"Siyakhula" Community Library

Description

The "Siyakhula" Community Library project aims to generate enthusiasm for reading and engage community members in creating a shared learning space. Its primary goal is to equip established local partners with the resources needed to continue and strengthen ongoing efforts. Named for the phrase meaning “we are growing,” the initiative reflects a collaborative planning process involving a local nonprofit organization, teachers from two primary schools, a Peace Corps Volunteer, parent volunteers, and the community council. It began when partners connected the Peace Corps Volunteer with a local English teacher who had been running an after‑school remedial reading program from her home for five years. Community needs were identified through home visits, meetings, school engagement, interviews, and input from counterparts and teachers.

Key needs include the absence of a dedicated space for remedial literacy support, a lack of shared learning environments outside school and home, limited access to books, and insufficient direction for youth who have completed secondary school. The project will establish a community learning space equipped with books, furniture, and a book‑management system. Materials will include take‑home readers, leveled readers for targeted support, and picture books for independent or group use. Numbered, color‑coded categories will match learners’ varied reading levels, offering teachers practical tools to strengthen fluency and confidence in settings where resources are limited.

A community launch day will introduce the first shared library space, followed by workshops on library use and leveled reading. Weekly after‑school sessions will offer guided reading and remedial support. Ongoing involvement from two schools, a community‑based teacher, and the nonprofit organization will help ensure the space is maintained and used as intended.