Library revamped at local primary school
"Learners are going to benefit as well as the community, because a library is a treasure house of knowledge."
There was an overwhelming sense of joy at Setlolamathe Primary School when Standard Bank outfitted a library at the school.
The Corporate Social Investment Department of Standard Bank, utilising its Employee Volunteer Programme and an outside specialist organisation, RAK Events, has been putting libraries into schools across the nation for three years.
The objective of the programme is to cultivate a love of reading among the learners in the Foundation Phase, with the aim of improving the degree of education in the schools.
Thaga Mankgaba, Principal of Setlolamathe Primary School, expressed his gratitude after the school library was finally refurbished.
“Today is a big day in both the Kagiso community and at Setlolamathe Primary School. We are so happy that our library has been revamped and our learners as well as the community are going to benefit, because libraries are treasure houses of knowledge. We are grateful that Standard Bank came to our rescue, because our school is situated in one of the impoverished communities. It’s a non-fee- paying school, so we do not have any resources except what the government provides for us. We hope that our learners will use the library for its intended purposes,” said Mankgaba.
In 2018, a partnership between Standard Bank and the Gauteng Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation (SACR) as well as the Gauteng Education Department was launched.
The Department of Education helped the undertaking by choosing the schools that required a library and the Department of SACR provided books for the new libraries. The new supply of books is applicable, energising, delightfully represented and chosen particularly for students in the Foundation Phase. The selected school allocates a study hall or other space that will be appropriate for a library, then RAK Events goes into the school to set up the room as a library by cleaning, painting and doing general repairs. Library-related wall art is drawn on to the walls and shelving is installed to kit out the library. The Standard Bank employee volunteers complete the project by providing the final touches to the library.
These are just a few of the exciting tasks that are completed by the Standard Bank employees:
• Painting the unique Tetris shelving
• Painting the pre-drawn wall murals
• Making tyre and pallet wood seating for the children
• Installation of a worktop
• Creating of reading corners
• Sorting books and placing the books on the shelves
The Standard Bank employees are encouraged to “adopt” the school library and re-visit the school to run literacy activities such as Reading Circle and Comprehension Days.
