Read INDIA Overview

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2. Overview of
READ Global
Contents
In-Depth look at
READ India

3. Overview of
READ Global

4. READ’s Vision and Mission
Vision:
READ believes empowering rural communities is critical to alleviating global poverty.
Mission:
Combining education, enterprise and community development, READ collaborates with rural
communities to build these Centers and seed for-profit sustaining enterprises to ensure their
long-term maintenance and success.
Our proven and replicable model focuses on Community Library and Resource Centers
(READ Centers) as a vehicle for social and economic transformation.
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5. Our Multi-pronged Approach
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1. EDUCATION - We partner with rural villages to build Community
Library and Resource Centers (READ Centers) that provide access to
much needed education through:
• Access to resources that are not commonly available in rural and
impoverished areas (such as books, periodicals, reference
materials, computers, and multi-media tools).
• Relevant content through workshops and trainings (such as literacy,
legal/human rights, health, livelihoods, etc.).
2. ENTERPRISE – We work with each community to seed a for-profit
enterprise that will generate income to sustain the READ Center over the
long run as well as provide local employment (examples include:
distance-learning, sewing and weaving centers, Advance computer
courses etc.).
3. COMMUNITY – We treat the communities as partners and promote
community development through our model.
• Communities are engaged from day one through a cooperative
needs assessment and collaborative dialogue.
• Communities contribute a minimum of 10-15% (and as much as
60%) of the total cost of building a READ Center.
• Center Management Committees are formed and trained to
operate and sustain the Center and its related activities.
• Trainings are provided to the community to build capacity and
promote community development, heightening long-term
sustainability.

6. • Launched in 1991in Nepal by
Dr. Antonia ‘Toni’ Neubauer
• Known as READ Nepal from
1991-2007
• Spent our first 16 years as a smaller
NGO tied to Toni’s travel company,
Myths and Mountains
• We operated on a small budget
of under $300k per year –
mostly funded by clients of
Myths and Mountains
• We operated under the simple
concept of partnering with
communities in Nepal to set up
community-owned libraries in
rural villages and seed a
sustaining enterprise to fund the
expenses of running the library
• Won the Gates Foundation Access to
Learning Award in 2006
• With a replication grant from Gates, we
began expanding to India and
Bhutan in 2008.
• Today, READ sits at an inflection point
where we have the unique opportunity
to expand the depth and breadth of our
work
History of READ
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7. • 68 READ Centers will be open globally by
the end of 2012:
• 53 in Nepal
• 10 in India
• 5 in Bhutan
• 100 for-profit enterprises have been set up
to sustain READ Centers
• 29 READ Centers have participated in our
Women’s Empowerment program since
2010:
• 1,910 women have received literacy training
• 1,677 have received health services or training
• 1,780 have joined READ self-help groups
• 878 have acquired livelihood skills
• 1.9 million rural villagers have access to
READ Centers across South Asia
READ Global’s Results to Date
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8. Key Partners
READ is building a global network of institutional partners to support our ability to scale and
deepen our impact.
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9. Scaling Our Work
READ continues to scale the number of Centers we establish, while also focusing on
deepening our programmatic impact, so we can reach millions of villagers throughout the
developing world.
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10. • READ conducts a variety of program and performance measures to monitor and assess progress
towards our objectives.
• Today, the READ model allows ongoing opportunities for monitoring during the 5 years of
program support READ provides. During this time, READ staff are providing capacity building and
training for READ Center Management Committees.
• To build on this initial assessment, in 2011 the Gates Foundation agreed to fund the creation of a
more formal and ongoing monitoring and evaluation plan for the organization.
• In early 2012, we began work with LFA Group, a US-based consulting group specializing in
research, strategy and evaluation to create a formal M&E plan. The LFA team indicated they had
rarely seen a model that created change so quickly in a community.
• LFA is working with each country to create a formal evaluation plan to measure a variety of
intermediate and short-term outcomes and is training READ staff on data collection techniques
under the new evaluation plan.
• READ collected the sample data from its Centers and the findings are available for sharing with
our partners and donors.
Monitoring & Evaluation
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11. In-Depth look at
READ India

