About | Story Express

Our Story

Our journey began in Jan 2000 when Radhika Kundalia and her daughter Akshara started the library for children.
Over time, AKSHARA CHILDREN’S LIBRARY also housed a library on Autism to help parents and teachers of specially enabled children. This decade long association led to the formation of Akshara Foundation, which supported AKSHARA CHILDREN’S LIBRARY in their initiatives like reaching out to community schools, installation of libraries and computer centers.
Storyexpress was launched as we felt the need to develop a deeper connection between children and stories. It provides a space for children where they can interact with storytellers and authors, listen to their stories and create their own

Vision Statement

Background

Encouraged by the success of the library, Prakash Kundalia, who was already actively engaged in several education and community related projects, floated the idea of Akshara Foundation which would embrace all such projects.

Vision

Akshara Foundation was started with the vision to build a congenial environment that recognizes a child’s right to imagination and encourages and shapes a child’s inherent creativity. We collaborate with NGOs and other organizations for community services.

Mission

Akshara Foundation mission is to start a chain reaction where others will be inspired to replicate such a model within their communities and work towards bringing about an inclusive, holistic transformation in the lives of children.

Radhika Kundalia Management

Radhika is a voracious reader and her passion for books was the inspiration to convert her vast collection of children’s books into a much coveted library in Colaba. With a vision to share her love for reading she reached out to children by providing the library as a platform to engage in creative education through books, educational toys and other activities. Extremely conscious of the needs of the student community, she has played an integral role in the installation of libraries in community schools and developing computer centers. Radhika believes that every child has a right to imagination, which led her to launch Story^express in June 2016.

Rachel Bhot Management

Rachel has always been passionate about books and is an avid reader since childhood. She has been an integral part of volunteering in school programs for children and NGOs for the past 15 years. A desire to share her love of reading with children from NGOs around Mumbai led her to come aboard Story^express as a founder member. Rachel’s love for music both instrumental and vocal enriches storytelling sessions. Her expertise in documentation and organizational skills made her a natural choice.

Chandra Baid Management

Chandra enjoys listening to stories more than telling them but, when the need arises, he steps in whole-heartedly. Driven by an innate love for children he believes storytelling is one of the finest ways of reaching out to them. His expertise in finance, willingness to take up challenges and unflinching support completes the Story^express team.

Reena Agrawal Co-Founder

Reena has worked extensively in education and literature. Story^express is the amalgamation of these two passions. It was her brainchild to create a space where children and storytellers come together – where stories are used to spark children’s curiosity and creativity. She shared this idea with Radhika. They collaborated and developed the idea and Story^express came alive. Reena’s love for teaching spans all age groups where she has been sensitizing her students to the needs of children through story telling activities. Telling stories for pure fun and leisure!