Enabling 115,000 rural children to read through solar lanterns

It's a campaign aimed at improving the educational skills of a staggering 115,000 children from vulnerable communities across 14 states. In its just-launched second phase, NGO ChildFund India is distributing solar lanterns among the 6-14-year-olds to enable them read in the evenings and nights.

In the first phase of the 'Reading Improvement Campaign' the global child development NGO had distributed inspirational books to the children and also plans to set up mobile libraries for them in the near future.

"The aim is to improve the reading, comprehension and learning abilities of children as well as to enhance the quality of education in schools," ChildFund India national director Neelam Makhijani told IANS.

in the second phase, the aim was to remove one of the barriers to reading - the lack of electricity in many rural areas, Makhijani said, adding: "This will enable children reading in the evening and can also be used by family members for other basic purposes."

In the first phase in December 2014, ChildFund India had distributed 'Reading bags' consisting age appropriate multi-lingual reading books, encouraging children to read for pleasure. The NGO had also began conducting activities around the books - story telling, skits, painting; reading aloud - to make the books come alive for the children.