What we do?
We are on a journey to provide reading practice to millions of children in India and around the world. We produce simple animated stories powered by SLS (Same Language Subtitling), a scientifically tested and proven method to improve reading skills.
Why we do it?
There are 3 main reasons:
1) Of all the skills that one needs to pick up, basic literacy is one of the most fundamental and at the core of all sustainable development. Without the ability to read and write, not much progress can be made humans. To have access to good healthcare, get a job, understand our environment, literacy skills play an important role and are essential to integrate all forms of sustainable development be it environmental, social and economic.
2) Imagine looking for just one children's book in an entire village and not coming up with any. That is a reality, we have experienced frequently in rural India.
3) “Print” as a medium to transport the reading experience to masses of people, is necessary but GROSSLY insufficient to address the scale of the reading challenge in India. Imagine printing and distributing, affordable, quality children’s books in 22 official languages that could survive usage in the rugged conditions of 680,000 villages! Or imagine the challenge of motivating hundreds of millions to regularly visit the village library only a few kilometers away!
BookBox’s AniBooks directly address the need for basic literacy skills and put people on a lifelong path to learning. By using something as simple and common as animation/cartoons, to which children are universally drawn to and also have access to every day, we are addressing one of the most important life skills that will aid in all round sustainable development.
As millions of children already watch TV in India, can "books" or a "reading experience" be disseminated on media that are already in people's lives? It's a question we ask ourselves at BookBox to inspire solutions. We are proud to share our creations and learn from other organizations that have taken on the challenge of promoting a reading planet.
