Thursday, May 29, 2008

Mobile library in a cane basket!

These mountains are beautiful but they also pose serious challenges to the mountainous people.

I would like to use this blog of mine to share some interesting facts about a unique mobile library project running in Nepal. It is called Doko Dai Mobile Library Project.
The doko is a cane basket and is used traditionally to carry everything from cattle to fodder to sick people. Doko dai, if literally translated, means a brother carrying a basket and Doko didi a sister carrying a basket.

Now under this project the doko is used to carry books. The sebs website (sebsonline.org) states that the porters (doko dai and doko didi) will lay down their dokos at certain stops along the route. For about a week, the stop will be converted into a mobile library where people can come and read and borrow books, newspapers, magazines and the like. The stops selected are easily accessible, usually schools, bazaars, chautaris (raised platform under a tree) outside the capital.

The undertakers believe that mobile library project is aimed to supplement educational materials and equip local communities with skills required for enhancing earning potential.

1 comment:

Zobe said...

Sri,
What a fascinating way to get people their books! Can you imagine loading a bicycle with a doki and wheeling around South Florida in the summertime? The Bookmobile was either too warm or too cold in the summer, but I think I'd rather be there than a bike and you know how much I LOVED that Bookmobile, right?!!