Thanks to our donor, Allport Cargo Services, we donated a substantial number of books to Dr G.J. Joubert Primary School for their new school library. We are excited to share this project with you!
Situated in Strand, Cape Town, the school serves an impoverished community with many unemployed parents; Covid-19 exacerbated this situation. As a result of ongoing gang violence in the area, learners are afraid to travel to their local library, which is quite a distance away from the school. Because learners could not travel to their local library and lacked existing books at the school, they were not exposed to quality storybooks in their home language and English.
In early 2021, Tauhira Fanie, Deputy Principal and Curriculum Coordinator at Dr G.J. Joubert PS, reached out to us to donate books to the school. She also mentioned that the school eagerly wanted to start a library. All parties agreed that the learners needed a safe space to enjoy leisure reading and complete schoolwork. We approached our donor, and Ms Fanie rallied together her donors, and together, we could provide Dr G.J. Joubert with a new library space for their school.
We donated 715 new Afrikaans and English books to the school, including fiction, non-fiction and reference materials. We ensured that all the books were covered in book plastic to extend their shelf life. We also provided extra plastic and book ends. From their other donors and sponsors, Ms Fanie received funds for maintenance work on the space, received shelving, a donation of secondhand books and volunteers who committed to mending some of the books and covered it in book plastic. This was a collaborative effort between Biblionef, Dr G.J. Joubert Primary and our donors and we are incredibly proud to have been part of it.
On the 24th of February 2022, we had the privilege of attending the opening of the school’s new library space. We are proud of the school for its commitment to this project and to help materialise it. With an enthusiastic and motivated school management we do not doubt that their learners will use this space regularly, and we look forward to further equipping this school’s library through our donation programme.
