Nandita Jayaraj is a science writer and storyteller based in Bengaluru. She co-founded 'The Life of Science' project where she travelled to laboratories around India tracking the lives and research of the scientists who work in them. She has written Arya in the Cockpit and Raju's First Flight for us and took these stories to two classrooms in Mangalore. Read on to find out what her experiences were.

When a friend invited me to Mangalore to read out my first ever children’s book - published on Pratham Books’ StoryWeaver platform - I said yes without thinking twice. After all, I’d grown up reading to my little brother and now my nephew and each story I write or edit is accompanied by many sessions of reading out aloud to myself, so how different could it be in a classroom? It was only a day or two prior to the event, when I actually begun to envision the scenario that awaited me, that I started to get somewhat concerned - maybe I wasn’t as prepared for this as I’d thought.

There were two storytelling sessions I’d agreed to do - one was at Early Learning Centre, a Montessori school run by Sonia and Vijay Moras in Mangalore, and the other one was at St. Peter Higher Primary School, a nearby government school which ELC supports. To my humongous relief, the day went very satisfactorily. Both sets of kids were in that early part of childhood when they are easily enthralled and young enough that I didn’t feel self-conscious about clowning around. ELC did a fantastic thing by printing out copies for all the children so they could look at pictures and take the story home with them.

As well as the day went, I couldn’t help but go back home feeling thoughtful and a little guilty about all the preconceived notions I had been harbouring about the way children react to stories. While writing and editing children’s stories, I have always tended to base my instincts on the experiences I’ve had reading out to the children in my family. The Mangalore experiences definitely taught me a thing or two and I know I this will impact the way I deal with children’s content in the future.

What I read out to the kids was actually a pair of stories (which will eventually be two parts of the same book) - Arya in the Cockpit and Raju’s First Flight. I had written these for StoryWeaver under the theme of women who “fly”. The former follows the life of Arya as her dream to take to the skies evolves as she grows up. The latter works sort of as a primer to the second- it features Arya’s younger brother who is looking forward to take his first ever aeroplane ride on his way to meet his sister after a period of separation. This story ends with a twist - as it is revealed that his sister is the pilot of the very plane he is about to travel on.

This is where I learned my first lesson - what I fancied to be a clever twist that makes for a great story needn’t work for children with the same dramatic effect as I’d imagined. It works for children reading the book themselves, but in a classroom setting with younger kids who are being told the story, a realised I had to go a step further - be a bit more explicit, more grandiose - as it was, the text was too subtle.

These kinds of improvisations are what make a great storyteller, and I was humbled by the realisation that I was far from one. Nevertheless, I was able to catch on to this just early enough in the reading to add in some elements and ensure that the kids understood what was going on. The sister wasn’t just waiting for Raju at the end of his flight, she was in the flight, flying the plane! I may not have gotten the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ I was going for, but they were amused enough - phew!

The second big lesson I learned was the presumptuousness with which I assumed a story written in English will be enjoyed just as much by non-speakers of the language. The government school was a Kannada medium one, but I was told that the students would be in in 2nd and 3rd grade and so would have a basic understanding of English. Nevertheless, ELC had organised for one of their teachers, Jayashree Guruprasad, to read out the Kannada translation (by Brinda N Rao) after I was done reading the English one.

While the classroom was being set up I tried to break the ice with the kids and quickly realised that their level of English was nowhere near my understanding of ‘basic’. I suggested to Jayashree that she translate side-by-side instead of at the end and that made a big difference. The children were able to appreciate the flow of the story much better - if I had dumped that entire load of English on them, they would surely have been lost and bored, just as I would have if someone read out a whole story to me in Kannada (which I would argue I have a somewhat basic understanding of). The books given to these kids were the Kannada version. Even though it worked out, I came out with an enhanced appreciation for short sentences. There was also an opinion that the translation was somewhat too literal and the language ‘can be more colloquial, the way we speak’. I promised to pass on the feedback to Pratham Books.

My final lesson was the stark differences in lifestyles between the two groups of kids. At both venues, I started off the storytelling with talking about aeroplanes in general. These conversations with the kids before commencing the book really helped me gauge the audience. As expected, at the government school, none of the children had ever been in or even seen a plane up close - though they all were very excited by the prospect of travelling in one some day. They seemed unfamiliar with terms such as ‘cockpit’ and ‘airhostess’, so when I told the story, I avoided some words.

At the Montessori school, a majority of the crowd had been inside an aeroplane and were much more knowledgeable about aspects of flying that I would most definitely not have known in their age. Quite a few were familiar with concepts like the cockpit, the retractable wheels of an aircraft, etc., and many were enamoured by possibilities like the plane crashing (this came up an alarming number of times during the reading)!

