The magical moment captured in this photo happened about 8 years ago. It was probably my second visit to Spiti Valley, when I visited a government school in a Spitian village. I was carrying a few books which I wanted to leave behind for children to enjoy. And were they excited! I honestly hadn’t expected to see such interest in books, especially not at 13,450+ ft.
Magical moments like these have kept me going over the last 8 years. And in this time, we at Let’s Open a Book have taken 5500+ books to over 1200 Spitian children, across 60 schools in the country’s remotest villages. And I’m very, very proud of all that we’ve achieved in the last 8 years. This is why it is even harder to admit that it’s time to step back.
Next month is going to be our free library’s last month in Spiti. And as I type this, books from our free library in Kaza, Spiti are on their way to their homes. None of this has ever been easy, including this stepping back bit, but I know that it is time to let go. If you are someone who has been a part of this long, arduous and incredibly fulfilling journey, I want to say thank you. Thank you for your support, encouragement and guidance. Thanks to you, I have grown personally and professionally, but above all, I learnt how to be a better human being (and am committed to continue doing so).
I am looking forward to the next chapter of my life. In the meanwhile, I’ll continue dabbling in organic farming (a hobby that I picked up just a few months ago). I plan on also getting back to my Kathak riyaz, which I’ve been meaning to do for a while. And of course I’ll continue spreading the love of reading through our Manali library, which could use all the love and support right now.
Thank you once again, for being a part of this beautiful journey. This truly feels like the end of an era.