Ask any bookworm and they will tell you that a book is most often a form of escapism into a realm of wondrous events. Joyce Carol Oates, the recipient of the Commonwealth Award for Distinguished Service in literature aptly said “Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul”.

Today, in a time when iPads and tablets are ever-present in our lives, the simple pleasures derived from reading a book seems to be lost on a generation that prefers computer games to reading. The pricey nature of books also makes it difficult for individuals who love to read but cannot afford to indulge in this educational hobby. Reading is slowly but surely becoming a dying trait. But all that is about to change with the help of Wisdom Club and Beaconhouse Malaysia.

Wisdom Club, started by Quek Sue Yian (a children’s rights advocate), is a platform to encourage children to create a dialogue with different subjects and deliberate on them via lateral thinking. Explaining the idea behind Wisdom Club, Quek Sue Yian explained that there are endless subjects that children may have questions about including war, sex, death, power, money, but are usually met with replies like, “Google it” or “Don’t ask so many questions”.

“At Wisdom Club, children can raise all kinds of questions and there are no right or wrong answers. At Wisdom Club, we are not here to force morality on young children but to let them express themselves and their thoughts freely,” said Sue Yian. She also added that at the club, there are plenty of books to set the wheels of thought in motion, enabling discussions to be carried out, and thus rendering the book as a learning tool.

Unfortunately sometimes, there are children who still do not have access to these books and hence, the One-for- One book drive has come into play. The One-for-One book drive is a joint initiative by Wisdom Club and Beaconhouse Malaysia to advocate education beyond the classroom, and encourage children to dive into the world of endless imaginations through books. Beaconhouse Malaysia has pledged its support for this cause and all 12 schools located around Klang Valley serve as the drop-off and collection centre for the books.

Zarina Mobarak, Regional Director of Beaconhouse Malaysia and South East Asia, said despite living in a rapidly developing country like Malaysia, there are children who still do not have access to books. “Reading books and letting the imagination run wild are part and parcel of growing up, but unfortunately underprivileged children are deprived of the joys of reading books. Through the book drive, Beaconhouse is taking small but significant steps in giving these children an opportunity to discover books, to hopefully rekindle and amplify their interest in reading,” she said.

The drive allows the community to do their part for a good cause, and local publishers and distributors have agreed to offer some titles on a buy one, donate one basis. Individuals too are doing their part by giving away their pre-loved books. To be a part of this good cause, simply gather books suitable for children between 5 and 17 years old, and head to any Beaconhouse school located in the Klang Valley and drop them off. Books in good condition will go to a new home, while worn out ones will be recycled to fund the project of building a library.

When Zarina and Sue Yian donate collected books, they provide a modular box that can be stacked up into a mini library. In time, they hope to have a library built for every special home in Malaysia, one modular box at a time. To date, some of the homes that have benefitted from this project are Rainbow of Hope, Kota Kinabalu; Rumah Hope, Selangor; SOLS Malaysia; SOLS Timor Leste; Dignity for Children, Kuala Lumpur; and Jaagon Foundation, Bangladesh to name a few. This initiative has been receiving a tremendous response from the public. “The support that we have received from the public has been overwhelming .We hope this drive will never have to come to an end as we feel that there will never be a child who is not in need of a good book. There are no limits to the amount of knowledge a child can receive. One box at a time is our target, but if along the way we build a castle of books, all the better,” said Zarina, an avid reader.

If there is something a digital book can’t produce, it is the sheer joy derived from holding a book, turning the pages and breathing in the unmistakable scent of a vivid imagination – and it is an experience no child should be deprived of.

For more information visit www.oneforonebooks.org or call Beaconhouse on 1800-2-232266.

Source: The Expat December 2013

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