In order to cultivate a culture and love for reading, teachers from Promosa Secondary School has decided to open a brand-new library inside the school.

Leonora Kok, head of department of languages ​​at the school, says because Promosa Secondary is an underperforming school, the library will bring hope.

In April, Leonora started asking for donations in order to make the new library possible. Along with two other co-workers, they have been busy renovating the library for the last four weeks and are planning on having a grand opening on October 15.

The school is a no-fee, underprivileged school that completely relies on government funding.

Donations of paint, furniture and books by various institutions have made renovations possible. However, all shelving and bookcases have been renovated and painted by students out if old unused school furniture.

“We want people to see that we are not just asking for donations, we are also willing to put in the hard work,” Leonora explains.

The school was also gifted with brand new computers, but unfortunately the school does not have Wi-Fi.

“We want to start workshops on creative writing, have spelling bees and maybe later on, as things progress, we can open up the library to the public. We want learners to be able to come to the library to read for enjoyment, do research, study and do homework, without being tasked to do chores at home. This deeply interferes with children’s learning as they have to do housework instead of being able to study and focus on school work,” Leonora says.

The school plans on hosting four reading clubs of about 50 children, from those who can’t read, to the best readers. They also want to encourage learners to enter competitions outside of the school.

Although they have worked very hard and with the grand opening looming, the library still needs a lot more before it will be ready for use.

The centre needs curtains or blinds, Bars stools, normal chairs, printers and a copy machine, a security system and internet. They also need a lot of books to be able to fill the shelves.

If you would like to make any form of donation, you can contact the school or drop of donations at the school. They are also willing to pick up donations where possible.