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Sobantu Library, Transforming lives of the Youth in the Community

The Sobantu libraryis one of the branches of Bessie Head Library under the Msunduzi Municipality Library Services in Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa. The children in the community struggle to pass Math which is an entry requirement to the 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. The staff of the library also observed that their user communities struggle to identify and use search engines skillfully when 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. User communities needed to have access to free internet to search for jobs or do school assignments.

When Bethuel, a librarian at the Sobantu Library attended the INELI-SSAf program he learnt about how to recognize challenges in the community, tinker with them and think through innovative solutions that will serve the users best. He also learnt that one needs to always involve stakeholders in the community so that they will take ‘ownership’ of the library, that is, make them have interest in the library and to be sure that the services rendered at the library are exactly what the people need and not what the library thinks they need.

Along with his colleagues he started a ‘Kids Math Program 4learners’ an initiative for those who are struggling with math. The program holds every Saturdayin the library. Volunteers in the community assist with solving Math problems. They also sought and got a 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 Internet and search for opportunities as well as do school projects. The Library 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 forum to post the adverts 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 get current information on job openings.

These interventions have yielded great results. Young people in the community are showing marked improvement in Math scores in school. Many parents now send their children to the library to learn Math. Different stakeholders now want to partner with the library which has recently received awards from the local Municipality.

Bethuel, enthusiastically shares that ‘applying the knowledge and skills I acquired from INELI- SSAf has opened many doors to my library and literally changed lives in my community. I am happy I grabbed the opportunity to enroll in the INELI-SSAf program”

• Sobantu_Library_pictures.pdf (PDF)