Why Bookwallah?
According to WHO globally, it is estimated that up to 1 billion children aged 2–17 years, have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence or neglect.
Studies show Childhood trauma impairs brain development. It also causes emotional, behavioural and learning disabilities and restricts social integration and issues.
Studies have also shown there is a direct correlation between childhood trauma and adult criminal behaviour.
According to renowned psychologists, STORIES have the POWER to heal.
Our Vision
Give every Child of TRAUMA a chance to HEAL and live a normal life.
Our Mission
Bring a POSITIVE CHANGE in the PSYCHOLOGY of Children of Trauma through the Power of Stories.
Who We Are
Dear patron,
Thank you for your interest in the work of Bookwallah. I am so happy you’re here.
The work we do is incredibly personal to me as it is a part of my journey of expanding my worldview and of bringing change in the lives of children of trauma. The children we help support are not any children, they are children who are part of the Bookwallah global family.
My journey towards creating Bookwallah was a result of my quest to discover myself and what I could give back to the world. When I was a young child in America, storybooks like Cinderella, Beauty and the beast, Chronicles of Narnia, and other wonderful books like these helped me overcome loneliness and find healing.
My trip back to India awakened an urge in me to be involved in something global, to bring a kind of positive energy to help people, to free myself of any regional boundaries and do something meaningful, like bring Power of stories to heal the lives of children of trauma. Once I knew what I wanted to do, I was prepared to launch myself into the unknown.
I gave up a lucrative career and threw myself into Bookwallah with everything I had. It grew from a very simple idea: to introduce the Power of stories to children of trauma so that they can see themselves in those stories and know that there is a beautiful world out there, waiting for their ideas. Instead of just course books, I wanted these children to read stories, to enter the world of imagination, to learn how to solve problems and grow and heal, like the characters in those stories. Often, the only difference between children of trauma and other children is that no one has made an effort to heal these children by introducing them to the power of stories and made them believe that they too can live a life that they want.
We started small in India and today we are actively supporting over 2,500 children with our permanent libraries and over 45,000 with our first-level interventions, worldwide. These children are served by our wonderful network of volunteers, some of whom have been working with us for over 10 years.
In these 10 years, there have been days when things looked bleak, but my belief in the ‘power of stories to heal lives’ never wavered. I have been lucky to have the support of my amazing team and have been blessed to witness firsthand the look of delight that crosses a child’s face when they first come across a storybook. These children of trauma are fireflies that are waiting for their imagination to be unleashed. Who knows what wonderful things they will do, when they grow up and have faith that their ideas are valuable and their input in this world will create a positive change?
My deep love for stories began when I was a little child and I always knew that stories that I read in public libraries, the books that I read to myself in the nights had shaped a big part of who I am. Those stories had lit a light inside of me and little did I know that I would find a way to show what the power of stories can create in children of trauma all over the world, one day.
I thank you for your interest in Bookwallah and hope that you too will share the joy of bringing power of stories and healing to our firefly children all over the world. We do what we do in Bookwallah ‘Because Every Child Deserves A Chance in Life.’
Yours sincerely,
Seena Jacob