After several months of careful preparation, the children of Nqileni Village are now able to borrow books from the Jujurha Library. The library was funded by the RAITH FOUNDATION and provides an excellent, and much needed resource for the preschool, the local primary school and the community at large.

In preparation for the borrowing of books, we held workshops with parents and children – explaining the do’s and don’ts of handling books in the household. The team acted out all possible scenarios (including ‘eating off a book’, tearing a page out of a book and using it to roll a cigarette, using the book as an umbrella in the rain and using a book as a weapon against a village dog!). The workshop was delightful and much enjoyed by all.

We also purchased book bags for each child, so that the children can safely transport the books between home and the library. Here’s a picture of the proud children on their way home with their book bags filled with books.

The library has been a fantastic resource for a community in which children simply do not have access to information. During the after-school tutoring programme (which caters for over 70 children per week) , children are able to use the library resources for school projects and they are able to borrow books from the library for a week at a time. The picture below shows children from our afternoon programme enjoying books that they have selected from the library.