Hello there, lovely readers!
If you talk to me on a semi-regular basis, you've already heard about this because I won't shut up about it. You guys can still enjoy the pictures though.... if you don't talk to me, first of all, you probably should, and second...Enjoy :)
Several months ago I decided to start a small "library" at my after school organization KAYEC. I got this idea because my kids kept asking me for story books to read and I had nothing to give them. Those who know me know that approximately 80 percent of my life is spent with my nose in a book. It's my heart and soul. As such, this simply broke my heart. No child should have to want for something to read.
So the search began. I started researching Namibian companies who might be interested in donating as I don't really believe in foreign donations (seems odd i'm sure, as i'm a Peace Corps Volunteer, but maybe that's a blog for another time). I didn't have much luck. Eventually, I decided I was wasting precious time and decided to dip into the vast well of resources my American heritage offers. A fellow volunteer told me about a volunteer run organization called Darien Book Aid that will send one box of books to Peace Corps Volunteers. I contacted them and after a few emails everything was sorted.
It took a couple months for the books to arrive. So, while we waited, my co-worker and I had to figure out where we were going to put the books once they arrived. I wanted to keep them in a cabinet of some kind to further ensure their safety. At the time, we did have a cabinet in the office but it just had a bar in it for hanging clothes; there were no shelves. With the help of a few local workers and just a few more Namibian dollars, we were able to have some shelves built and put in! I didn't have the foresight to take a before picture, but here's an after!
Also, in the meantime, I created a "committee" to "run" the "library" lol The committee consists of three girls who are almost always at our program. They are in charge of checking the books in and out everyday. I decided to make it a "library" with a check in/out style because I wanted to ensure the books would stay at our center and wouldn't wonder off. So, everyday the books that are checked out, should also be checked back in. The kids can re-check out the same book the next day to continue reading, if need be. Check out my little librarian leaders at work :)
These kids were SO excited the day the books came in. I didn't tell them they were coming so it was a complete surprise :)
Everyday. EVERYDAY, these kids come to our center and read. They are so passionate about it and it just makes my heart melt. Even though it's not very many books; we barely have more than one shelf, this has definitely been my favorite project so far.
The three girls who run the library have even donated a few of their personal books from home to our little cause. I was uncertain of accepting them at first. I know they can't have many books at home, so I asked if they were sure; didn't they ever want to read them again? They answered, "Miss, we want other kids to be able to read them too." yeah. These kids are my world.
