The healing power of books: Riyan finds refuge in reading

 
By Nistha Shrestha 
Senior Officer, Communications 
Room to Read in Nepal 

 
At a primary school in Gorkha District, Nepal, something unusual keeps happening. Six-year-old Riyan, a first grader, only comes to school once a week. Always on the same day: Library Day. 
 
On that day, he arrives with quiet determination, picks up his favorite books and carefully tucks them into his school bag. His classmates run to the playground after the session, but Riyan heads straight home. He has no time to play. 
 
“My mother is unwell, and I have to take care of her,” he tells me, softly, when I visit him at his school. “So, I come to school on Library Day and take-home storybooks that last me the rest of the week.” 
 
For weeks, I learn, Riyan’s mother has been bedridden. His father often must travel great distances for work and is not consistently available to help. That leaves Riyan and his elder sister to care for their mother, overseeing the cooking and cleaning, and sitting by her side. 
 
“I miss coming to school, but I have to look after my mother,” Riyan shares.  



 

Books have become his escape and his comfort. Every night, after finishing his chores, Riyan sits by his mother’s bed and reads to her. 
 
“The books from Room to Read’s library make me happy,” he tells me. “My mother enjoys listening to me read the stories.” 
 
Then, one day, everything changes. Riyan’s mother passes away.  
 
The house is quieter now. The weight on his small shoulders feels heavier. But something else shifts, too. He starts coming to school every day. His Nepali language teacher notices him — his quiet nature, the sadness in his eyes, the way he clings to his books. She makes sure he is taken care of, offering gentle encouragement and extra reading materials. 
 
“I like my teacher,” Riyan tells me with a small smile. “She urges me to read a lot and supports me just like my mother did.” 



 
For children like Riyan, school is more than a place of education. It is a place of refuge, and books are a source of resilience and renewal. A child-friendly library that offers stories of courage and hope can shape young lives in ways that go beyond classroom learning. Libraries provide a safe space to heal, to dream and to find strength in the words on a page.

Learn more about our approach to literacy education and why we believe libraries are essential to learning.