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Sobantu Library transforming lives of the Youth in the Community

The Sobantu Library is one of the branches of Bessie Head Library under the Msunduzi Municipality Library Services, Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa. It is the library where Bethuel works as Librarian. He found out that the youth in the community struggle to pass Math which is an entry requirement to university and other tertiary institutions. When they fail to gain admission, it stifles their dreams to pursue their lifelong ambitions of being professionals in different careers and some of them become problems for society. The staff of the library also observed that their user communities struggle to identify and use search engines skillfully as they wish to search for job opportunities and/or for projects given as assignments in schools. The COVID-19 pandemic created additional challenges as the level of poverty and unemployment went up. The user community therefore needed to have access to free internet to search for jobs or do school assignments.

Bethuel attended the INELI SSAf program where he learnt several things including how to recognize challenges in the community and think through innovative measures that will solve the challenges, how to always involve stakeholders in the community to be interested in the library and so get involved in its activities. He also learnt about how libraries should render the needed services of the community and not what the library thinks the community will need.

Having this in mind, Bethuel and his team started a Kids Maths Program for 4learners; an initiative for those who are struggling with maths. The program holds every Saturdayin the library. Volunteers from the community assist with solving Math problems.They also sought and received partnership with Magubane Foundation which donated twenty-five (25) tablets and gave the library free internet service. The community makes use of these facilities in the library to access the Internet and search for opportunities as well as do school projects. The Library has also introduced the use of messaging apps such as WhatsApp to connect with the community. The library searches for job openings online and uses the WhatsApp platform to post advertisements so that the user community can easily access the information. This has greatly endeared the library to the community as many now subscribe to the WhatsApp group in order to receive current job openings.

As a result of these interventions, young people are showing marked improvement in Math scores in school. Many parents now send their children to the library to learn Math. Adults are now having access to employment agencies and some have secured jobs in the process. Again, different stakeholders now want to partner with the library, especially after the Library’s recent awards from the local Municipality.

Bethuel says that “applying the knowledge and skills I acquired from INELI SSAf has opened many doors to my library and literally has also changed the lives of people in my community. I am so happy because I have been of use to my community”.

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