Where there’s a will, there’s a way : the Rise of Namandanje Primary School Library
In Malawi, and I guess in many other parts of Africa, it is quite unthinkable for a primary school to have a library,let alone a purpose built library. If there is no library near your school or neighbourhood, the only chance you will ever have to set your foot into a library is probably when you go to a secondary school. This is how the educational planners in those days thought it should be. But things are changing, thanks to projects initiated by the National Library Service with the support from partners such as CODE and Book Aid International. Libraries are becoming an integral part of the learning process right from the primary school. At least this is how it is at Namandanje Primary School in Machinga District.
From very humble beginnings but with lots of determination, Namandanje today boasts of a beautiful, spacious and living library a primary school in a rural area could ever have. The first time I visited Namandanje in 2003, the school had no library of its own. As part of the CODE funded project schools, the school had agreed to establish a library but there was no room to spare for the library. With the help of the Principal Education Advisor (PEA), it was decided that the library should be housed in a nearby Teacher’s Development Centre (TDC). Meanwhile, the local community agreed to mould bricks for the construction of a purpose built school library. The bricks were ready for the construction of the library at the time of my visit. From the discussion I had with the Head of the school; Mr A.G. Chimasula and the teacher-librarian; Mr A. Sani, I was convinced without doubt that in the long run, Namandanje would have a purpose built library. It was clear to me that the local community as well as the school believed they needed a library. The PEAs acceptance to offer some room for the library in his office and the moulded bricks testified to this. Another thing that struck me most was the pupils' willingness to pay a library membership fee for them to be able to borrow books. In a rural area like Namandanje and especially in Machinga, for parents to accept to part with some money just to enable their child to borrow a book was something I never imagined. But through probing, I learnt that the parents also benefited from the books that their children borrowed from the school library. It was therefore easy for them to pay for their children's membership fee.
Recently when I visited Namandanje, I saw what every one who has put their efforts into ensuring that children in Malawi have access to reading and information materials would be proud of. It was on the 7th of March, 2007 – four years since my last vist to the school that I and two colleagues visited the school. This was part of our annual monitoring trips to libraries under the CODE sponsored project and the time was just after 1:30 in the afternoon. At the time pupils had knocked off but we found a group of children- boys and girls- sitting on the verandah of one of the classrooms. As expected, we asked them where the library was and if they could call the teacher-librarian for us. Some of the children led us to the library whilst others went and called the teacher-librarian for us.
In Malawi, and I guess in many other parts of Africa, it is quite unthinkable for a primary school to have a library,let alone a purpose built library. If there is no library near your school or neighbourhood, the only chance you will ever have to set your foot into a library is probably when you go to a secondary school. This is how the educational planners in those days thought it should be. But things are changing, thanks to projects initiated by the National Library Service with the support from partners such as CODE and Book Aid International. Libraries are becoming an integral part of the learning process right from the primary school. At least this is how it is at Namandanje Primary School in Machinga District.
From very humble beginnings but with lots of determination, Namandanje today boasts of a beautiful, spacious and living library a primary school in a rural area could ever have. The first time I visited Namandanje in 2003, the school had no library of its own. As part of the CODE funded project schools, the school had agreed to establish a library but there was no room to spare for the library. With the help of the Principal Education Advisor (PEA), it was decided that the library should be housed in a nearby Teacher’s Development Centre (TDC). Meanwhile, the local community agreed to mould bricks for the construction of a purpose built school library. The bricks were ready for the construction of the library at the time of my visit. From the discussion I had with the Head of the school; Mr A.G. Chimasula and the teacher-librarian; Mr A. Sani, I was convinced without doubt that in the long run, Namandanje would have a purpose built library. It was clear to me that the local community as well as the school believed they needed a library. The PEAs acceptance to offer some room for the library in his office and the moulded bricks testified to this. Another thing that struck me most was the pupils' willingness to pay a library membership fee for them to be able to borrow books. In a rural area like Namandanje and especially in Machinga, for parents to accept to part with some money just to enable their child to borrow a book was something I never imagined. But through probing, I learnt that the parents also benefited from the books that their children borrowed from the school library. It was therefore easy for them to pay for their children's membership fee.
Recently when I visited Namandanje, I saw what every one who has put their efforts into ensuring that children in Malawi have access to reading and information materials would be proud of. It was on the 7th of March, 2007 – four years since my last vist to the school that I and two colleagues visited the school. This was part of our annual monitoring trips to libraries under the CODE sponsored project and the time was just after 1:30 in the afternoon. At the time pupils had knocked off but we found a group of children- boys and girls- sitting on the verandah of one of the classrooms. As expected, we asked them where the library was and if they could call the teacher-librarian for us. Some of the children led us to the library whilst others went and called the teacher-librarian for us.
Once we got to the library, I realised that there was no way one could miss the library. On the door into the library was a label with the words "library" inscribed on on it. This was the first sign that things were going in the right direction as far as the library service was concerned. Again on the part of the children, it was quite evident that they aware of the existence of the library.
Upon entering the library, I immediately sensed that the library was alive – you could feel that people came and read in the library. The place was clean and books arranged to class and the walls were well decorated. On one wall was a copy of Malawi Congress Party membership card which reminded me of the Kamuzu era - a chance for the children to see what they only heard of. To crown it all, as we entered into the library, the children followed us. It was then that we discovered that the children that we found at the school were actually waiting for the library to be opened so that they could read and borrow books. I felt satisfied as I saw our mission being accomplished right before our eyes - children reading and borrowing books. One couldn't ask for more than this.
The library was not as I had imagined back in 2003, it was bigger and well constructed. I couldn't help wondering how Namandanje could come up with a structure like that. Later it was learnt that one good priest had spotted the school's commitment to offering a good library service and offered to help with the construction of a purpose built library. That's how this library came to be. As the saying goes “Heaven helps those who help themselves first”.
This is just one of the examples of the many good things that have come about as a result of CODE funded projects.
The library was not as I had imagined back in 2003, it was bigger and well constructed. I couldn't help wondering how Namandanje could come up with a structure like that. Later it was learnt that one good priest had spotted the school's commitment to offering a good library service and offered to help with the construction of a purpose built library. That's how this library came to be. As the saying goes “Heaven helps those who help themselves first”.
This is just one of the examples of the many good things that have come about as a result of CODE funded projects.