12. READ’s Presence in India
READ expanded to India in 2008 .
To date we have established 14
READ Centers and 17 sustaining
enterprises, reaching more than
100,000 people to date.
READ India has led a number of
key program innovations for READ,
from piloting distance learning and
online literacy classes to launching
very successful partnership with
multi-national corporations
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13. Our Model
READ Centers are designed to serve whole communities. Resources are available for all – adults,
children, students, teachers, women and even those who are illiterate. Each Center provides the
following valuable educational resources:
Resource Description
Library 3,000 books, magazines and newspapers in English and the local
language.
Information Technology
Section
Computers, Internet access (where available) and computer skills
training.
Women’s Empowerment
Section
Providing a safe space for women and girls to attend classes,
participate in trainings and receive medical exams.
Early Childhood
Development Section
Providing child-friendly furniture, games, and reading materials.
Multimedia and
Communications Section
TV, video, DVD player, telephone, fax and copying services.
Training Meeting Hall Space for staff and partners to conduct programs on literacy, health,
livelihood skills and more.
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14. Our Model
• Once a Center is set up, we work with the communities, local NGOs, government organizations,
and community-based organizations to provide trainings and services.
• READ Centers seek out relevant expertise to host trainings based on the needs of each community,
as determined by a baseline survey and continual dialogue with the Center Management
Committees.
• Other services are also made available at READ Centers, including health counseling.
Literacy classes for women in
Geejgarh, Rajasthan.
Women participating in a Health Camp in
Geejgarh, Rajasthan.
Program Topics for Trainings & Workshops
• Literacy • Health
• Livelihood skills • Agriculture
• Information communications technology • Legal issues / human rights
• Women’s empowerment • Communication
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15. Our Model
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Phase 3 Training – Key implementation areas
Women's Empowerment
•Sexual Reproductive Health
•Self confidence, Leaderships
•Gender Sensitization
Economic Empowerment
•Livelihoods skills
•Small Business Skills for Individuals (financial literacy, accessing
markets, marketing)
•Self Help Groups
Literacy
•Habit of Reading and Writing
•Literacy Programme
ICT
•Basic
•Advanced

16. Our Model
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Health Awareness
Youth
•Life skills
•Vocational Training
•Education
Sustainability
•LMC Capacity - Sustainability (strategic planning, social
mobilization / fundraising, marketing)
•Sustaining Enterprise Capacity
•Librarian training
•ICT Admin Training

17. Programs: Literacy
• Classes on literacy skills and retention are offered at READ Centers – for both children and
adults, new readers and those who want to improve their comprehension.
• READ Nepal has developed its own set of literacy education materials, and often provides
trainings in partnership with the Government and local NGOs.
A child reading at READ Oceanic Center in
West Bengal.
Some boys checking out books at the Tazei READ
Center in Manipur, West Bengal.
Literacy Programs
Women’s reading groups Women and girls teach each other to read
Introductory literacy courses For new readers
Literacy retention For the newly literate, there are a variety of opportunities to
practice – cooperatives, micro enterprises, the library itself.
Writing workshops To promote stronger writing skills
Internet-based courses To enhance literacy for learners to continue to improve on
their own
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18. Programs: Literacy (continued)
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Case Study: Tara Akshar Pilot
READ partnered with Development Alternatives (DA), a leading nonprofit in India, to pilot DA’s program
TARA Akshar+, a unique and highly successful computer-based teaching methodology designed to
achieve adult literacy (reading, writing, and basic numeracy) in just 45 days. We ran the pilot at the
READ Center in Geejgarh, Rajasthan.
Using advanced teaching techniques, this program enables a learner to master the art of reading and
writing Hindi and doing basic mathematical calculations quickly. Some of the immediate benefits that
accrue to the women who are made functionally literate through this program are:
• Development of the rest of the family - Literate women play a vital role in the overall
development of the entire family. Being literate helps them understand the importance of education
for their family, especially girls, along with health, hygiene and good sanitation practices.
• Foundation for other skills acquisition - With foundational literacy, women can then look for
opportunities to acquire other skills and contribute to income generation activities to support their
families.
• Sense of empowerment - With the ability to read newspapers and magazines and do basic
calculations, these women are able to learn about various activities around the country and seek to
contribute positively toward their own growth and that of their community.

