Phoenix Kids Exceed Expectations During Annual Pratham USA Readathon

The annual campaign has become a fun way for families to raise funds for Pratham education programs in India while promoting reading, service and a sense of community here in the US.

With a fundraising goal of $3,000, organizers Aishwarya and Madhavi recruited 25 children from the East Valley and Central Phoenix communities and hosted a series of small events to promote the goal of the campaign. Thanks to the hard work and tenacity of the readers and their families, the chapter raised more than double the amount, ending the summer with over $6,300 raised.

Throughout the summer, the kids read and participated in various challenges. Prizes were awarded to both teams and individuals for their effort. Phoenix placed first in the TopRaiser challenge, bringing in more than every other team during June 15 through July 31. The East Valley team had the highest participation in the team reading challenge, which required participants to read ten books and collect ten donations. For every ten books read and at least $25 raised, the reader received $10 in match monies.

15-year old Shrika from the Central Phoenix team was a winner of the creative writing contest for her essay, The Ability to Read, in which she explains, “The beauty of being able to read can take someone to the highest point in their life. As for me, yes, I count being able to read as important as breathing. I wouldn’t have accomplished anything or made a name for myself without the ability to read. I wouldn’t be able to live without breath, and the same applies to reading.” You can read her essay here.

“We wanted to engage kids and encourage them to read over the summer,” said Aishwarya. “The Readathon enabled us to do that while enriching the lives of children in India. We applaud our 2018 readers: Aaroush, Aadith, Aanya, Anaya, Ananya, Arjun, Ananya, Avanthi, Diya, Ellie, Ethan, Genevieve,  Jyotishman, Kavya, Meghna, Raji, Rishi, Rohan, Saanvi, Saaya, Srikanya, Shrika and Vishakam as well as Cares Charity and IQ Abacus. for their energy and enthusiasm.”

Learn more about how you can get involved with the Pratham Readathon.