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READ has established its first country affiliate office in Gurgaon, the commercial hub connected to Delhi; and identified its first library site in Ullon, West Bengal – a sultry, tropical climate where the Ganges enters the Bay of Bengal. More libraries will follow with each year. As with Nepal, the core social challenges faced by READ India libraries are lack of education, illiteracy, rural unemployment, and poverty – key causes of social unrest and violence. Since India is a country of more than a billion people, requirements to meet such challenges are daunting. With a multiplicity of spoken languages, READ needs to provide books in the language of local instruction. Yet, by helping communities such as Ullon control their future and manage their progress, READ will inspire change and provide hope to millions – albeit one village at a time.
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