Reading Circles & Initiatives
Some initiatives from our Reading Circles.
Our Community Reading Rooms & Allied Initiatives
We work consistently to encourage our little readers to keep reading via our various initiatives. Presently, we have started a Reading Room in Vadavalli, Coimbatore starting 21 January 2023.
Most dropouts (or Out Of School Children – OOSC) we have met are children who are unable to read/write or those who face some form of protection issues. These initiatives help us be present for such few children who are looking out for help and support.
Star Reader Awards
We work consistently to encourage our little readers to keep reading via our Quarterly Star Reader Awards and by consistently upgrading our reading room cum libraries!
Story Fests in Schools
Our first Story Fest started in Chennai Kamaraj Avenue Corporation School. A really enthusiastic school and staff made Story Fest a reality. We are working year on year to improve the experience of Story Fests both to Children, the Sponsors, the Payanmaram Team and the Education Department. It has helped promote not only reading but has also been key to explore different forms expression among children.
Story Telling Competitions
Thanks to Radioactive Radio and Chidline teams for planting the seed to this initiative. For long now we have enjoyed this simple exercise with children and have retained it year on year in the objects of our Trust as we see it as a proven way to promoting reading among children as well as enabling expression without them even realizing it!
Community Reading Room & Library Projects
Reading Rooms and libraries are according to us a basic essential for a civilized society. And hence our endeavour to bring such projects in our work areas and communities.
Long Lending of Academic Books
We connect with needy students in the low income families and grant them a few academic books on long lending where students can hold on to books they borrow for a longer lending time – until end of their exams, throughout the semester. We thank Companies and Individuals for sponsoring us in this initiative. Presently we have over 300 academic books/guides in the lending pool and well over 50 student beneficiaries each semester. The students reach out by contacting the reading room directly or upon application.
Poorani K was part of the reading room project in Coimbatore during its intial days and has been a great help. Now she’s a busy entrepreneur taking turns managing her family restaurant!
Payanmaram Long Lending
Hariharan has been with Payanmaram since the beginning of the long lending project. From being a silent volunteer to becoming the most energetic volunteer, his contributions to bringing Readers to Reading has been a great achievement!
Paalpandyammal has been key to taking Payanmaram Long Lending to a larger group in a selfless manner. Without that first step the long lending project would not have been such a useful project to students of the Government Law College, Coimbatore. Her organization skills have given the project the much needed initial momentum!
Ganguly has been the motivator and muscle in executing the long lending project. He and Hariharan have together done a lot of running around to get the books delivered to students and back again. Without him obviously the project would not have moved!
Audio Lessons for Visually Challenged Special Students
Tamil Selvi has been with Payanmaram since the beginning. She is a selfless doer and takes up more and more intiatives on her own always coming to our rescue with ideas and solutions to the roadblocks we face on the way!
Sujatha has been the go to person who has always made herself available to read for these students when time and resources are extremely limited all this amidst her busy work schedules. Now she is also an entrepreneur, the founder of Sujatha Food Products.
Suganthi Aunty has been a scribe to Visually Challenged students of Government Law College, Coimbatore! A gold medalist in mathematics, she is always ready to teach and help students.
Alangaravalli Akka has been the busy bee we are chasing to engage! She has been a very brilliant contributor for these students. Amidst her busy schedules and family commitments, she has contributed greatly in time of need.
Janaki-amma has been doing all it takes to implement the community reading room project idea. She has been the major contributor to all projects from reading room to audio lessons. Despite her wheeze, she makes herself available to lend help and support when there is a scarcity of volunteers!
Suyambu-appa is the Treasurer and Trustee of Payanmaram and now the voice for many audio law lessons. A sincere and consistent reader who wants to complete the task which he takes up! He is also the Treasurer and has helped setup the initial financial workings of the Trust.
What is in Our Reading Room cum Library?
Now in Vadavalli Reading Room Among 1000+ books..
Academic Books
We help students with accessing academic books if they have trouble buying one. We do this presently via our Long Lending program where they get to keep the books for a longer time – until end of semester.
Level Based Reading
We have a large collection of Pratham Books and such level based reading books to help children with reading difficulties. We also have a Reading Assistance Volunteer and Incharge who helps us out a lot but for a very small Honorarium.
Science, History & More
We are also working on collecting Encyclopedias, History and such collections from renowned sources for reference by all children.
Novels & Chapter Books
We also keep updating our collection for the ardent readers who have been growing with us. We welcome books from donors to keep upgrading our book repository!