Syed Ali Shah:
QUETTA:
“Why not books, if food items can be delivered to homes”, Shakoor Baloch, a committed young student said. Mr. Baloch and other youngsters of Quetta’s Sariab Road area have established the “ReadersClub” to provide free books to people in general and students in particular.
Sitting in a mud and brick-walled room located in one of the congested poor neighborhoods of Quetta, Shakoor Baloch, Amjad Baloch, and their colleagues are committed to promoting the book reading culture.
Bicycle is economical, we cannot afford petrol: Amjad Baloch
“We deliver books by bicycle”, Amjad Baloch, another student with a black-bushy beard said. Petrol prices are high, we cannot afford fuel and therefore, deliver books on the bicycle, he mentioned.
Reads Club has gathered around 700 books so far. Currently, the club has dropped over 400 books at various homes in various parts of Quetta and Balochistan province. “Our aim is to promote book reading culture and people are excited to read books”, Shakoor Baloch stated.
Volunteers delivering books at homes
The number of volunteers for this campaign is around one dozen. Most of them are students and an education lover has temporarily handed over the mud and brick-walled room to ensure the success of the initiative.
No official encouragement or support so far
“No contact by any government official or any political party”, Shakoor Baloch stated. He said the Readers’ Club was in dire need of support since the demand for reading books was growing and they were unable to meet.
In Balochistan, various organizations have established libraries to promote book reading culture and open new vistas of knowledge and information for the students.
Students have already established libraries in the Balochistan district of Kech, Gwadar, and other areas. Daily thousands of students from various parts of the province visit libraries.