There was so much to take away from the storytelling experience and I definitely think producers of children’s content - especially ones starting out - have a LOT to gain by reading in different types of classrooms to see for themselves whether what we think works is actually working. Even if to a certain extent I knew of these good practices and my editors at StoryWeaver have emphasised it to me repeatedly, it only really hit me when I saw the proof in front of my eyes. And as a complete storytelling newbie I can confirm that this is not as scary as it sounds and if you make an effort, chances are the young kids will love you anyway.

(Photos by Girish.)

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Bharti Menghani is a translator and storyteller, who loves creating storybooks in her mother tongue, Sindhi. Bharti aims to help revitalise the language by contributing to literature in Sindhi. As part of the Freedom To Read 2020 campaign, she has created a digital library of 50 storybooks in Sindhi. 

In this email interview, Bharti writes about her love for her mother tongue and the importance of creating children's books in Sindhi.

Could you tell us a bit about yourself, your interests and your work?

I am an HR professional working in a corporate.

Reading stories has always been my passion. I have grown up reading and discussing stories with my mother, and I feel that stories have shaped my personality as they have always acted as a torchbearer for me, showing me how to face real life issues. I love to read children's stories, motivational books, spiritual stories, folk tales and stories from the Panchtantra.

We would love to learn about your personal relationship with Sindhi - do tell us about it.

Sindhi is my mother tongue. I grew up speaking and reading in Sindhi. As I did my schooling from a school where Sindhi was a compulsory subject, I started writing in Sindhi from grade 4 and simply loved it.

How did you come across StoryWeaver and the Freedom to Read campaign?

In 2016, I did a course in storytelling from a renowned institute. Most of my batchmates were teachers and I came to know about Pratham Books' Storyweaver through them. When I visited the website, I was amazed to see the vast repository of storybooks in a variety of languages and more importantly, created with the noble cause of providing reading material to children as their basic right. I followed StoryWeaver on social media and kept receiving notifications from time to time. Though one such notification, I came to know about International Mother Language Day and the Freedom to Read campaign.

Bharti has translated 50 storybooks into Sindhi on StoryWeaver

Why do you think is it important to have children’s books in Sindhi?

In 1967, Sindhi was added to the constitution, as an official language of the Republic of India. However, like many other regional languages today, Sindhi is facing the danger of becoming extinct.

There are two sets of children in the Sindhi community. One – those who have the means to afford books and other reading material in Sindhi, but do not do so, as their parents want them to learn to read and write in English. For these children, their interaction with the Sindhi language only comes from speaking it at home. The second set comprises those children who speak in Sindhi, but being from an economically weaker background, they are unable to buy Sindhi books for reading. Hence, it is important to have children's books in Sindhi to cater to the needs of both the sections. I feel that Storyweaver is one such platform which fulfills this criteria.

Of the 50 storybooks that you translated, which story would be your favourite and why?

Gully Jo Gazab Jo Pitaro would definitely be my favourite. This book is about an intelligent child who is passionate about helping and solving everybody’s problem instantly, and for this he keep collecting things - which could have gone into the waste - and makes the best use of them to help anyone in need.

What are some of your favourite books from childhood? Is there any memorable reading moment that you would like to share?

My favourite book from childhood is a storybook called “Hansti Duniya”. It is children's book that is published every month by the Nirankari Mission and features stories, poetry, and sections on science facts, quizzes, puzzles, mythology, and so on.

Another favourite from childhood is Chacha Chaudhry and the Panchtantra tales.

What is your favourite word / phrase / quote in Sindhi? 

Here's a poem about my love for my mother tongue:

सिंधी भाषा  प्यारी भाषा,
हर भाषा खां न्यारी भाषा,
प्यार अमड़ि जो जंहिंमें पातुम,
अहिड़े थदड़नि ठारी भाषा,

मिठड़ी ॿोली ऐं लफ़्ज़ मिठा,
आहे भाॻनि  वारी भाषा,
अखरनि में वडी॒ सभिन खां,
सिंधियत जी अवतारी भाषा,

कन्हैया आहूजा,हास्य ,व्यंग्य कवि, बिलासपुर

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You can read all the storybooks translated by Bharti Menghani here.

Do join the conversation by leaving your thoughts in the comments section below. You can also reach out to us through our social media channels: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

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Every year, StoryWeaver marks International Mother Language Day (IMLD) in an effort to remind us that learning to read in one’s mother tongue early in school helps reduce dropout rates and makes education more engaging, meaningful and enjoyable for children. Focused on the co-creation of digital books in multiple languages, StoryWeaver’s ‘Freedom to Read’ campaign is now in its 5th year of giving children across the world the opportunity to read in their mother tongue. 

