LitIndia centre – 202209
Address – Kabutarkhopi, Sahibganj
District – Sahibganj
State – Jharkhand

The story of our ninth LitIndia library in Sahibganj is a story of how a good intention triumphs over all odds. We went there with the intention of providing quality education to all the children of Sahibganj and succeeded despite all the challenges we encountered.

Sahibganj is a district on the border of Jharkhand. It shares its border with Bihar and is situated on the banks of the Ganges. It is both a picturesque village and a port city. Sahibganj has a rich and varied history. It is home to people from diverse backgrounds.

Our major challenge here was to find a common place in the village where people of all backgrounds would send their children to study without any apprehensions. Therefore, we decided to open our library in the Kali Temple in the village. It is our only LitIndia library to date that is located inside a temple. A temple was an ideal location for us to open the library as it is the only place where once you enter you are just a pilgrim. There is no discrimination; everyone is equal. It also ensured that there would not be any kind of community dispute and that all children would have a safe environment to learn.

When we proposed this idea to the village sarpanch and other members of the panchayat, they readily agreed and promised their full support in our noble endeavour. With the help of the villagers, we were able to inaugurate our library in a month. On the day of the inauguration of the library, we had a huge gathering of youth and the elders of the village. The highlight of that day for us was when an old man came to us and said, “Beta aap 25 saal late ho gaye is library ko kholne mein, agar yeh library pehle khul jaata toh hum log bhi padh likh jaate.” You are 25 years late in opening this library. Had this library opened before, I too would have been educated today).

We have had an overwhelming response at our center, with nearly 100% of the students attending every day. We are planning to expand the library in the near future to accommodate more students.