Juniper-Akshara tieup provides libraries to poor

Juniper Networks has committed $34,080 to Akshara Foundation over three years to fund children's libraries and educational resource centres (ERCs). The funding, done through Juniper Networks Foundation Fund, follows an earlier grant of $7,500.

On Thursday, the foundation announced the opening of its treasurehouse of knowledge, Akshara Khazana. The Akshara-Juniper library in a poor locality of the city, Annasandrapalya, is expected to cater to the children of the schools and the localities around the library.

In six years Akshara Foundation has worked with over 1.65 lakh children through its educational programmes at the pre-school, in-school and out-of-school level. The foundation, through its network of 50 libraries in Bangalore circulates over 75,000 books among its 11,000 members.

The Annasandrapallya library uses a software created to keep the library working smoothly. The software not only keeps track of the books but also how frequently the members visit the library. The library is stocked with over 1,000 books in English, Hindi, Kannada, Urdu and Telugu.

On what the future holds for children keen on visiting the libraries run by Akshara Foundation, Rohini Nilekani, chairperson, Akshara Foundation said, "We wish to take it further by providing access to new technologies to help us leapfrog into a future where knowledge will be available not only in print but also in digital format."

Akshara Khazana also features a computer centre with four PCs and has plans for more computers as well as Internet access. An LCD projector and screen round off the library's audio-visual learning resources.

"The primary goal for Akshara is to empower India's less-privileged children," said Sridhar Sarathy, managing director, Juniper Networks India.

The library and resource centre were inaugurated on Thursday by T M Vijay Bhaskar, secretary for primary and secondary education, Karnataka's department of primary and secondary education and Sarathy.