Project Report
| Sep 11, 2021
Mobile library restarts services
By Michael Kevane | Director
![Readers surround the BMP]()
Readers surround the BMP
The mobile library (Bibliothèque Mobile Pénélope, BMP) has begun operations again in August 2021, with visits to schools in Houndé town. The team also met with school directors and town authorities. School session starts in October, so for now the visits are informal. The plan is that in October each of the 7 schools will have a “reading club” of 20 students, who will commit to participating after school for a reading session. The team in Houndé is also preparing printing of about 20 new titles of local books produced by the Houndé multimedia center team. In the coming month the BMP will also be replenished with puzzles and illustrated French children’s books.
![The BMP in action August 2021]()
The BMP in action August 2021
![Good choice of books offered by mobile library]()
Good choice of books offered by mobile library
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May 19, 2021
Mobile library on hold - librarian geting license
By Michael Kevane | Director, West Africa
![Students using the BMP]()
Students using the BMP
The mobile library in Houndé, Burkina Faso, known locally to the FAVL team as the BMP (Bibliothèque Mobile Penelope) has been on hiatus while the newly hired librarian obtains an official drivers license. The mobile library is built out of a "tricycle" (a large motorcycle with attached small library), and driving it is quite difficult, and all drivers must be licensed. (There are many accidents for these vehicles by young male drivers!). While we await his license (a process that takes several months as he must attend driver education classes, we are replenishing the inventory of books and games of the mobile library. We expect it to be ready to go in July.
![The BMP atracts a crowd in January 2021]()
The BMP atracts a crowd in January 2021
![Some of the books are EXCELLENT!]()
Some of the books are EXCELLENT!
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Jan 6, 2021
Supporting salary of mobile library animator
By Michael Kevane | Director, West Africa
![Mobile library in action, Dec. 2020]()
Mobile library in action, Dec. 2020
In the past year 2020, FAVL received just over $1180 in donations for this project. Most of the funds were received in the last month of December. We thank the many donors!
We are planning then to use these funds to continue to pay the salary of the "animator" who drives the mobile library and organizes the visits. Last year we had a great animator who regularly took out the mobile library. He recently accepted another job, and so in December we recruitred a new animator, who is doing very well. The animator is paid about $100 per month (it is a part-time position) so your donations cover the expenses for 2021.
On regular library activities, the FAVL blog has been filled in recent months with news of activities from various libraries and programs since October when activities resumed after the end of the Covid19 lockdowns and restrictions. Librarians in the Tuy region have resumed monthly gatherings. The FAVL representative in Burkina Faso, Sanou Dounko, regularly visits libraries. In October, he held a meeting with several mayors to coordinate efforts to ensure that librarians are hired as “municipal” employees. He met with librarians in three regional meetings in early December. Over in Ghana, CESRUD library coordinator Paul Ayutoliya has overseen the re-roofing and refurbishment of Gowrie-Kunkua library, as the roof blew off in a violent rainstorm in May. The Sumbrungu and Sherigu libraries have been very busy since they reopened. FAVL has also been committing funding to modest renewal of book collections, and locally in Burkina Faso the Ministry of Culture as well as the U.S. Embassy have been supporting the libraries. More news is available on the blog.
![A group of young readers]()
A group of young readers
![A favorite book about Soundjata!]()
A favorite book about Soundjata!
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