SAI International's 'Mission 100 Libraries' Empowers 15,000 Students in Odisha

News Desk, News Nation 360 : SAI International School is once again living up to the vision of its founder, Late Dr Bijaya Kumar Sahoo, with the life-changing initiative "Mission 100 Libraries," which is dedicated to bridging the gap in access to quality educational material for students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Dr Bijaya Kumar Sahoo's 100 Libraries Project, launched in December 2015, sought to create 100 tiny, well-stocked libraries in government and private schools in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, and the neighbouring areas. What began as the conversion of a storeroom into a bustling library at a modest government school has evolved into an all-encompassing movement and power. The Mission 100 Libraries project, spearheaded by SAI International with the vision of the Late Dr Bijaya Kumar Sahoo, aims to close the educational resource gap for resource-poor schools in Odisha by creating mini-libraries that spark imagination and a lifetime of learning. Since many of these schools do not have even a small library, the program imagines libraries as the pulse of learning—places that open the door to curiosity, creativity, and balanced educational opportunity. Every school chosen is gifted an almirah, 500 specially selected books in Hindi, Odia, and English, along with basic furniture and initial teacher training to handle and optimise library utilisation. The initiative has already benefited more than 15,000 children by inculcating a reading culture and plans to introduce four more libraries every year, reaching another 2,000 children each year. Financed by SAI International's signature student-organised events—UNWIND, a big festival welcoming more than 30,000 visitors, and SAITED, a STEM festival inspired by TED Talks with ISRO and NASA speakers—the program redirects excess money into library construction. Aside from books, the program also enables students of SAI International to connect with peers in such schools via interative

reading workshops, internet safety awareness, food security, and career guidance, while programs like "Healthy Minds, Happy Hearts" foster empathy, confidence, and emotional well-being. Characterised as a movement, Mission 100 Libraries represents the very best of how student leadership and community action can make a difference in communities by providing every child the right to dream, learn, and succeed through the potential of books.

Pic - Courtesy