The Entire Funding was for the Braille Book Publication

Name of the Book: Spy Girls by Ramkrishna Pal (translated from “I was a Spy” by Marthe McKenna)

Number of Books: 100 copies (360 Braille pages); 2 volumes/book

BreaktheTide sponsored a Bangla Braille book published by Sporsho Foundation in 2023. The book was launched at the Ekushey Book Fair 2023 with 24 other books published by Sporsho Foundation.

BreaktheTide sponsored “Spy Girls” by Ramkrishna Pal (translated from “I was a Spy” by Marthe McKenna)

50 copies of the book were given out to visually impaired people free of charge at the Ekushey Boi Mela. Every visually impaired student and young adults received a copy of Spy Girl. The remaining copies of the book were sent to various libraries and schools outside of Dhaka, Bangladesh at no cost. Some copies of the books are also retained at the National Library of Bangladesh.

Sporsho is a Bangla word and it means “touch”

Sporsho is the first organization in Bangladesh to have published Braille books for the visually challenged, focusing on entertainment and culture in 2008. Sporsho started this initiative to showcase the fact that every individual in a society wants to acquire knowledge beyond the text books. Nazia Jabeen, the founder of Sporsho believes that a sustainable society can be built only when people are empowered with knowledge with an inclusive approach, by reaching out to all, including the ones who are physically challenged. Their slogan, “Manush drishtihin bole ondho noe manush muloto proggahin bolei ondho”, which in English would read, “people are blind not because they are unable to see with their eyes but are blind because they do not have the knowledge to visualize life from within.”

With this vision, Sporsho for the first time in 2011 launched a book stall for the visually impaired in the largest extravaganza of books in the country (Bangladesh), the “Ekushe Boi Mela”. From 2008 till February 2020, Sporsho has published 82 books in Braille version written by eminent authors and including variety of subject matter (some major titles can be provided if required). The books are placed in the stall for all to read and in addition are distributed free to those who attends the Boi Mela (book exhibition) and the major special schools of the country. From 2016 Sporsho decided to include all People With Disability (PWD) to make her initiative more inclusive. In addition, Sporsho plans to include activities beyond Ekushe Boi Mela to make her initiative available to all in the form of ‘knowledge center’, open throughout the year. As a part of this pursuit, Sporsho has celebrated her tenth year in a day long program in association with Bangla Academy including various activities that included both PWDs as well as able people of all walks of life from across Bangladesh.