19. Programs: Livelihood skills
READ Centers offer training courses on various vocational skills that are relevant to the local
economy and can help villagers earn an income.
The sustaining enterprise at the Jan Jagriti Gyan Kendra READ
Center is a gooseberry- processing facility producing iron-rich
foods and juices.
Women at the Tubileima Center in Manipur, West
Bengal are learning to use handlooms to make fabric.
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Examples of Livelihood Skills Trainings
• Accounting and finance • Gooseberry processing
• Stitching and sewing • Animal husbandry
• Agriculture • Handicrafts

20. Programs: Livelihood skills (continued)
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Distance Learning
READ has affiliated with Mahatma Gandhi University
to pilot distance learning RIRK Community library
and Resource Center, at Kakrola Billage, New Delhi,
India.
READ has also affiliated with State Karnataka
University for various Distance Education
Programmes.
Students taking an exam at READ Center in
Kakrola Village.

21. Programs: Information Communications
Technology (ICT)
READ Centers provide trainings using ICT for development needs, including:
• Computer and Internet skills:
- To provide basic skills such as how to use a computer and the Internet
- To build capacity in advanced programs (MSFT Office software, setting up local Internet
networks, etc.)
• Use of ICT tools for effective Communications like digital stories, mobile, radio and
internet.
The TARA Akshar literacy program - based on
the use of information communication
technologies (ICT) - is being carried out through
the Geejgarh READ Center in partnership with
the local NGO Development Alternatives.
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22. Programs: Women’s Empowerment
• Today we know that investing in women increases family income, leads to better child and
maternal health, and increases girls’ access to education. Throughout much of the developing
world, women lack safe space to congregate, educate, and advocate.
• READ Centers provide women with this safe space and help develop a community to build the
capacity and foster empowerment amongst women through interaction and formal training.
• The establishment and operation of each READ Center is the first step in promoting women’s
empowerment. It is a prerequisite that at least 33% of the Center Management Committee is
comprised of women, and often many more are actively involved in managing the centers.
• Women also help to run the for-profit enterprises that help to sustain the operations of the centers.
This participation gives women in these communities a significant increase in power and voice.
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More than 80 women at the Dwarka and
Geejgarh READ Centers are
participating in four training sessions
focused on women being empowered to
fulfill their potential. Themes included:
confidence building, conflict resolution
and self-awareness, to problem solving,
self expression and motivation.

23. Programs: Women’s Empowerment (continued)
Women’s empowerment training at the READ Center in Dwarka, Delhi. 23
Programs and Services Offered for Women and Girls
Women’s self-help groups /
savings cooperatives
Help women understand the value of saving money and how to
increase financial assets, including access to microloans
Literacy courses Reading groups for women/girls
Health education Educational materials and seminars/workshops on topics such
as maternal health, menstrual health, and family planning
Health examinations Offered by visiting doctors, nurses, and midwives.
Child care support Early Childhood Development sections including day-care
programs so women can attend trainings.
• As part of our Clinton Global Initiative partnership, READ has committed to empowering
16,000 women and girls by 2014 by creating 20 Women's Empowerment Sections in new
and existing READ Centers. These rooms provide a safe space for women and girls to
gather to support each other, to take advantage of informal education opportunities, and to
create their own economic security.

