DAMAULI, April 20: Til Bahadur Thapa wakes up at six in the morning to finish off work at his employer’s shop. After lunch he heads to the child welfare committee at Ganeshman Chowk at 11. After the child welfare committee started an informal education targeted at child laborers, children like Til Bahadur, who works in Damauli Bazaar as a child labor, has developed a habit of studying.
16-year-old Til Bahadur works in Bikas Ice Cream and tea shop in Damauli. He spends two hours per day studying in the child welfare committee and has made friends with the books at the community child library operated by the welfare committee.[break]
“I want to learn English and that’s why I read mostly English language books,” says Til Bahadur, holding a book from the library, adding, “I also read stories, poems and books written in Nepali.”
The library is run by the welfare committee through the help of different organizations. The readers of the library’s almost 2100 books are child laborers from Damauli’s hotels and shops.
“The library has just been established and since the children come here for informal classes they’re the first readers of these books,” says Santosh Godar, Program Coordinator of Tanahu’s District Child Welfare Committee, “Other children are also welcome to the library.” The children’s library hosts stories, photo stories, child literature, reports, vocabularies and novels in both Nepali and English language.
Ramnath Bhattarai, Coordinator of the library operating committee, said that after the district development committee allocated Rs 480,000 in the previous financial year, the library was set up after buying the physical infrastructure and some books. Through Usha Pokhrel, member of the library committee, Nepal Library Foundation donated five computers and thus the attraction of the library has increased.
The library has also received books from Govardhan Sharma Memorial Trust, Room to Read, Nepal English Language Teachers Association and the American Embassy. Bhattarai also informed that Help Nepal Network has promised to set up an e-library within a month. According to him, the library will be used as a medium to increase and develop the children’s knowledge and skills as well as keep them in touch with computer skills. “If the children’s free time is utilized properly then there will be positive results,” he said, adding, “Even parents and guardians should encourage the children to go to the library.”
The library is normally open from four in the afternoon to seven at night. During holidays, it’s open from two in the afternoon to seven at night. At present, the children have to visit the library to read the book of their choice but seeing the children’s enthusiasm, preparations are ongoing to ensure that children get membership and take the book home.
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