40 primary schools receive text books

Ivan Zhakata Herald Correspondent

Forty primary schools across the country have each received 250 books from the 10 000 books donated by the Harare City Library in partnership with Book Aid and the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY).

The books are meant to boost education in marginalised schools as well as creating a culture of reading among primary school pupils.

Speaking in Harare this week, chairperson for IBBY-Zimbabwe Ms Virginia Phiri said this was the first time her organisation was donating books to marginalised schools in Zimbabwe.

“It is not the children that have benefited but the libraries have also benefited. It is one of the things that we feel that we need to celebrate the donation of textbooks from Book Aid International.

“The books have already been delivered to the schools in Harare in Hopley, Dzivaresekwa and Ruwa among other areas and we are left with schools in Zvishavane, Bulawayo, Mutare and Chinhoyi. The books are brand new and we hope that they will help in boosting education and creating a reading culture among children,” she said.

Board chairperson for the Harare City Library Dr Joe Muzurura said the books will augment the e-learning process at marginalised schools.

“People normally think that books belong in Harare, so we are trying to go outside the city and serve the peri-urban and rural communities. We are targeting children and with the issue of drugs that is currently going on, we want to create a culture of reading so that our children desist from taking drugs,” he said.

Harare City Library executive manager, Mr Sindiso Moyo, said as a public library they were open to the whole community.

“The donated books are for primary schools and as children their development is at the heart of the Harare City Library. We feel it is vital to nurture a reading culture in our young children. A reading culture and love of reading ensures that a child’s journey in education is smooth and skills for resourcefulness are harnessed lending to lifelong learning. We encourage young and old people to make use of the library and its spaces, particularly during this Covid-19 era, as library spaces are safe and adhere to the World Health Organisation regulations by guiding seating arrangements and maintaining social distance between users,” he said.

Harare City Library is a not-for-profit organisation and relies on the support of the business and private community to maintain its operations.