A community partnership between four retired librarians and a Dutch university is helping to introduce a new generation of children to the joys of reading after they rallied together and opened a library at a poor Port Alfred township school.
Help to turn an old storeroom at Station Hill’s Port Alfred Primary School into a library and stock it with thousands of books has come in from all over the world since the facility opened three years ago.
From humble beginnings, the library now boasts more than 3000 books and is crammed to capacity with eager pupils keen to read during break and after school.
Volunteer librarian Sue Gordon said yesterday she felt privileged to be able to help instill a culture of reading in children who were not ordinarily exposed to books.
“Most of them can barely read when they join.”
She said it was vital to provide a safe and comfortable environment for children to come and make their first connection with the printed word and books.
“We do it because we believe in it; it is a joy connecting a young reader with a book.”
Although the volunteers also help other township schools, they said it would be great to replicate the concept elsewhere.
The latest donation of more than R10000 for books comes just in time for the launch of South Africa’s National Library Week, themed “connect @ your library”.
The money was raised by Dutch couple Barbara and Ronald Snorpers, who visited Port Alfred in 2012 as part of a staff exchange programme run by Port Alfred’s Stenden South Africa and their main campus in Holland.
Stenden community development manager Mzameli Dikeni said yesterday stocking the library was one of several community upliftment projects they ran in the area.
He said during their stay, the Snorpers had renovated a storeroom and turned it into a library before returning home and raising money to stock the facility.
Instead of giving wads of cash to the school to spend on books, they are required to list the ones they want and these are purchased using the donated money.
Besides the library, Stenden South Africa has helped clean up local townships, renovated clinics, started a township computer lab and set up a facility to help local youth get drivers’ licences.
Volunteer librarian Sandy Stavins said NGO’s had also donated piles of books to the library.
Headmaster Tommy Scott said the library had encouraged older learners to join a library too.
Kowie library shows next generation the way
Help to turn an old storeroom at Station Hill’s Port Alfred Primary School into a library and stock it with thousands of books has come in from all over the world since the facility opened three years ago.
From humble beginnings, the library now boasts more than 3000 books and is crammed to capacity with eager pupils keen to read during break and after school.
Volunteer librarian Sue Gordon said yesterday she felt privileged to be able to help instill a culture of reading in children who were not ordinarily exposed to books.
“Most of them can barely read when they join.”
She said it was vital to provide a safe and comfortable environment for children to come and make their first connection with the printed word and books.
“We do it because we believe in it; it is a joy connecting a young reader with a book.”
Although the volunteers also help other township schools, they said it would be great to replicate the concept elsewhere.
The latest donation of more than R10000 for books comes just in time for the launch of South Africa’s National Library Week, themed “connect @ your library”.
The money was raised by Dutch couple Barbara and Ronald Snorpers, who visited Port Alfred in 2012 as part of a staff exchange programme run by Port Alfred’s Stenden South Africa and their main campus in Holland.
Stenden community development manager Mzameli Dikeni said yesterday stocking the library was one of several community upliftment projects they ran in the area.
He said during their stay, the Snorpers had renovated a storeroom and turned it into a library before returning home and raising money to stock the facility.
Instead of giving wads of cash to the school to spend on books, they are required to list the ones they want and these are purchased using the donated money.
Besides the library, Stenden South Africa has helped clean up local townships, renovated clinics, started a township computer lab and set up a facility to help local youth get drivers’ licences.
Volunteer librarian Sandy Stavins said NGO’s had also donated piles of books to the library.
Headmaster Tommy Scott said the library had encouraged older learners to join a library too.
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