We created Sobar Jonno Boi to address the lack of library facilities in schools serving underprivileged children across Bangladesh. We believe every child deserves access to books beyond academic textbooks, regardless of their socioeconomic background. However, many under-resourced schools lack the resources to establish libraries. To bridge this gap, we mobilize people across Bangladesh to donate new and used books and collaborate with local stakeholders to establish school libraries. Since its inception, we have established 10 libraries across Bangladesh, each stocked with 1,000 books, including storybooks, comics, fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Through this initiative, we aim to make reading more accessible, encourage curiosity and independent learning, and help children develop knowledge beyond the classroom. We also seek to build a culture of collective responsibility by enabling individuals and communities to contribute directly to children's educational opportunities.
Sobar Jonno Boi operates by collecting new and used books donated by people across Bangladesh and working with local stakeholders to establish libraries in schools that lack library facilities and serve underprivileged children. We identify eligible schools based on their need, available space, staffing, and capacity to sustain library operations. Each selected school receives a library stocked with approximately 1,000 books, including storybooks, comics, fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Schools are encouraged to integrate library use into their learning environment, enabling students to read beyond textbooks and explore diverse subjects. We also aim to involve teachers in reading groups and competitions and monitor library use through student book-borrowing records, reading responses, and teacher-led activities. By combining community book donations, local partnerships, and school-based library facilities, our model makes reading resources more accessible to children who might otherwise have limited opportunities to use them.
Sobar Jonno Boi began in 2019 with a library at our own school, Aim School, in Meradiya, Dhaka. In 2021, we expanded the initiative across Bangladesh, mobilizing individuals to donate new and used books and partnering with schools serving underprivileged children. Since then, we have established 10 school libraries across the country, each stocked with 1,000 books, providing access to 10,000 books in total. With each school serving approximately 2,000 students, these libraries reach school communities representing around 20,000 students. Through community participation, book donations, and local partnerships, we are expanding access to reading materials, creating opportunities for independent learning, and building a culture of reading in underserved communities.
To replicate Sobar Jonno Boi, identify an under-resourced school serving disadvantaged children that lacks library facilities. Engage the school in planning and securing space, staffing, and a sustainable library management plan. Mobilise individuals and organisations to donate new or used books, then collaborate with local stakeholders to establish a library stocked with approximately 1,000 books. Encourage teachers to integrate reading into school activities and track progress through book-borrowing records, student reading responses, and reading groups. Start with one school, build community support, and use the experience to expand the model to other underserved schools.
