Nearly 16,000 textbooks have been distributed among needy students by the Indian Cultural Society-Jeddah (ICSJ) and Bazm-e-Osmania-Jeddah.

The two organizations collected about 22,000 books this year. Of them, some 6,000 books were discarded because of their bad condition, said ICSJ President Arif Quraishi. He said old uniforms, bags and shoes were also distributed.

Parents came from as far as Makkah, Taif, Madinah and Yanbu to collect books for their children. “The books were given away free of cost,” said Quraishi.

The books were distributed on a first-come-first-served basis during March 31-April 1, at the start of the IISJ’s new academic year.

IISJ Chairman Haroon Rasheed, who was present during the event, said it was for the first time that he saw thousands of books in one room. He attributed it to Quraishi and his team’s efforts.

During the collection drive, parents and students were urged through newspaper announcements and poster campaigns to donate textbooks at certain locations in Jeddah, after which they were collected, arranged class-wise in bundles by the ICSJ and Bazm members and their families.

Prominent among those who played a significant role in executing the initiative were Dilshad A. Shamsi, patron of ICSJ; Arif Masood Siddiqui, Laeeq Siddiqui, Maqbool Pervez, Iqbal Sheikh Al-Sulkar, Fareed Al-Waheedy, Amjad, Altaf and Yousuf.

Quraishi thanked parents and students for their cooperation in donating and collecting the books. He appreciated Badruddin Medical Group, Al-Rayan Polyclinic, Naseem Polyclinic, Shadab Restaurant, Azizia Store and Mubarak Store. Quraishi also acknowledged the help of mini-markets and restaurants in the drive to collect the books.