Mandia Migration Centre was the first place Puhor reached beyond Bajali. After a year of work in Bajali, Puhor reached new shores. On 18 January 2024, we established five Floating Libraries at the Mandia Migration Centre.
For many of the children there, it was the first time they had held a book of their own. The libraries give them a place to read, ask questions and build the habit of learning that migration keeps interrupting.
Mandia was the first step beyond Bajali. In March 2024 the libraries reached Chenga and Barpeta too.
Who the libraries serve
The children at Mandia Migration Centre are the sons and daughters of seasonal brick-kiln workers. Brick kilns run for about six months a year, and families move with the work. When they move, schooling usually stops.
What a Floating Library does
Each Floating Library is a portable collection of books that can travel with the children between centres, so reading does not stop when their families move. Mohalla Classes, our open neighbourhood sessions, make sure the books are actually read.
After Mandia Migration Centre
Two months later the network reached the migration centres in Chenga and Barpeta. Today there are 12 Floating Libraries, all still running.
Puhor, which means light in Assamese, is our education programme for children the system misses. It began in 2023 with books for children of migrant brick-kiln workers and now runs 12 Floating Libraries, Mohalla Classes and free JNVST and NMMSE coaching every year.
Frequently asked questions
Who provides the books?
Donated books from individuals and schools, and children’s books from our partner Pratham Books.
Can my company sponsor a library?
Yes. Education is a CSR Schedule VII area; see CSR partnership.
How you can help
- Donate to Puhor: any amount, with an 80G receipt if you add your PAN.
- Volunteer with us in Bajali and Barpeta.
- Companies can fund Puhor through CSR.
About Puhor
Puhor, which means light in Assamese, is the education programme of Jan Briddhi Foundation. It has two strands that run every year.
Books and Floating Libraries reach the children of seasonal brick-kiln workers in Bajali, Mandia, Chenga and Barpeta through book donation drives, portable libraries set up with Pratham Books, and Mohalla Classes where children read and learn together. Mentoring and coaching reach rural students through free JNVST coaching for Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya admission, free NMMSE coaching for the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship, and guidance for government job aspirants.
Results are reported year by year: more than 120 children received books in 2022-23, 12 Floating Libraries are running today, 7 students cleared the JNV entrance test in 2023-24, and more than 150 students won NMMS scholarships up to July 2022. See the Puhor programme.
About Jan Briddhi Foundation
Jan Briddhi Foundation is a registered Section 8 not-for-profit company in Bajali, Assam, working since 2022 where help is hardest to reach: brick-kiln camps, flood-hit villages and rural schools. It runs four programmes: the Green Plate Initiative, Puhor, Disaster Relief and NearBlood. It holds 12AB and 80G registrations, so donations are tax-deductible for donors who add their PAN, and is CSR-1 registered. Read our impact reports.
Support Puhor. Read more about the programme, or help it grow.
