2011  Founder members Vijaya Joshi and Shobha Bondre Avid readers Shobha Bondre, a well known Marathi author and Vijaya Joshi, a retired News Director, Mumbai Doordarshan, started a free lending library for the children of Gosavi Vasti in Kothrud. Their main objective was to inspire and promote the love of reading among children from low-income groups who do not have easy access to books. They launched this first library thanks mainly to the donations of books and funds by their friends and family members. The residents of Gosavi Vasti responded enthusiastically and there was a throng of readers in the library from day one. Along with the steady increase in the number of readers, there was also an increase in the number of volunteers. Shubha Dighe, Vaijayanti Agashe and Shalaka Walimbe joined the team. | ||
| 2012 There were now more than 200 readers in the library. An essay writing competition was organized to encourage the children and renowned cartoonists and authors of the beloved “Chintu” series were invited to distribute prizes to the winners. On 23-10-2012 AKSHAR SARITA FOUNDATION, a Not for profit private limited company was incorporated under Section 25 of the companies act, 1956. The Board of Directors comprised of three directors, Ms Shobha Bondre, Ms Shalaka Walimbe and Mr. Dilip Mohite.    | ||
| 2013 The library now had many loyal student members who had read 30 to 40 books in the 2 years since its inception. A special mention should be made here of Dasharath Gawade who read 75 books during this period and never missed an occasion to borrow books. By the end of 2013 the library had 350 members. 2 new volunteers Viju Bhagwat and Jyotsna Kanade joined the ASF team. | ||
| 2014 ASF started a new branch of the library in Kusumbai Motichand Mahila Ashram. A new group of enthusiastic volunteers: Lalita Kulkarni, Mangal Khandekar, Rohini Ghanekar, Aparna Bedekar and Tanvi Bedekar joined the ASF team and helped to conduct the library sessions here. Around 100 girls and women of varied ages started regularly reading books of their choice.  Kusumbai Motichand Mahila Ashram Team | ||
| 2015 ASF was now reaching out to a growing number of readers but at the same time time one problem that reared its head was the alarming number of books which were lost and not returned. So, after several meetings and discussions with all the volunteers, it was unanimously decided that ASF should adopt the format of “Vachanacha Taas” or “Library sessions” in schools run by the Pune Municipal Corporation and Marathi medium schools. The schools agreed to include the Library sessions in their regular time-table. The children studying in these schools came mostly from low income families. They would now have access to a wide range of books, thanks to the ASF initiative. Being a part of the regular time-table of schools gave our Library sessions a disciplined format and prevented the loss of books. With this aim in mind, ASF approached the Principals of Pandit Deendayal Marathi and English medium schools and Abhijat school. They were very supportive of the idea and ready to co-operate with the ASF initiative. Very soon, Library sessions began in these schools for students of V, VI & VII Standard.     Deendayal School Team     Abhijat School Team | ||
| 2016 A new Library class was launched in Jagtap School, a Pune Municipal Corporation school, on Sinhagad Road. Several new and enthusiastic volunteers joined the ASF team: Dipti Limaye, Kalpana Joshi, Aparna Joshi, Kalpana Shirode, Vinaya Walimbe, Bharati Page, Chhaya Iyer, Shekhar Harankhedkar, Sandhya Katti and Asha Londhe, to name a few. There were also several reading enthusiasts and altruistic donors who contributed generously to our cause. Thanks to their contributions and the commendable efforts of the volunteers, ASF could reach out to a lot of new young readers and pave the way forward in its mission of empowering children of low income-groups through reading.   Jagtap School Team | ||
| 2017 ASF partnered with Swa-roop Vardhini and started a Library class in its Bhave School branch. Aparna Bedekar and Shubhangi Bondre were in charge of the activity in Bhave school. It was decided that an Advisory Committee be formed and several respected stalwarts from varied fields were invited to be a member of the ASF Advisory Committee: Vijay Kuwalekar, former Editor of the Marathi newspaper Sakal; Makarand Gadre, a highly successful IT professional who had worked as a Software Engineer and Architect in Microsoft USA; Dr. Jayant Gadgil, a noted Scientist; Ajit Katti, an experienced engineer in the construction business; Ajit Walimbe, a talented Marketing and Sales professional in the oil industry of Middle East. The combined enthusiasm and dynamic ideas of these experts gave new flight to the dreams and aspirations of ASF. Experts in various fields like: English writer and popular columnist Gouri Dange, Scientist Dr. Jayant Gadgil, Animal activist Anjali Kudale, Marathi Journalist Sandhya Tanksale, Producer at All India Radio Pune, Gouri Lagu and many more distinguished guests visited the Akshar Sarita Library classes, interacted with the students and shared their experiences with the students.  Bhave School Team | ||
