This is what started it all. In 2009, the Bhansalis shared their love of books by taking books
to three local schools. Today, Pustakaar supports over 50 schools in the greater Hyderabad
area. Books are sorted into different levels and organized into baskets that can be carried
into classrooms.
Reading Program
This is a volunteer-run program designed to build interest, improve vocabulary, and
engage children. Pustakaar provides reading packets with books and lesson plans to make
it easier for volunteers to conduct a reading session. No teaching experience is necessary!
Volunteers commit to 25 sessions at a Pustakaar school from August to March.
Rotational Library
Pustakaar now supports schools which don’t have libraries by loaning a set of books to be
used by the children. These books are on loan, and Pustakaar exchanges the books for a
fresh set every few weeks.
Library Resource
Pustakaar has partnerships with several other organizations in the education sector, as their primary reading resource. Teach For India, Bodhi Foundation, Ishva Foundation all use Pustakaar books and baskets in their classrooms.
Reading Accelerator
This is a mobile application-based program that aims to provide a varied collection of
digital books and a digital assistant to improve English reading skills. Ansh Foundation
provides shared android tablets to schools and orphanages where children spend time
everyday reading stories from the installed Read Along application (from Google Inc).
Separate profiles are created for each student on the tablets and reading activity and
progress is tracked and monitored per student.
Ansh Scholarships
This is a program that was started during the pandemic to help parents who could no
longer afford to send their children to school due to the financial instability caused because
of the lockdown. Through this program, Ansh Foundation now provides financial aid to
children from partner schools who are unable to stay in school due to financial difficulties.
This is primarily focused on students in secondary school to ensure they can qualify for
college or take up vocational programs to help them become financially independent.
Community Library Centres
Ansh Foundation has set up libraries in community learning centers to help children and
others who have limited or no formal schooling. Through these libraries the aim is to
incorporate reading as a tool of learning as well as engagement.
