April 2009: Liz Rose reports on the School Library:

 School Library – great progress!

Megan and Timo and their volunteers from African Impact have now painted the inside of the library at my request and put a large mural on the far wall.  It looks wonderful. I persuaded Abdullah Musa that we needed to move the books shelves and so they are all against the walls. We now  have an enormous and colourful space.

I sorted all the books so that only picture books are on the students' shelves and already that has made a difference.  The novels are in the cupboards and available for those who want them. We found some great reference books and so they are all out (in logical places) so hopefully the staff will start using them. I am going to buy 3 newspapers each week in order to encourage the teachers into the Library to read them.  At the moment they come in - to sleep. I am also going to do a few training sessions with them on how to use the library. We are considering opening the library in the late afternoon for the students but as that probably translates to me opening the library in the late afternoon, I am working out a timetable that is not too onerous and that does not clash with my community classes.
 
Mr Pandu is taking Abdullah Musa and Siku (librarian) to town on Monday to collect books from the National Library.  Hopefully we can sort them there as we have just disposed of about 200 books and our bookshelves look interesting rather than jammed. You will be glad to know that John Major’s Biography, the Flopsy Bunnies and assorted other unsuitable all got re-homed to various schools and of course the Jambiani students.

I think we must have one of the best school libraries on the island  now- possibly in Tanzania. Even the college did not have such an extensive collection. I have really enjoyed the sorting and found lots of wonderful stuff to read. I found some books on drawing cartoons and so now Alex (grandson) has had a few letters decorated with silly animals.
 
Next week I will send some suitable photos of the library in use.
 
I am sure that the Olivers will be pleased to hear all this, having spent so many hours there. I have managed to pick up Nan's groups, though only once a week. The map of the world is up.

Liz Rose
Jambiani, Zanzibar

April 2009

To view more reports from Liz, please visit our Volunteers Page.