kanglung Reading Club... way towards reading society

I hate Saturday afternoon, it used be most boring afternoon, until the day I heard of Kanglung Reading Club. Well I love reading book so I thought to visit the place. In open ground, under warmth of sun , were sitting around 60 to 70 kids, reading some of my favorites childhood story or fairy tales book.
'wow...it amazing" I whisper ...at a second a lady came near to me and asked are you voluntary for this club...I don't what to say I just nodded my head...excellent than please join me...I followed her till her offices where she handed over me few such books.
Still wondering what to do, she told me ...'go to ground pick any kid and help them read...I walk ahead still exactly not knowing what to do...
I walk toward a little kid and sit near him, handed over him a book. And as soon as he saw the books he was smiling...'jang ga story gi wa la (this is my favorite story book, in the local tongue) ...Alice in wonder land' I heard him saying...
...thus this mark as the beginning of another important chapter of my life...
Honestly many of Bhutanese children don't prefer to read until and unless they are made to read one. And same with me also until I was gifted a story book probably a fairy tales, when I was in 5th grade by my English teacher who was leaving to his country India. (Bala Krishnan). Now I hardly remember how he looked like but when ever I flip through the pages of the book I read his name written over the first page of the book...and a small note saying " read until you are tried of reading" but I read it only once and then I was too old to read fairy tales...ha-ha
When we join college we all have lots of dream, like I will that, or this...we will mark the list of achievements...but only few lucky are there who actually relies their dreams too. I account among many such one who dream a lots but fail to accomplish them...
I was completing my stay in Sherubtse...I hardly had 2 more semester to stay there and had not actually done anything...worth. Them when I reached to 5th semester ...I heard my English teacher saying, they need a voluntary to help them in the Reading Club…I thought this was opportunity I was seeking I voluntary to read and help them. It was organized every Saturday afternoon, and as I used to be free most of the time, I decided to join them.
KANGLUNG READING CLUB

So I will briefly tell about this club, it is the club unlike any other serving club in the Sherubtse college base on voluntarism. The club was started mainly to encourage, teach and help the kids of the kanglung locality and nearby villages and in particular to read English, improve their reading skill and promote their reading habits. We get the books (all children’s) from private donor from London (Linda Willacy) stand at the top to donate us with many books in recent time. As of now we have among 100 registered children visiting the club and among 200 college student helping to read the children. And with each successive session the number of children attending the club increase and some time it even reached to hundred fifty and plus. While at a time we used to face problem as we don’t used to have enough voluntary to help our kids to read but it was not the big deal in front of our children keen interest to read.
And what I personally felt during all the stay with those children, is that provided the opportunity and platform to help them and provided them with the material our kinds are also equally interested to read and write like any other western and kids. In this regard one particular incident I like to share …one was raining heavily all morning and afternoon and I know that voluntary won’t turn up the club today and I was also feeling bored even to walk down the centre, but as I used to coordinate I had no the choice other than to sacrifice my heavy sleep and go to the club. As I approach the door to my surprise children were waiting for me all drown in the rain, wet head and cloth. At once I scold them, saying they should have gone home directly rather than wait to read. I help them dry them self a bit and made them all sited comfortable in the room. Gave them read any book they wish to read and they read without any complain for next one hour. As I watch them reading, I was feeling guilty of scolding them, though back home their parent were would be equally worried as I was on seeing them early. After the session was over I asked them not to come for reading in bad weather. Thank that rain had stop by than.
In the time many such incidents happen, that made me belief how interested were those kids to read. And in particularly those in the distant villages, who had to walk miles to reach their home and every Saturday they were to come the college centre even before the time and sometime even before my classes used to be over. And some day my friends used to tease me telling “my students are waiting for me”….
But it’s also true that some kids exactly don’t like reading they were forced by their parents, at a time I have chase them and make them read. But the fruits of ones hard work is always rewarded so did my…that same child was most regular in time to come.

In the course we not only used to help them read but also teach then stay clean, in the course 280 day I have developed an special bound with them, their enthusiastic to learn made me their great fan…
Like those kids in the valley of Kanglung, their would be many other children in other remotes part of country, waiting for such an opportunities. Unlike the urban centre in Thimphu, Phuntsholing and other places children in those semi-urban places don’t have such opportunities.
And at the end of the day, I am glad I did bring little changes to their life…and I am happy for that…