Carry bags, suitcases, duffel bags and cartons full of books, braving both swelter and shower at the five day Book Wall event in Kolkata. “So what if it’s raining? This is the last day and we had to give our books,” said Anweshan. As we began to pack up the last day Book Wall event at Kolkata, our eyes were misty and our heart was heavy. We didn’t want to say adieu to this place and its people. Kolkata not only gifted us with more than 3, 28,000 books (and still counting and collating!) but it gave us a hundred thousand times more excitement and energy to do this event again. People came with nothing less than two bagful of books. We have so many stories to tell but the experience that we had, meeting these simple, loving and generous people cannot be described in words.
We met a ten year old kid who has authored a book called Allien Attack on Earth! He donated 100 books of his own book and has a dream that every kid on this earth should be able to ‘attack’ the alien called ‘poverty’.
Sumit Agarwal, 19, struggled to climb the City Centre steps but he just had to add his share of books (65 of them) to the wall. “I don’t consider my difficulty in walking a problem. So many kids don’t have access to education. That is a much greater problem,” said the boy with cerebral palsy.
Souhardya Ganguly, a Class IV student, who came to give to the cause of education, got a lot more in return. Just as he parted with his favourite Sherlock Holmes and poetry books, he discovered an unread Enid Blyton Sea of Adventure in the book wall. He promptly picked it up and sat down to read. “I will finish it here,” he declared.
The spirit that saw M.C. Saha come with 208 primary level books, register them and slip away, even refusing to be photographed. He was there for the cause, not the cameras.
Or Prasanto Roy, 50, who had no qualms “bargaining for a cause”, convincing shops on College Street to sell him scores of primary-level books at a subsidised rate.
Some messages at the Book Wall Event in Kolkata :
• “Hope it comes back every year” – Siddhartha
• “Never thought this type of opportunity came in the city of joy “Kolkata” – Well done.” – Shyam
• “We thank Aviva for giving us this opportunity.” –Prayas
• “Every charitable work is a stepping stone towards Heaven- Thanks to Aviva for this wonderful opportunity.”
• “A good cause needs an initiate. Hats off to AVIVA.” – Neha
• “Great idea! I salute the person who could think of this.” – Shiva
• “A good cause taken by Aviva.” – Krushav
• “No more illiteracy in India.” –Anuja, Riddhi
Carry bags, suitcases, duffel bags and cartons full of books, braving both swelter and shower at the five day Book Wall event in Kolkata. “So what if it’s raining? This is the last day and we had to give our books,” said Anweshan. As we began to pack up the last day Book Wall event at Kolkata, our eyes were misty and our heart was heavy. We didn’t want to say adieu to this place and its people. Kolkata not only gifted us with more than 3, 28,000 books (and still counting and collating!) but it gave us a hundred thousand times more excitement and energy to do this event again. People came with nothing less than two bagful of books. We have so many stories to tell but the experience that we had, meeting these simple, loving and generous people cannot be described in words.
We met a ten year old kid who has authored a book called Allien Attack on Earth! He donated 100 books of his own book and has a dream that every kid on this earth should be able to ‘attack’ the alien called ‘poverty’.
Sumit Agarwal, 19, struggled to climb the City Centre steps but he just had to add his share of books (65 of them) to the wall. “I don’t consider my difficulty in walking a problem. So many kids don’t have access to education. That is a much greater problem,” said the boy with cerebral palsy.
Souhardya Ganguly, a Class IV student, who came to give to the cause of education, got a lot more in return. Just as he parted with his favourite Sherlock Holmes and poetry books, he discovered an unread Enid Blyton Sea of Adventure in the book wall. He promptly picked it up and sat down to read. “I will finish it here,” he declared.
The spirit that saw M.C. Saha come with 208 primary level books, register them and slip away, even refusing to be photographed. He was there for the cause, not the cameras.
Or Prasanto Roy, 50, who had no qualms “bargaining for a cause”, convincing shops on College Street to sell him scores of primary-level books at a subsidised rate.
