Always Reading Caravan

• Promote reading for pleasure,
• Provide equal reading opportunities for children from various background, and
• Encourage children with and without disabilities to mingle with one another to remove mental barrier between them.

We value JOURNEY, which stands for the following:

• Joy: Enjoy reading!
• Opportunity: Everyone has an equal chance to read.
• Universal design: Nobody is excluded.
• Respect: Respect among everyone involved.
• Network: Strong and positive network with governmental and private sectors.
• Education: Bridge the gap between the existing education system and the people who cannot reach it.
• You: Beneficiaries are our first priority.

Always Reading Caravan (ARC) is a non-profit organization founded in 2010 by Yoshimi Horiuchi, a blind bookaholic from Japan. While she was studying in Bangkok, she visited numerous villages and disability related organizations throughout the country and realized that people with or without disabilities have very limited access to information and reading materials due to reasons such as the high cost of books and the lack of libraries especially in rural areas. With this experience, she initiated projects that provide means to connect books to people, and people to books.

ARC currently focuses on Central Thailand and Northern Thailand.

A. Central Thailand - Suphanburi Province

The center for administrative and PR-related work is located here. Activities with volunteer staff, such as those listed below, are also be conducted here. :

• Fundraising: We conduct various activities (e.g. book bazaar) to raise fund.
• Media coverage: We take interviews to raise awareness towards the public.
• Weekend mobile library: We visit communities with committed partners and conduct 2-3 day activities to encourage reading. We started from the community in Suphanburi Province, as this will be our official location of registration.

B. Phrao District, Chiangmai Province and surrounding area

We conduct activities on a permanent basis, in collaboration with Warm Heart Foundation.

Tuu is the staff in-charge of this area and she is responsible for the daily operations of the office. Activities in this region include:

• Motorbike library: a mobile library on a motorbike for children in and around Huai Sai village, Mae Pang Subdistrict, Phrao District, Chiangmai Province.
• Sunshine Kids Center (Preparatory school for Akha children): a pre-primary school on the mountain for children from Akha tribe in Sip-lang village, Wiang-pa-pao District, Chiangmai Province. Nalae teaches basic literacy 3 days per week to children of ages between 3 to 6 years old.

Decades later, we envision our mobile libraries to be available in small villages around the country like mobile ice-cream shops. Like ice-cream, children and adults can come and select their favorite books at their doorstep. Also, ARC will work with each community to set up a small library within the village so that bookworms can keep reading even after ARC moves to another location.