SWRANG....On the way

When I first started thinking about the home library, it was just a library in memory of my father. My thought process took a turn after attending the 'India Literacy Project' workshop at Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. I started looking at the home library initiative as a concept which can be adopted anywhere in our country with a real need of reading. I sat with some of my well wishers in a brain-storming session and we decided on a mission and vision to work upon. One of our vision targets expansion of this concept beyond my place, Agia.

I am super excited to inform you about our second instance of home library. I have to introduce Dipak Basumatary here, a visionary budding social entrepreneur, currently an employee with IOT Design and Engineering (a joint venture of IOCL and OilTanking Gmbh) in Delhi. Deepak, who is also a year junior to me in engineering college, expressed his wish of opening a home library last August, 09. I was like, WoW!! This is an attempt by Dipak and his four friends to give back something to their community at Narabari, in Kokrajhar district, Assam.

SWRANG-- this is what we named the new library. Swrang in the Bodo language means 'the Morning Sunrise'. This will be registered under MN Memorial Trust with the same mission of  home library concept - “To create an interest for reading, provide access to resources and help people realize their true potential”.

I will be writing more about SWRANG and its visionaries in detail. Deepak is also starting a separate blog expressing his friends’ and his dreams and ambitions.

Current Status:

Deepak came to Hyderabad on 20th Nov,09 and we both decided on all the pre-requisites. Also, we met the design company http://www.notun.net , and finished the discussion related to branding. We will be meeting at Assam in the last week of December and we plan to launch the library by the first week of January,10.

I want to paste here the ''To-Do List" I sent to Deepak after our meeting. This will depict the current status of the second venture vividly:

"Hi Deepak,Here is the 'to do' list for you with deadline. Please try to stick to this. Also keep adding to this, if you feel need, but just don't delete anything.

• 1. Complete designing the library logo and send to Notun.net for final design          -26th Nov

• 2. Build one tagline for easy understanding if your library name does not contain the word 'Library'      -26th Nov

• 3. Start writing a dedicated blog only for the library; all of your founder friends can contribute      - 28th Nov

• 4. Decide the inauguration date       -1st Dec

• 5. Start thinking of the inauguration plan, guests to be invited, etc  -10 Dec

• 6. Define your initial scope- orphan home+how many schools, also calculate how many children are there in the whole area nearby which you are targeting-main idea is to find out how many people your library will affect    -28th Nov

• 7. Designing of a 1-2 pages leaflet for distributing about the cause, vision, background of the library    -15 Dec

• 8. Prepare a write-up about your initiative which you will be sharing with anyone whom you will approach. I’ll help you by sending the template     -3rd Dec

• 9. Find a PC in working condition    -22nd Dec

• 10. Gain knowledge about the local media there, VIPs and people’s general outlook towards reading    -22nd Dec

• 11. Preparation of Rubber Stamp    -22nd Dec

• 12. Start a communication thread with all the people who know about this project, want to help etc. This is very necessary to keep all of them updated   -26th Nov

• 13. Work on the resources who will help you and in what way when you will be at home and will be finalizing all the issues before library inauguration    -14th Dec

• 14. Complete the vision statement_it should be realistic and achievable   -1st Dec

• 15. Follow up with the NOTUN guys till the whole part is done, I will start that today -23rd Nov

• 16. Write your library name in Bodo script, and also anything else if you want to cover in branding in Bodo language -26th Nov

  17. Complete all the legal formalities for MN Memorial Trust, including opening of the bank Account    -2nd Jan, 10

Only these are coming to my mind as of now. I think its enough for you to start working .... All the best, don't get randomized, Main Hu Naa! "

The Purpose of this blog is just to inform you all about SWRANG. I will be publishing more updates. Also, I am exploring a few other mediums for communicating. Stay tuned !