The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Tiruchi News : 13-year-old accomplishes an astonishing feat

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Saturday, Jun 14, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

13-year-old accomplishes an astonishing feat

S. Ganesan

Milena Lurie mobilised 40,000 children’s books
to set up a library
at orphanage

— Photo: R.M. Rajarathinam

Students reading a book at Milena Lurie Library in Lady Lynn Enclave in Gandharvakottai in Pudukottai district. Milena Lurie from Global Literary Project is in the picture.

TIRUCHI: It was a proud moment for 13-year-old Milena Lurie, a ninth grade student from Philadelphia, when a children’s library named after her was declared open at an orphanage in remote Gandharvakottai, 45 km away from here, on Thursday.

A volunteer of Global Literacy Project (GLP) of Inc., a U.S.-based non-profit organisation, Ms. Lurie mobilised about 40,000 children’s books, said to be worth nearly Rs.1 crore, for setting up the library at the Lady Lynn Joyful Home for orphans and destitute children run by Integrated Rural Development Centre (IRDC), a voluntary organisation.

Ms. Lurie took up the project after hearing about the orphanage from a family friend, Lady Lynn of the United Kingdom, who helped set up the home.

Encouraged by her mother Christina Weiss Lurie and her friends in GLP, she sent scores of e-mails to her friends, urging them to donate books across a wide range of subjects. “There was a tremendous response. Even some publishers donated books. I love the kids and hope they will be able to make use of the library well,” said Ms. Lurie rather shyly, conscious of the attention and praise being bestowed upon her.

GLP seeks to foster community-based learning initiatives across the world by bringing together individuals, institutions and communities to share educational material and knowledge, said Kavitha Ramsamy, Vice-President, Outreach, GLP.

More libraries

Apart from the model library at the Lady Lynn Home, GLP plans to introduce a mobile library and set up community libraries in 10 government-run schools in Gandharvakottai taluk in Pudukottai district.

Conceding that language and the relative high standards of the books could be an immediate barrier for the rural children to make effective use of the libraries, Ms. Kavitha said they would soon appoint well-trained teacher-cum-librarians to help the children utilise the books to the optimum.

Emeka Akaezuwa, a GLP volunteer specialising in digital libraries, said he planned to create a special software to help children access the books easily.

The libraries would come as a boon not only for the children at the home but also to those in the entire taluk. “We want to see a few scholars emerging from this backward locality,” said S. Pitchairaj, Director, IRDC.

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