Storybooks open up new world to Spiti children amid pandemic

Shimla, September 6

Hundreds of primary students living in tiny hamlets of the picturesque Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh have been introduced to a whole new world through picture and storybooks, courtesy a Delhi-based NGO, to pique their curiosity and inculcate reading habits in them.

This comes at a time when little children were locked up in their respective homes amid the coronavirus scare or have now restrictions placed on them to move out in the public.

Office-bearers of NGO 'Let's Open a Book' believe that providing storybooks will help the kids adjust to a new set of circumstances while staying safe at home.

Currently, the books are getting delivered in Kaza, Kibbar, Guling, Langcha, and Mane.

The Spiti Valley, a mountainous paradise that straddles both India and Tibet, has over two dozen scattered hamlets, and remains cut off owing to heavy snow for at least six months in a year. It reopens once snow starts thawing after mid-April.

Dhona believes the storybooks would help kids overcome the boredom, insecurity and emotional frustrations of life under the lockdown.

The NGO has also produced short videos, showcasing the tales and stories related to Spiti.

"Reading books is a favourite pastime of my daughter these days when all outdoor activities have almost come to an end," said parent Dolma Negi. Even children are developing the habit of sharing by exchanging books, she added. IANS