Producer Deepshikha Deshmukh has started a first-of-its-kind initiative titled, 'Read Latur', which she says is a small effort to set up libraries across the rural schools of the region and inculcate reading, not just textual but of fables, stories, tales that help children dream and fire their imagination.
A voracious reader herself, she believes reading for just 10 minutes every day can change your life. As a mother, Deshmukh is also inculcating the habit of reading in her children and understands the difference it makes in one's life. When she noticed that Latur's children had access to limited reading material, and most of it consisted of curriculum and textbooks, that is when she came up with the idea to extend the joy of reading to as many kids as possible.
Talking about the same, she says, “Latur is our home. Anything associated with the place is very special and is of great importance to us. The kids from the villages and rural schools didn't have access to a library where children could read stories and could benefit from it in the long run. I firmly believe every child should read books that can ignite one’s imagination. Books that I grew up reading be it the Amar Chitra Katha, Nancy Drew or The Adventures Of The Famous Five transported us to a whole new world and added so much value to a child’s knowledge. Dhiraj (Deshmukh) and I wanted to introduce the world of literature besides the usual curriculum and textual books to the children of Latur. Hence the initiative ‘Read Latur’ was formed. We reach out to close friends, publishers, anonymous helping hands to come forward and support our initiative. I am happy that we have we will set up rural libraries in Latur, so we can empower children with worldly stories, fables, literature and knowledge. We are grateful more and more people are coming forward to join hands for this initiative.”
Everyone knows Latur to be one of the driest districts in Maharashtra and reports of draught come from there almost every year. To start an initiative like this to uplift the youngster’s imagination to a better life is in itself a great thing.
Deshmukh adds, "Stories, fables, and tales written for children are essential to give wings to their imagination that takes them to the magical world and the sense of wonder that these books hold. I am a firm believer in the circular economy and how environmentally friendly it is to share what you have. This is how ‘Read Latur’ started. I have been reaching out to various friends and publishers to come forward and help us build these rural libraries with one book or many. Together we can create a culture of reading and learning among the kids."
"There was a time when I stopped reading for various reasons and it really made me value the contribution of books in my life. That is when I realised I would inculcate a reading habit in my kids no matter how busy I got. I know as a mom for sure that regular reading can improve language skills, make children more curious about the world they live in, shape their perceptions and make them more confident. I feel happy that with this initiative we will now be setting up libraries in 12 to 15 schools in rural Latur. I hope this is just the beginning of empowering every single child in Latur with uplifting stories," she concludes.
Deshmukh has always been a part of interesting initiatives that empower women and also, invest time and effort in educational drives to empower rural children.
