An Indian on a Book Safari in Africa

That set off the idea of setting up a learning centre there. Somy shared her idea on Facebook, a page called ‘Kichankani Library’, with an appeal to donate books. The response was unexpected. “So far I have received 2,000 books from across India and abroad. Majority of the contributors are Malayalees. I have also received guidance on how to catalogue books,” she says. Somy met the village head of Kichankani, a remote village in Tanzania, who took the initiative to construct a small building for the library.

“Kichankani has only one primary school and students have to travel long distances to study at the higher level. It is expensive too. Hence most of the children drop their education by the primary level,” says Somy. The library will have a television set and a computer with internet connection. “Our intention is to make children proficient in English and Swahili (the local language) and to teach them how to use the internet. The whole idea is to make them equipped to negotiate with those who exploit them,” she says. Somy sometimes has to confront caustic questions on Facebook demanding why she is not doing something like this in Kerala’s tribal belts. “I live here, my husband works here. We earn a living by making use of the resources of Tanzania. I think it is my duty to give something back to them.”