24. Our Model, Part 2 – Sustaining Enterprise
• Each READ Center is paired with a for-profit sustaining enterprise that generates income to
sustain the Center over the long run. To establish the most successful enterprises, READ
business development managers collaborate with Center Management Committees to explore
market opportunities in each community.
• Enterprise projects are created to utilize the skills of the men and women of the local
community so that their efforts will generate personal income as well as provide sustaining
revenue for the Center, allowing the Centers to fund ongoing operations as well as necessary
repairs and renovations. READ provides seed funding to launch the enterprise, and the
community manages the enterprise with some assistance from READ.
Van service in Tubeliema, Manipur Sewing center at the READ Center in
Tubileima, Manipur, West Bengal
Dairy Cooperative in Chhaensa,
Haryana
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Examples of Sustaining Enterprises
Sewing and apparel • Dairy cooperatives
Looms for weaving cloth • Distance learning services
Gooseberry production • School van service

25. Key Institutional Partner in India:
Walmart India
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• One of our most successful sustaining
enterprises is a Sewing and Apparel Center
that has been set up through our partnership
with Bharti Walmart.
• The Sewing and Apparel Center for the READ
Center in Geejgarh (its sustaining enterprise)
has trained several dozen women in the
community how to sew and has contracted
with Bharti Walmart to provide bags for the
company’s stores in Rajasthan and Haryana
(where plastic bags have been outlawed).
• This arrangement has resulted in a further
project whereby Bharti Walmart has provided
$150,000 of its CSR funds to help expand the
sewing and other livelihoods creation plans in
Geejgarh, thus creating greater longer term,
impact in the community (and providing the
READ Center with additional sustaining
revenues). Over 2500 women will be taught
livelihood skills as a direct result.
• Larger scale partnerships with for-profit
companies like Bharti Walmart increase
READ’s impact as well as our potential for
creating long-term change in our partner
communities.
Stitching and Sewing training at Geejgarh, Rajasthan

26. Key Institutional Partners:
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• In 2011, we launched a partnership with
Caterpillar to expand our work into Southern India.
• As part of this partnership over 3 years, READ
India will set up 3 READ Centers around
Bangalore, reaching an estimated 25,000 people
through our new Centers.
• These new Centers will offer the same suite of
services that all READ Centers do, with a
particular focus on providing the following:
• Early childhood education opportunities to
over 250 children ages 2-6 ;
• Basic computer literacy skill to at least 500
beneficiaries.
• Women’s empowerment training to over
1,000 women, with a focus on decision-
making within the family; legal rights; health
education, and the importance of education
• Livelihoods training for some 300 people.
• Construction on the first Center in Karnataka will
be finished in the coming months..
Center under construction in Madikheri, Coorg,
Karnataka and a mockup of what it will look like.

27. 2014 – 15 Priorities for READ India
Priority Theme Description
Expansion • Setting up 5 new Centers, including expansion into Haryana and
potentially Aurangabad.
• Setting up a satellite center near Geejgarh to reach more remote
populations.
• Setting up one Center in one of the villages in Gurgaon.
ICT • Expansion of ICT programming, including growing our Distance
Learning Pilot and online literacy training.
Women’s Empowerment • Expansion of women’s empowerment by creating more self-help
groups, livelihood opportunities, and trainings.
Sustainable Enterprise • Design new high-income sustaining enterprises.
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READ Centers
Geejgarh Gyan Kendra, Dausa, Rajasthan Jan Jagriti Gyan Kendra, Bhawargarh,
Rajasthan
Jan Seva Gyan Kendra Trust, Palwal,
Haryana
READ India Model Center, Dwarka, New
Delhi

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READ Centers
Tubileima Rural Public Library and
Resource Center , Imphal, Manipur
Tazei Community Library and Resource
Center, Imphal, Manipur
The Oceanic Library, 24 S. P., West Bengal Moragodu Mahiti Kendra, Coorg, Karnataka

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READ Centers
Swa Jan Jagruti Kendra, Raigad,
Maharashtra
Dada Roop Chand READ India Gyan
Kendra, Jhajjar, Haryana
Yuwa Shakti Gyan kendra, Baran,
Rajasthan
Mohini READ India Center, Bharatpur,
Rajasthan

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Thank you