Interning with Pratham Books : Amani Lenny Vallihu

Pratham Books has two enthusiastic interns working with us during the month of November. One of them is Amani. While Amani continues to be amazed by the amount of sweets we eat here at Pratham Books, he took some time off to write a post for us…

My name is Amani Lenny Vallihu; I am an inquisitive young man with prospects of becoming a very famous artist. I love food, music and dancing. With my spare time I usually read and meditate to gain a sense of calmness.

I attended school in England, South Africa and Brazil. As a child I was not really fond of books. I thought they were a nuisance – just ink of paper! I couldn’t believe that people wasted their time reading a book when they could just watch television. I found it absurd. But I did have in interest in one book called Tintin. I was captivated, in awe of the adventures Tintin had with his dog Snowy. It was almost as if I wanted to be there. Though the book had a TV series, which was popular, I was more enchanted by the actual text than the projected images on TV. I found that I could imprint my own imagination and create my own scenario based on what I was reading. I was beginning to find reading more enchanting and more inspiring. As I grew older I began reading more and more.

Now I read novels based on modern literature, spirituality and fiction. I have an admiration for novelists, who write stories that harness an important meaning that can be learnt from…novelists such as Deepak Chopra, Khaled Hosseini (the kite runner), OSHO, Chinua Achebe (Things fall apart) and many more. My understanding about the world had changed, and through their literary meaning I have become a more uplifted and inquisitive.

I came to India to discover the rich diversity of people and traditions that exist. I want to familiarize myself with the spiritual practices and the needs of the people. I have enrolled with Pratham books to contribute any assistance in the goal of further educating young Indians in impoverished areas. Right now I am a book reviewer. This job has allowed me to fully grasp the material they produce, and the imaginative content each book has. My experience so far has been wonderful. I love my co-workers as the have shown me the facilities and ways to work more effectively.

To me working here has changed my perspective about what a book is. Sure at first t seems like a paper with ink. But at a deeper level it is a means used to captivate, inform and inspire readers across the world. Reading not only cultivates a greater understanding in writing and speaking but also allows the nurturing of young minds in developing morally and socially. I feel that Pratham publishes books based on a criterion that is beneficial for a child’s growing process, and I’m glad that they’ve enrolled me in their program. I hope to learn, build and grow from this experience.

Stay tuned for more guest posts by both our interns – Amani and Naomi! They have completed the task of reviewing our books. So, stay tuned for reviews from an English and South African perspective. If you want to review our books, mail us at web (at) prathambooks (dot) org.