Room to Read is an international organisation founded on the fundamental belief that “world change begins with educated children”. It therefore works with low-income communities around the world to improve literacy and gender equality in the education of millions of children. In India, Room to Read was established in 2003 and now works in 12 states to introduce deep, systemic transformation within schools.

R2R has two main programmes – one for literacy and another for girls’ education – which it implements in collaboration with government bodies, local communities and other partner organisations. The literacy programme is premised on the belief that reading is the foundation of all future learning. The work involves setting up classroom libraries, developing age-appropriate literature, training teachers to instil the joy of reading in children, and engaging the larger community.

The girls’ education programme, meanwhile, focuses on reducing the school dropout rates of adolescent girls by providing them with life skills education, mentorship support and other resources. R2R India has enrolled more than 80,000 girls in this programme so far, and achieved a 97% rate of advancement in school among them.

The project supported by MFE:

Literacy (Instruction) Scale-up in Rajasthan – Jodhpur district

This three-year project has a hyperlocal focus – Jodhpur district in Rajasthan – but its goal is extensive. It aims to set up 482 cluster-level school libraries, each receiving at least 600 books over two years. Through this, Room to Read India hopes to improve children’s engagement with quality reading material.

To implement this comprehensive literacy programme, R2R also aims to enhance the capacity of 2,251 teachers and 482 Panchayat Elementary Education Officers in district. Trained teachers and resource persons will then ensure that regular reading activities are conducted with children in schools, and that children regularly use the reading material made available to them.

Over all, R2R has committed to targeting at least 2.2 lakh children in Jodhpur, and aims to see 100% of them read and comprehend fluently by the time they finish Class 2 and 3. In comparison to students in other schools, the organisation expects children in their project schools to score an average of 50% more in their oral reading and comprehension skills.