ACT Foundation kicked off a number of significant initiatives in the last (2020) year. But among them, we all feel exaggerated and proud to talk about the project “Alo.” This initiative is a kind of project we comprehend by more of the heart than the brain. Alo descents from the context of a book’s role in our life and how it enlightens our soul. Nowadays, our lives are occupied with devices’ screens, and the brain seeks all kinds of an easy dopamine rush. The enjoyment of finishing a book or exploring a new perspective through reading and that kind of fulfillment is decreasing exponentially in our society. Alo tried to emphasize this contemporary problem and took an initial push for the exposure of the situation. What could be a better idea than installing an open bookshelf in a public place where the background is graffiti? It works like a book-sharing hub where people donate books and borrow from the shelf.
The intention to set up a bookshelf in such a public place is more to create awareness. Not everyone will take books from here or donate, but this would help them realize the importance of books. Alo is a kind of awareness campaign. We are trying to remind people to stay connected with books and make a habit of reading regularly. That is why we called this “Alo” in English “Enlightenment”. Books help us to enlighten. The shelf can have 200 books at max. Anyone can donate books here, and that will inspire us a lot.
Alo Chattar( A place in Lake Par where the library stands) brings people a social and cultural vibe. Thousands of people visit Shakuni Lake daily. The graffiti attracts them, and they take books from the bookshelf. There, One is skimming through the book leaning against a wall, another has a glimpse of the book, and they are allowed to take it home for reading( Of course! They need to return the book). This is a very magical moment one can ever expect. And undoubtedly, this initiative made the beautiful lake more meaningful and sophisticated.
With fantastic support from Madaripur Municipality, ACT Foundation inaugurated this public book-sharing hub on the 17th of May 2021. Mayor, Madaripur Municipality was like a blessing for us to bring this dream project into reality. His support and applause were very inspirational. Madaripur Municipality is working to extend this project to a few more places in lakepar soon. And we see this as an achievement for the ACT Foundation. Alo is the first public book-sharing hub or open library in public place initiative in Madaripur initiated by Actions Contributing to Transformation (ACT) Foundation.
