Deal with post Diwali blues by donating

Hope you had a fantastic Diwali. Now add more lights to it by donating. The best way to feel good about yourself is to bring in light into someone else’s. It lifts your spirits up and makes you feel thankful for what you already have.

With this Diwali’s wishes, I wanted to share a few of my favourite places to donate to. Donate to one of these causes, write back to me and I’ll send you a signed-copy of any of my books. In case of How to Steal a Ghost @Manipal, it would have to be an ecopy with a personal email 🙂

Donate. Now. Believe me, you’ll feel great.

Independent Media

Citizenmatters: They are a team of passionate journalists and a long list of voluntary bloggers who want to do good, reveal inefficiencies in the system and make their city beautiful, warm and welcome. I would recommend this one if you’re based in Bangalore. Donate here.

The Wire: A team of fantastic journalists who are coming up with in-depth insight into current politics, culture and our society. Right now, they’re better than any mainstream media. Find here how they’re funded and donate.

13886427_494847720639720_1485080451208064134_nEducation

Donate A Book: This is a library crowdsourcing platform through which you can help build a library in a school. The initiative is run by Pratham Books, one of the more innovative children books publishing house and is fabulous. For a book in a child’s hand opens a new world. It allows the child to dream, to think of new possibilities, to know that a different future is possible for her. Give some kids stars, by donating here.

Kalap Trust: Kids of a remote village in Utharakhand are looking for people to sponsor their additional education. This genuine work is done by a friend of mine.  Sponsor a child here.

(images courtesy Kalap)


Know other NGOs doing great work? Comment below and I’ll add them on in a future blog. Till then, keep donating!

 

Donate a book to kids. Here’s how

For those who might know me, know that I love gifting books as well as getting books as gifts. I also carry a dream within me, to create libraries for kids, places they can just come and sit and browse and wonder in the world. In schools, orphanages, communities, apartment complexes, everywhere, free libraries. So with all my heart, I would like to tell you about Pratham Book‘s lovely new initiative Donate-a-Book.  (As they so well put it, drum roll please). In a blog on Pratham Books, the lovely team writes:

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Donate-a-Book‘ is a unique crowdfunding platform that enables non profits, schools and storytellers to raise funds for books to help India’s children read. 
The platform connects those who need books and those who want to help bridge the gap. From a school for children with special needs to a Reading Champion who wants to start a library in her hometown, Donate-a-Book will create awareness about these campaigns and help raise funds to supply books from Pratham Books in multiple Indian languages.
If you are an organization/individual who wants to get books to the children you work with, get started on the Donate-a-Book platform.
Join us, as we start a Donate-a-thon to get 50,000 books in the hands of thousands of children by 14th November 2015, Children’s Day. Currently, there are 30 campaigns that you can donate* to – from schools, non-profits, learning centres and champions. Find a campaign that resonates with you and help them build a book bank!

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Hear their appeal, help them in the initiative! Donate to get a book in the hands of a child. Donate to make sure kids and adults continue to read books. Donate, now.