Kolkata, India
A library for all, no matter one's background
In Kolkata alone, every year, 40,000 new trafficked people enter the city's red light district. This means that Kolkata is the city with the largest red light district in all of India. Kolkata is known to have one of the worst red light districts in the world. It is notoriously known to be violent and terrible for the people trapped in it. When women are in prostitution, their children tend to have pretty gruesome lives, and the chances of them becoming prostitutes or trafficked are very high.
Who, What, Where?
Who:
Anyone can utilize the library, but it is mostly used by toddlers to young adults who need a place of refuge when their mothers are working at night.
What:
This is not only a library but a safe space. In the morning space is a daycare, and in the evening it is open to all as a quiet place. In order for children to learn to read, they need help from others. The librarian of the library regularly reads to the kids to enforce this. Also, for a child to succeed in school, they need a good studying space. So, the library acts as a space for many needed things.
Where:
The Library is located in the oldest red-light district in Kolkata, Kalighat. It is buried away in an alley, which makes it accessible to those who need it the most.
