Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Online Reporter
EDWARD Ndlovu Memorial Trust in partnership with Book Aid International has launched micro libraries at the Gwanda Prison and Gwanda Provincial Hospital children’s ward as part of efforts to enrich communities through the access of reading material.
The project, community reading award programme being funded by Book Aid International seeks to create greater access to books and establish new reading and learning opportunities for communities. The project was awarded to Edward Memorial Library after successfully submitting a project proposal on the programme.
Speaking during a basic library management training which was attended by the hospital and Gwanda Prison staff and handing over of book cabinets to the two institutions Edward Ndlovu Memorial Trust director, Mr Mike Moyo said they have introduced the healing programme for the hospital and the books behind bars programme for the prison inmates.
“The healing project is aimed at benefitting admitted children, expecting mothers and nursing mothers. The idea behind the project is to bridge the gap that admitted children face during this unfortunate time. Children at different ages are admitted at the hospital including those that are already going to school. By virtue of them being admitted they lose out on school work and reading won’t be taking place at that time. The project will try to bridge that reading gap that admitted children face during that period and avail reading material when they are admitted.
“The project will also help expecting mothers to access reading materials for their unborn babies. Science has shown that reading to your baby in the womb promotes brain activity and can promote early literacy skills and language development. Studies have also shown that literacy skills continue to develop while reading to your baby after they are born. Even though a baby is not able to talk, they are learning about the world around them,” he said.
Mr Moyo said the project will also avail reading material to nursing mothers even during immunisation visits.
Mr Moyo said the books behind bars project will benefit prison inmates and prison officers. He said inmates will have access to reading material for leisure purposes and for their academic studies. Mr Moyo said the books will also tackle various projects which prisoners will be embarking on such as farming, tree planting, fishery among others.
The books will also cater for prison officers who will be reading for leisure purposes or for academic purposes.
“The books behind bars programme will help to inculcate a tradition of reading and researching among prisoners thereby keeping them occupied. We hope that this will decrease the chances of them engaging in crime after being released. We hope that through this project farmers will be empowered so that they can engage in income generating projects post prison life,” he said.
Mr Moyo said the inmates need to be trained on library systems management so they could assist in various library activities such as maintaining order and tidiness or overseeing the lending of books.
He said one of the trust’s core objectives was to facilitate community development through education and one way of doing this was by providing information and literature through libraries. He said their focus was to provide current, relevant and age appropriate books which could edify people.
Mr Moyo urged the hospital and prison staff to ensure that they keep record of the books so that the project can be sustainable.
@DubeMatutu
Online Reporter