WHO CAN APPLY?

I belong to an organisation. Can we take part?

Yes! We welcome all organisations - non-profits, social enterprises, for-profits, ed-tech startups - committed to spreading the joy of reading in local languages and working in the spaces of education and literacy to apply to join hands with us towards this ambitious endeavour.

I'm an individual. Can I take part?

For this edition of Freedom to Read, we are looking to collaborate only with organisations who work with and can distribute books to children.

We are a group of teachers. We want to build a digital library for our school. Can we participate?

Educators across the world have created mother tongue resources for children in languages like Kora, Santali, Cebuano-Cebu and Bahasa Indonesia. So we encourage more educators to participate!

How many members should I have in my team?

You can have as little as one to as many members in your team as you can rally together. The more the merrier!

 

WHY SHOULD I APPLY?

How is participating in this initiative different from simply using StoryWeaver to translate and publish books in my language?

Selected partners will benefit in a number of ways from being a part of the 'Freedom to Read 2020' campaign. First of all, quality-assured, reviewed translations published through this initiative will carry a 'Recommended' tag and will be promoted. Secondly, organisations taking part will be listed as partners on the StoryWeaver platform. They will have their own easy to access profile page (have a look at The Ugandan Christian University's profile page) and a dashboard for tracking their library’s progress. Most importantly, participants will also have access to mentoring in translation, editing, community mobilisation and documentation.

Will participation help me connect with others taking part to translate / create storybooks in the same language?

If we receive requests from more than one organisation to translate content to a particular language, then we will do our best to connect them so that they may work collaboratively towards creating the digital library.

Is this a contest? Is there prize money to be won?

This is not a contest, rather an invitation to collaborate with StoryWeaver to help create and share digital libraries in mother languages with few or no books. There is no prize money. However shortlisted teams will receive support and mentoring from StoryWeaver in not only creating the digital libraries but also the opportunity to publish their storybooks which will be featured prominently on the platform and reach a global audience. Participating in the 'Freedom to Read 2021' campaign will be beneficial to their work in areas such as documentation, community mobilisation etc.

Is there a participation fee?

No, there is not. Teams selected to collaborate with us will not have to pay any money towards the creation of the digital library.

 

WHAT RESOURCES WILL I NEED TO PARTICIPATE?

One or more language enthusiasts or educators excited about working on this project, a WiFi connection and a laptop or desktop computer are the main resources you need to start work!

 

DETAILS OF THE DIGITAL LIBRARIES WE ARE GOING TO BUILD

We are aiming to build digital libraries that comprise of storybooks in languages which have few or no children’s books. For each chosen mother tongue, you will create a library with at least 50 storybooks.

Why are you recommending the digital library have at least 50 books?

Imagine being able to borrow a brand new book every week for a whole year, in the language of your choice! By creating a digital library with at least 50 books, you're ensuring that children have new and exciting books to look forward to, and in their own mother tongue! Children can explore a range of topics and themes and progress through reading levels, ensuring their reading skills advance. Take a look at the digital libraries in French and Gondi on StoryWeaver for inspiration!

Why only digital libraries? How will digital libraries benefit my community?

Digital libraries are easy to share with many members, irrespective of their location and books can be added to them with ease. They can help preserve your language with books for future generations to read, enjoy and share and can improve access to good quality children's literature for your community. You will not only be able to access the library online, but also by downloading PDFs of the books, or through the Offline Library feature.

I don't have the infrastructure to build a digital library. Can participating help me with that?

All you need to begin building a digital book library in your chosen language is a team (it could even just be you!) of people who are skilled and enthusiastic about working towards this end goal. A WiFi connection and a laptop or desktop computer are the only digital tools you need to start work!

Who will review the quality of storybooks translated?

We recommend your team builds in a peer-to-peer review system while creating your digital book library. You might also like to assemble an expert panel who can review the translations and share feedback with your team before you publish the books. The goal is to create a reading level appropriate, quality-assured digital library of books in the language of your choice.

We shall provide you with best practices, resources and mentorship through the entire process of translating books for children.

Will my team have its own website? If not, where will this digital library exist?

All the digital libraries created through this effort will be published on StoryWeaver, and the books can be read, shared and downloaded for free. However, you are also free to download these books and add them to your own reading platform should you wish to do so. Selected organisations will have their own profile page which they can access and share. Take a look at CGnetSwara and The Asia Foundation's profile pages.

