Q: How many children do you teach/work with?

I used to teach the primary level (classes 1 to 5) until last year but since I am looking after the library and the account section in the school, I can only teach grade 1. There are 24 children in grade 1. I also work with all the students, as I am the librarian and accountant of the school.

Q: Did you work in this school before Room to Read was involved? If yes, describe what it was like?

Yes, I have been working in this school before Room to Read got involved. Apart from teaching to grade one students, I used to look after the accounts of the school and the library. We used to have a small library but it wasn't managed well because of lack of knowledge of proper library management; there were very few books, but there was a checkout system for students (library training is not common in Nepal). There were no library classes allocated to any class. There was little interest in the library for the students because of lack of books, seating provisions, etc. As a result, the library opened only during the lunchtime.

Q: How many years have you been a teacher?

8 years (since 1997)

Q: How do you get to school? How long does it take you?

I usually walk to school, which takes about 10 minutes.

Q: How much money do you make?

I make Rs.4,920 (US$70.30) per month which is the scale allocated by the government.

Q: Do you like the current Room to Read sponsored library? Why?

Yes I like Room to Read library because we have always wanted to make our library bigger and better. Specifically, we wanted to have more books, plenty of space, and proper seating facilities for our students. We were unable to do so earlier because of our lack of financial resources. With the help of Room to Read, now we have plenty of books and enough furniture to accommodate our students. It has helped us to increase curiosity of books and the habit of learning among the students. They are able to gain valuable knowledge from variety of books besides their course books. It has not only benefited the students but also to teachers.

Q: How do your students like coming to the library to read?

All the students are very excited and eager to come to the library to study. There is a fixed library time scheduled, and there is also a library period allotted for junior students.

Q: Are the children learning more than before?

Yes, certainly. Before they had only their course books to read, but now they can choose from variety of books from all kinds of topics or subjects such as history, politics, sports, short stories, poems, literature, biographies from the world and beyond. So it has helped the students to learn more than before.

Q: How many hours a week is the library open to the children?

Our library remains open from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm everyday, which also includes a library class for grades 3 to 7.

Q: What books are the most popular in your library?

Students of the primary level mostly prefer storybooks and pictorials; secondary level students mostly prefer course related books.

Q: What do the children think about the Room to Read published storybooks? Which is their favorite Room to Read published story?

They like the Room to Read storybooks very much, especially the primary and lower secondary level students, who often read R2R published books. Some of their favorites are Juju Hira (about a brother and sister that learn that good people help others by taking risks and working carefully until the task is finished), Sinhapata maiju (several shorter stories about being happy with who you are, about being honest, and about trying to find the perfect person to marry - and failing), Milijuli Ghar (a story about a community of animals living in peace and learning the importance of harmony) etc.

Q: What is your favorite part of the library? The books? Posters? Games? Floors? Something else?

I feel the books and posters both are my favorite parts of this library.