St Theresa’s Roman Catholic Primary School in Welcome Estate held a ceremony to reopen its library last Friday after this was stalled by a lack of resources and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Children and teachers dressed as their favourite book characters for the occasion, which included poetry, skits and words from authors Stanley Jacobs and Zaida Harneker.
The school’s principal, Dr Rochelle Davids, said the school library had initially opened in September 2019 with support from the Catholic Schools Trust.
“In 2020, we were getting ready for the grand opening, but then Covid struck. We opened the library again in 2022, but it was still limited. Our staff offered up their time to serve in the library. It was only in 2023, that our Light From Africa Foundation application was instrumental in the re-opening of our library. A librarian will be coming three days a week,” Dr Davids said.
Light from Africa Foundation’s Lynne Roscoe said they worked with schools to establish, among other things, libraries and reading corners.
“Our aim is to make libraries comfortable and different to classrooms. We assisted St Theresa’s with books, software, training and have made a stipend available to a librarian who will be at the school three days a week.”
Ms Harneker, the author of Nobody Loves Me, a children’s book, said writing had helped her cope with her father’s death from cancer.
“My young children could not understand why I was so sad, and they could also not articulate what they were going through. This gave me the idea to write a children’s book. Despite the title, it’s an inspirational book for families to support their children.”
Mr Jacobs, the founder of the Cape Flats Stories Facebook page and author of Cape Flats Love Affair and Cape Flats Undercover, said books and the library had been his saving grace growing up.
“I grew up in poverty and I used to wear broken clothes and shoes. Both my parents could not read. To escape my circumstances, I would go to the library. It took me four years to write my first book. It is very important to dream as this and the work you put in can help you achieve your dreams.”
Provincial education department circuit manager Andrew Windvogel encouraged the children to take care of their library as “books are valuable assets”.
Grade 7 Nucian Oliver and Grade 4 Faraaz Meiring were also praised at the ceremony for the colourful murals they did in the library. .