IBBY Children in Crisis: Iran

Iran: Libraries and Read with Me

The "Read with Me" project is a comprehensive reading promotion initiative designed and implemented by the Institute for Research on the History of Children's Literature in Iran (IRHCLI) to promote reading for and with disadvantaged children who are generally at risk. Since 2012, IBBY Iran, with funding from the Sharjah/IBBY Fund, has worked collaboratively with IRHCLI to extend this vital program across Iran, addressing the critical gap in reading literature within the Iranian educational system, particularly in deprived communities.

Reading literature for the intellectual and emotional development of children is not an integral part of the Iranian educational system, especially in impoverished areas where children face severe hardships. Thousands of children work on the streets of major Iranian cities—digging through garbage bins for recyclables or selling items at intersections. Many belong to undocumented Afghan families living illegally in Iran and are barred from attending school, while others are Iranians whose families have migrated from rural areas seeking livelihoods in urban centers.

Read-aloud Week 21-28 January 2021
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Historical Development and Expansion

Early Beginnings (2010-2012)

The "Read with Me" project originated as a pilot initiative in 2010, implemented in a marginal area of South-East Tehran near brick kilns where approximately 120 Afghan families resided. Following this successful pilot, the project expanded rapidly across rural and urban areas throughout Iran.

Early Regional Implementations:

East Azerbaijan (2011): In collaboration with The Society for the Right of the Child, the project reached 13 villages, serving 270 preschool children affected by an earthquake.
Yazd (2012): Launched in a deprived marginal area of Yazd city, engaging approximately 300 children and young adults aged 4-14 years, along with their families. The program generated such enthusiasm that 80 family members, primarily mothers, participated in training workshops and volunteered to sustain the project.
Sistan and Baluchestan - Ali Asghar Hospital: In one of Iran's most deprived regions, approximately 300 children and young adults aged 3-16 joined the project.
South Khorasan (2012): Implemented across 26 villages with financial support from the IBBY/Sharjah Fund and the Yavari Cultural Society, reaching 750 preschool children in 26 preschools. These villages are located in remote areas near the Iran-Afghanistan border.

Major Project Phases and Initiatives

1. South Khorasan Book Bag Program (2014)

In 2014, the Sharjah/IBBY Fund supported the expansion of "Read with Me" to remote villages in South Khorasan Province, enabling deprived children to access quality books through an innovative distribution system.

Implementation Strategy:

Selected 26 rural kindergartens
Purchased quality books packed into "book bags"
Each bag provided three months of reading materials
Bags were rotated and exchanged between kindergartens in the region
Conducted training for teachers, tutors, and librarians in storytelling, drama, and art activities
Supervisors visited preschools to assist teachers with storytelling techniques
Book reading sessions held at least twice weekly in preschools

Progressive Development:

January 2014: Second book package assembled and distributed. By this stage, sufficient books existed for teachers to establish small libraries within preschools, enabling children to borrow books for home reading.
May 2014: Third set of book packages sent for a summer activities program. Village preschools opened their libraries during summer, attracting children of all ages from surrounding villages.

Quantifiable Results:

Reached 750 children
Trained 30 preschool teachers
Distributed 8,250 quality books
Established 21 small libraries across two regions

Qualitative Outcomes (as reported by teachers):

Children initially reluctant to read became enthusiastic book lovers, eagerly anticipating daily reading sessions
Concentration improved considerably; children could listen to complete stories from beginning to end
Enhanced comprehension: children could recount stories, remember key points, describe events accurately, and follow narrative sequences correctly
Vocabulary expansion: children learned difficult and rare words, improving pronunciation significantly
Home engagement: children borrowed books to share stories with family members, sparking interest in younger siblings (ages 2-3) in books and reading

2. Libraries for Children of Religious and Ethnic Minorities (2016)

In 2016, the Sharjah/IBBY Fund approved financing for a specialized project to establish and maintain libraries in deprived sectors serving ethnic and religious minorities, targeting poor children in Sistan and Baluchestan Province.

Project Objectives:

Furnish children from minority religious and ethnic groups living in remote, impoverished regions with appropriate, high-quality books
Target 540 children and youth (aged 7-16) in schools across four villages
Train 20-25 adults through specialized workshops

Implementation Components:

Selection and purchase of sufficient books across different genres
Workshops on book genres, cataloguing, and library establishment
Training in reading promotion through storytelling, creative theatre, and games
Led by the Bamdad Group, part of the House of Librarians for the Promotion of Reading Among Children and Young People, focusing on reading promotion for needy and remotely located children

3. Emergency Response: Flood-Affected Regions (2019)

In April 2019, "Read with Me" launched a series of reading projects to meet the urgent needs of children in areas affected by severe flooding:

Affected Areas:

Lorestan Province: Khorramabad, Doroud, Poldokhtar
Khuzestan Province: Gourieh

This emergency intervention is documented in the report "Read with Me in Flooded Regions," demonstrating the project's adaptability to natural disaster situations.

4. Pandemic Response: Read with Me at Home (2020)

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, which hit Iran particularly hard, schools, kindergartens, libraries, and child support centers closed by the end of February 2020, disconnecting teachers from students in project centers.

Adaptation Strategy: "Read with Me" rapidly developed the "Read with Me at Home" project, providing activities for children and parents during lockdown periods. This initiative ensured continuity of reading promotion despite facility closures, maintaining engagement between educators, children, and families throughout the crisis.

Cumulative Impact and Reach (2012-2020)

Since IBBY Iran began collaborating with IRHCLI in 2012 through Sharjah/IBBY funding, the project has achieved remarkable scale:

Geographic Expansion:

Extended to 13 provinces across Iran
Coverage includes 15 city centers, 6 marginal areas, and 75 remote villages

Infrastructure Development:

More than 90 "Read with Me" small libraries established and actively operating

Capacity Building:

120 training workshops conducted for teachers, preschool tutors, librarians, and volunteers
More than 500 teachers, preschool tutors, and volunteers trained in reading promotion, storytelling, and related activities

Special Events:

Read-aloud Week: January 21-28, 2021, demonstrating ongoing commitment to sustained reading promotion

Project Significance and Sustainability

The "Read with Me" project addresses a fundamental gap in Iran's educational landscape, particularly for marginalized populations including:

Undocumented Afghan refugee children barred from formal education
Iranian children from impoverished rural families migrating to urban centers
Children in remote villages with limited access to books and libraries
Children affected by natural disasters (earthquakes, floods)
Children from ethnic and religious minority groups
Children working on streets instead of attending school

Through strategic partnerships with organizations such as the Society for the Right of the Child, the Yavari Cultural Society, the Bamdad Group, and the House of Librarians for the Promotion of Reading Among Children and Young People, the project has created a sustainable ecosystem for reading promotion that empowers local communities, trains educators, and establishes lasting library infrastructure.

The project's success is evidenced not only by quantitative metrics—thousands of children reached, hundreds of educators trained, dozens of libraries established—but also by qualitative transformations: children developing genuine love for reading, improved cognitive abilities, enhanced vocabulary, and the intergenerational spread of reading culture as children share books with younger siblings and family members.