives, the community resolved to establish a permanent facility. They envisioned a safe space free from the threats of snakebites and undeterred by monsoon rains and, importantly, housing the village's first toilets. The community succeeded in obtaining land from the municipality and raising over $24,000 to initiate construction. They are also actively participating in the building process themselves.
Yet, to turn this dream into reality, they need your support. This end-of-year, we warmly invite you to join in this
journey of transformation. We're excited to announce that every donation this
season will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to a total of $25,000 by a
longtime READ supporter, doubling the impact of your generosity. Your
contribution will help the Saraswati Dinabhadri Community Library become a
reality and serve as a foundational platform for economic and social
development in the village for generations to come.