A girl from Rajasthan has opened a library in her village to make education accessible to the girls of her village who have been forbidden to travel.
Families residing in the Bassi village of the state have refused to let girls travel to the nearest library which is around 13 to 14 kms away due to the fear of molestation.
Resident Kavita Saini undertook the initiative to open her library to make learning accessible to the girls of her village.
"Families refused to let the girls travel for fear of molestation. So, I opened this library in the village itself," explained Saini in an interview. With around 398 books, her library is open from 9 am to 5 pm every day and the books can be read for free.
The women of Bassi have also undertaken several other initiatives for their financial freedom. They are actively involved in embroidery work and toy making. Toys made by the villagers are reportedly sold at prices ranging between ₹100 to ₹1,000.
“In the wake of Covid-19, many in the village lost their regular jobs, so this handicraft came to the financial rescue for the villagers,” said Chief Program Manager Pinky Jain in an interview with ANI.