Mangaluru: Libraries have become a rare sight now a days. The vanishing libraries are pointing finger at a very disappointing culture that that younger generation is drifting away from books and reading habits.
However, in a remote village in Belthangady taluk, two youth are so proud of their achievement. After having realised the importance of reading books, two youth named Ashrith Shetty and his friend Sukesh Poojary renovated a government school library at Balenja village in Belthangady.
The library of Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayath Higher Primary School, where 229 students are pursuing their education was in a pathetic condition. The computers there had gone kaput. The pale walls, broken chairs remained mute spectators to the eroding reading culture.
That is when Ashrith Shetty, a soft engineer working for IBM company in Bangalore and Sukesh Poojary who is working for a private firm in Mangaluru spared a thought to breathe life into the dilapidated library.
The duo turned to social media for help and they launched a campaign ‘Rebuilding the School Library’, to which they received overwhelming response.
Speaking to newskarnataka.com the duo said that it was a Balenja resident named Anil Naiga who suggested the idea of renovating the library. But, unfortunately Anil passed away due to health issues before his plans could gain wings. Without Anil, the duo did not want his dream too to die a silent death. Soon Ashrith and Sukesh became the face of the campaign.
With great response from the friends on social networking sites, the duo could purchase books and also give a face lift to the library.
The duo had to spend a sum of Rs two lakh and the library was ready in just two months.
“We have a target to get 3,000 books for the library. So far we have got 1,500 books,” said Shetty adding that during the inauguration of the library every student in the school was given a pocket library.
Mohini, a teacher from the school said that students are utilising the library and that is the true reward to the two youth who spared a thought for the dying library.
After this, Ashrith and Sukesh now want to conduct learning workshop and Origami classes for the kids.
