A ‘Mandela library’ for Kgomo-Mokgalo Primary School
It was with excitement and gratitude that a Mandela School Library Project team was greeted when they arrived to unpack 1 500 new books into one of the newest primary school libraries facilitated by the project.
The initiative aims to ensure every school child in South Africa has access to a library of books at school.
The team, helped by the pupils of Kgomo-Mokgalo Primary School, quickly unpacked the books – with social distancing protocols fully observed. Meanwhile, a storm unleashed its power on the area, uprooting trees and flooding roads.
This did not dampen the spirits of the children and community members gathered to see the new library filled with books.
“We often overlook the significance of a simple library in a rural community where the pleasure of a reading book other than a class textbook is a rarity,” a Mandela School Library Project member said.
Kaefer Thermal Contracting Services, which is doing work at Medupi power station near Lephalale in Limpopo, and Eskom, which owns the power station, sponsored the delivery of the library and another two libraries, at Baphoting Primary School and at Lerekguring Combined School. All three schools are in northern Limpopo.
Kaefer has also sponsored the recent installation of new flushing toilets to replace the pit latrines that had been the school’s only ablutions. This delivery was also much appreciated by teachers and pupils.
Principal David Seleka bid the team farewell and promised to travel to Johannesburg to collect more books and so to continue broadening the library’s collection.