We are thrilled to announce that Pratham Books has won the prestigious 2020 Library of Congress Literacy Award, recognizing our responsiveness to the unique needs faced by children during the current unprecedented times, and our efforts over the past few months to spread the joy of reading to children everywhere through the Covid-19 pandemic.
As demand surged during the pandemic for digital learning resources, Pratham Books created programs that could be used in low-resource environments, including a Learn at Home program in Hindi and English, thematic reading lists, audio-visual books in multiple languages and a phone-based dial-a-story program called Missed Call Do, Kahaani Suno! that allowed a child to locate a story in a chosen language by dialing a toll-free number. This campaign reached children who did not have access to the Internet or smartphones, and was a resounding success as schools closed indefinitely due to the Covid-19 pandemic in early March.
In addition, in just four months, translators on StoryWeaver translated 3,000 books into 28 new languages, including books about the coronavirus, health and hygiene and social and emotional issues. UNESCO and the World Bank have listed StoryWeaver as a resource for the homebound child during the pandemic.
We are grateful to our wonderful community of supporters for joining us in sharing the joy of reading, and to the Library of Congress for this award. More on the award and the other winners here.