How can readers access the library?

StoryWeaver is a digital repository of openly licensed, multilingual books for children. Anyone can read, share and download the storybooks on our platform for free!

What resources will we require to run this digital library once it is ready?

There are a number of ways you can run your library once it's ready. You can share the link to your library with your community so that they can read the books online. If internet access is a concern, you can download the books via our Offline Library and access them whenever they like. You can also use the digital library of books to create a year-long reading programme for your community. Basically, you can use this library based on the resources available to you and potential members.

We would also like to have physical copies of books we translate in our digital library. Is this possible?

Once you have published the books, you can download them in a variety of formats, and print these books should you wish to. In the past organisations like the Konkani Bhasha Mandal and Suchana have obtained third party funding to print books translated on StoryWeaver and distribute them.

ABOUT FREE-TO-USE DIGITAL LIBRARIES

How does "free-to-use" work? What is CC BY 4.0?

All content on StoryWeaver is openly licensed under one of THE most liberal Creative Commons licenses: CC BY 4.0. That means that anyone and everyone can read, download, share or repurpose the content on the platform for free. Once your library is on StoryWeaver, anyone can read and download the books, translate them into another language, or remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.

How will I/my team get credited for the books we translate?

We recommend that each member of your team create their own, individual accounts on StoryWeaver. This ensures that each member of the team is attributed for their contribution to the library. You might want to create an attribution page crediting your entire team on the last page of every book you translate, like the one in this book.

 

As an organisation with a team of translators, will the credit go to the organisation or individual team members?

Each translator will be attributed for contribution to the digital library. Organisations with participating teams will be featured on the platform as a translation partner, and will be able to access their digital library through a unique profile page.

Who other than my organisation and its members can access my digital library?

As the content comes under the CC BY 4.0 license, having a digital library on StoryWeaver means that your library will have a global audience, and your storybooks are free to read and download by anyone across the world.

LANGUAGE FOCUS

What kind of languages are you looking to create digital libraries in?

A UNESCO report on mother tongue literacy states, 'children should be taught in a language they understand, yet as much as 40% of the global population does not have access to education in a language they speak or understand'.

Our aim for 'Freedom to Read' is to build quality-assured digital libraries in underserved languages.

StoryWeaver doesn't have my mother tongue listed. Can I still participate?

Yes! If selected, your mother tongue will be added to StoryWeaver, provided there is a Unicode compliant font for your language. Write to us at [email protected] and we will initiate adding your language to the platform.

Can we translate books into more than one language?

We want to help you build a quality-assured digital library in the language of your choice. If you and your team are adept at more than one language, then you may choose to create more than one digital library.

Does "building" a digital library mean that we will only be translating existing books into our mother tongue? Can we also write our own books?

'Freedom to Read 2021' is all about translating existing work and you get an opportunity to choose from thousands of different books, for various levels of reading. You can choose books based on your children's needs and topics that appeal to you. Unfortunately, you will not be able to write your own books within the scope of this campaign.

 

HELP WITH CONTENT SELECTION FOR YOUR LIBRARY

How do I know that the books I choose don't have an existing translation in my mother tongue?

Once you sign up on StoryWeaver, click on Translate, choose your language, and you will see the books that don’t have translations. Our content team can also assist you in curating a list of 50 books across themes and reading levels, as per your needs. The books encompass a gamut of reading levels and themes, including Early Readers, Bilinguals, STEM, as well as the Curated Reading Programme. With your help, we will be making much-needed children’s books available in more languages.

You can also click on Read and choose your language from the filter. This will show you all the books on the platform in your language.

What if the book I choose has an existing translation? Does my contribution still count?

Yes, it does!

Will we receive help from StoryWeaver in choosing books which can be used in classrooms/storytelling sessions?

You and your team have the freedom to choose your own books, but StoryWeaver will lend its expertise in book selection, if you need any help!

 

Application timelines and guidelines

• The last date for applications: March 7, 2021 

• Pratham Books reserves the final rights to select partners.

• Selected partners will sign a letter of understanding with Pratham Books.

• Only selected partners will be eligible for translation support and mentoring.

• Applications for building digital libraries in languages with few or no books will be given preference over those in mainstream languages or languages that already have a digital library of 100 storybooks on StoryWeaver.

• Applicants with basic digital infrastructure and language resources to create a local digital library will also be given preference.

• All content created and published by you / your organisation on StoryWeaver as part of the 'Freedom to Read 2020' campaign will by default be licensed under CC BY 4.0.

 

APPLY NOW

If you have any further queries, write to us at [email protected].

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