Maddipatla Foundation

Books & Supplies

Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world

In low-income districts/public schools, school supplies are a luxury that many classrooms go without. A few months into the school year, teachers are presented with a small paper bag of limited, mismatched school supplies and are told to “make do.” Often, they must purchase the supplies needed to run the classroom out of their already meager paychecks. When they don’t have the money, teachers must choose between giving their students an inferior education and taking more drastic measures. More than one frustrated teacher has been found spending hours at the copy machine, running off thousands of pages of illegal black and white copies so that their students can read a book.

The literacy rate jumped from 52 per cent in 1991 to 65 per cent in 2001. The absolute number of non-literates dropped for the first time and gross enrolment in government-run primary schools increased from over 19 million in the 1950s to 114 million by 2001.

Kids deserve better than that. They deserve to have access to the school supplies needed to learn. They should be surrounded by good books, convenient supplies, and the materials necessary to conduct projects and experiments.

Students who aren’t given the necessary school supplies (such as an up-to-date math book, a working calculator, and plenty of paper) can become frustrated and have a difficult time in class. Readily available school supplies let students and teachers focus on what’s really important: learning.

You can help kids have a better education by donating school supplies to a classroom in need. In just few clicks, you can make a difference and will probably even find donate-able school supplies sitting unused in your own home.