READ INTERNATAIONAL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF TANGANYIKA TO PROVIDE MAKUMBUSHO SECONDARY SCHOOL WITH A LIBRARY AND TEXTBOOKS.

Makumbusho Secondary School library prefects and teachers

Makumbusho Secondary School students and teachers getting a tour of the IST library.

READ International and the International School of Tanganyika (IST) are collaborating to set up a library at Makumbusho Secondary School in Dar es Salaam.  On the 5^th of December 2014, READ International will open the library at Makumbusho Secondary School. 

Faraja Nyalandu, former Miss Tanzania and current READ International board member, will attend as Guest of Honour  at the opening ceremony and welcome the Makumbusho Secondary School students to their brand new library. 

This is the 6^th year that READ International has been running this programme in Tanzania and the 63^rd library they have provided. The aim of the programme is to create libraries in secondary schools that improve and support access to books, create an environment that is conducive to study, and provide a creative space where reading for pleasure is encouraged.

READ International has been working with students and teachers from an on campus club at IST called Jenga.  The Jenga club students have refurbished a spare classroom and transformed it into a library.  Their work included making minor repairs to the building, repainting the walls, installing new furniture, setting up a referencing system for the books and training library prefects. The majority of the furniture has been built by the students and the rest has been donated by IST.

Makumbusho Secondary School students have also been involved in the refurbishment process. Six library prefects have been chosen from Makumbusho and have been trained on how to manage the library and encourage students to read. 

READ International encourages student ownership over the library. In the hope of empowering the youth, they motivate library prefects to take an active role in the running of the library; “When I heard I was chosen to be a library prefect I was amazed and afraid of the different challenges, but as time goes on I am getting excited and happy to serve and maintain order in the library” – Diana Julius, Form 3 Library Prefect.

In addition to the library, READ International will be implementing their Literacy and Reading Program at Makumbusho Secondary School. With the help of University of Dar es Salaam volunteers and Makumbusho Secondary School teachers, the program will begin in February 2015, and last for 5 months. Twenty Form 1 students will attend the program twice a week after school and be exposed to reading for pleasure. The aim of the program is to create a culture of reading at Makumbusho Secondary School and help students become confident and independent readers.

READ International has been generously supported by their partner Better World Books UK who have donated a total of TZS 13.5 million for the library refurbishment, locally published books and the literacy program.

Notes to editor

READ International is a UK and Tanzania registered charity.  Since 2004 we have distributed over 1.4 million books to over 1,000 Tanzanian schools, created 62 libraries in schools in 17 regions, and improved access to education for over 500,000 school students.  These vital educational resources have been distributed into thousands of schools across Tanzania by Tanzanian university student volunteers; providing help for schools to deliver their education programmes.

 

To find out more visit www.readinternational.org.uk

Twitter: @readint and @readinttanzania

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/readint

Additional quotes from the Head Office can be provided on request.

READ International is a registered charity, no. 1128534, and a company registered in England and Wales, no. 06317982 and an NGO in Tanzania I-NGO/00006442

For more information please contact Montse on 0659 367 099 or info@readinternational.org.uk