We have set ourselves a goal to be a developed nation by 2020, and it is predicted that we will be one amongst the top 5 economic super powers in the world by 2035. For us to achieve these goals it is imperative for the large population of India to contribute to their potential. This needs each person to magnify himself, multiply the ways in which he exists and to make his life full significant and interesting.

Books provide hope, discovery and opportunity. There are many stories of people like Oprah for whom books were the only windows to the world outside their surroundings. Books were the inspiration for their dreams and their achievements.

The Hippocampus Reading Foundation

is a non-profit organization working to foster the reading habits among kids, especially those who are financially less unfortunate. The immediate goal of this foundation is to get 50,000 under privileged kids in and around Bangalore to read at least one book every week. We have given ourselves a 3-year time frame to achieve this goal.

The Hippocampus Reading Foundation will work with NGOs in the education and children sector, local communities, educators, researchers and the government to support and participate in the reading movement. The activities that will be taken up by the foundation can be broadly classified into:

1. Set up and operate Libraries: We work with the NGOs in the education sector to help set up and operate libraries professionally. The foundation is currently working with the Akshara Foundation. 9 libraries are currently operational and they have more than 2500 children as members.
2. Develop reading programs: We are currently working the Teacher Training Foundation to develop reading programs for children. These programs use the Multiple Intelligences concept to develop the reading habit and encourage children to enjoy reading. These programs will be implemented with the help of volunteers and librarians.
3. Organize Book Collection Drives: Hippocampus has been organizing a book collection drive for the past 6 months under the "Read it? Spread it!" initiative. To date close to 10,000 books have been collected from children and are in use in libraries.
4. Involve local communities: Hippocampus is working with Schools and Corporates to organize book collection drives. Besides this, we have volunteers who visit these libraries every Saturday and conduct programs with children to foster the reading habit. These Saturday morning visits are called "Chikku Booku Samaya"
5. Incentivize children to read: A child needs to be continuously motivated to read. Hippocampus has developed a passport program where a child is collects points for books read, puzzles participated in, programs attended. These points are then redeemed for fun things like stickers, visits to amusement parks and theatres.
6. Study the reading habits of each child: We need to know what each child is reading and study the evolution in their reading habits. We need to understand the impact each of the reading programs the child participates in is having on the childs reading habits. We have developed software that will help us record, measure and track the same.
7. Increase awareness of the reading movement: To constantly increase participation from people in all walks of life, the Reading Foundation will continuously conduct awareness activities and programs. The foundation celebrated the World Book Day along with leading bookstores in Bangalore in April 2004. The Foundation has plans for a carnival in May 2004 to increase the awareness and involvement of public at large in the program.