CHICAGO - s4story -- Bookwallah and Salaam Baalak Trust Partner to Open Two 'Imagination Haven' Libraries

Bookwallah, the internationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to healing children of trauma through the power of stories, is marking National Reading Month by announcing a new partnership with Salaam Baalak Trust. Two new, permanent Bookwallah 'Imagination Havens™', are planned inside Salaam Baalak Trust homes in Delhi, India. The $50,000 initiative will fund the design, build-out, and first year of sustained programming for two library spaces serving children who have experienced loss, displacement, and extreme vulnerability. The spaces will host weekly, trauma-informed story sessions designed to restore imagination, emotional safety, and a renewed sense of possibility.

Founded from the proceeds of the iconic film Salaam Bombay!, Salaam Baalak Trust carries a legacy rooted in art, advocacy, and dignity for children living in some of India's most difficult circumstances. The Trust was established by the acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, whose work has long explored the intersection of culture, humanity, and social justice. She is also the mother of New York City Mayor, Zohran Mamdani.

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"This partnership feels deeply aligned," said Seena Jacob, Founder of Bookwallah. "Salaam Baalak Trust was born from story and cinema. Bookwallah exists because stories saved my own life as a child. Together, we are ensuring that children who have already lost so much are not deprived of imagination too — it is the first step toward healing and recovery."

Each Bookwallah Imagination Haven™ is designed to be more than a library. These are carefully curated environments where children encounter beauty, narrative, and consistency, supported by trained facilitators who return week after week.

"We believe that stories play a quiet but powerful role in healing," said Shikha Maini, Executive Council Member of Salaam Baalak Trust. "For children who have lived through hardship and instability, books open doors to new worlds, helping them imagine possibilities beyond their past and gently process their emotions. A well-resourced library within our homes becomes a place of hope, and a space where children rediscover the simple pleasure of being a child."

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The initiative builds on Bookwallah's established model of sustained presence, currently serving more than 1,200 children annually across India through weekly programming that prioritizes depth over one-time intervention.

Supporters, cultural leaders, and members of the public are invited to help carry forward a legacy that began with cinema and now continues through the transformative power of story.

More about Bookwallah
Bookwallah (http://bookwallah.org) is a U.S.-based nonprofit that heals children of trauma through the power of stories.

More about Salaam Baalak Trust
Founded from the proceeds of Salaam Bombay!, Salaam Baalak Trust provides care, protection, and opportunity to vulnerable children in India.