Luthando Mapepa
The Chipinge community last Thursday received a major boost after the local chapter of Rotary Club International donated a building and books meant for a community library.
The community library will be located at St Albertina’s Primary School in the town.
The move is expected to help hundreds of people in Chipinge as the district has had no functional library ever since the closure of the council library many years ago.
Speaking during the handover of the doantion, Chipinge Rotary Club’s Mekias Gwamanda said the new community library will cater mostly for primary and secondary school students.
“I’m excited that we have finally set up a community library in Chipinge. The Rotary Club has also donated furniture and books which will be used in the beginning of the project.
“Now we have the community library we are appealing the business community, former students and parents to come on board and donate books for the benefit of our children. We will ensure that the library will have new books which will match the needs of today,” said Gwananda.
Tinashe Kuzuwazuwa, a librarian based in the town, thanked Rotary Club for the donation, saying libraries played an important role in the impartation of knowledge.
“The situation in marginalised communities such as Chipinge is worrisome as there is no functional library. Many students here lack access to the digital technology so we are calling for the establishments of community libraries which will help the community in accessing books.
“In Chipinge urban, there is no library and many people rely on a high school library. We have been engaging the local authority but to no avail hence we appealing to all stakeholders to come on board to revive the culture of reading books. If there is no urgent intervention, community libraries will face extinction,” said Kuzuwazuwa.
The government established community libraries in both urban and rural areas countrywide soon after independence as a way of addressing colonial imbalances.local