| 2018 Thanks to the support of the Rotary Club of NIBM, a Library class was started for boys of the Sant Ramdas School branch of Swa-roop Vardhini, at Pandav Nagar. In the academic year 2018 – 2019, ASF conducted 13 library classes in various schools and other institutions, thereby reaching out to around 600 students. The annual essay competition was conducted as usual.   Sant Ramdas School Team | ||
| 2019 2 new Library classes were started in the Pune Municipal Corporation’s Kalpana Chawla school and Nerlekar School at Khadakwadi, a village on the outskirts of Pune. Additional classes were also started in the already existing partner schools. New volunteers like Sharad and Varsha Mahajani, Pallavi Akolkar, Vidya Sankpal became an integral part of the ASF team. Our cause was supported and encouraged by timely contributions by several reading enthusiasts. As the scope of ASF work grew, the number of volunteers proved to be inadequate. Hence in 2016, it was decided to recruit students and homemakers who were paid on an hourly basis to help ASF conduct its numerous classes. In 2019 there were 6 such helpers who were also a part of the ASF team. In 2019-2020 ASF was running 17 Library classes and providing reading opportunities to around 800 students in and around Pune. 650 students participated in the Essay competition in early 2020 and the winners were felicitated and given awards and prizes.  Kalpana Chawla School Team   Nerlekar School Team | ||
| 2020 In March, towards the end of the academic year 2019-2020, the pandemic of Covid-19 spread its tentacles all over the world. In June, the schools began in a virtual format. The Library sessions could not be included in the already reduced time-table of virtual classes. But we, at ASF, did not give up so easily. ASF volunteers made audio and video recordings of poems, songs, short stories, general knowledge etc. These recordings were sent to the school teachers, who in turn shared them online with the students. During these tough times, ASF ensured that at least 1 poem or story a day was shared with the students. | ||
| 2021 The schools worked in a virtual format all through the academic year 2021-2022. From 2020 to 2022 ASF created more than 300 audio and video clips and shared these with the children. In October 2021 Akshar Sarita Foundation, CIN U80900PN2012NPL145170 was granted registration for —— Section 12A Unique Registration No. AALCA4365LE20192 Section 80G Unique Registration No. AALCA4365LF20216 Undertaking CSR activities – Registration No. CSR00016285 | ||
| 2022 Schools started in the offline format from June 2022 and Akshar Sarita Foundation’s work began once again with a bang, continuing from where it had left off before the pandemic. ASF received generous donations from several donors. The Rotary Club of NIBM made a significant contribution which enabled ASF to start new library classes. The ASF team of loyal volunteers was eager to start the library classes. Several new enthusiastic volunteers joined the ASF team: Sunila Sapre, Pooja Gawade, Pooja Pawaskar, Manasi Kulkarni, Meena Kulkarni, Anuradha Joshi, Vrushali Patwardhan, Mughda Damle, Baliram Dhondge, Pratik Dhotre, Vaishnavi Pardeshi, Albert Monteiro, Aparna Abhyankar. Thanks to all the enthusiasm of all these volunteers, ASF could begin Library classes not only in the earlier schools and institutions but also in several new schools.    Baburao Genuji Balwadkar School, Balewadi Team     Dnyanada Prashaala, Karvenagar, Pune, School Team Gosavi Secondary School, Vitthalwadi, Pune Team   Swa-roop Vardhini Girls branch, Annasaheb Shinde School, Ghorpade Peth, Pune Team By the end of the year 2022, ASF was conducting 32 Library classes in various schools and institutions in and around Pune and reaches out to 1500 young readers.  ASF Team 2022 | ||
| 2023 In June 2023, ASF started with 32 library classes. By the end of academic year 2023-24, ASF started conducting 42 Library Classes in different schools from Pune and Mumbai for around 2000 students. Thus, ASF now conducts 42 library classes and reaches out to about 2000 young readers. ASF conducted its annual Essay Competition in January 2024. Around 800 students participated and wrote essays about their favorite books. Three best written essays were selected from each Library Class and prizes were distributed to all the winners along with the certificates and medals. |
