DailyGood: Mary Oliver On Mornings

DailyGood: Mary Oliver On Mornings

Enjoy the mornings

Brightening a child's world

I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go.

- Rachel Joy Scott -

What I've Learned From The Children In My Life, by Shaheen Mistry

Mistaken for Petina Gappah

Finally, the Book Café in Harare has a Book Club. Last night I joined 14 others in a discussion of Uwem Akpan’s book ‘Say You’re One of Them’.  

Well, not everyone was discussing per se. Our numbers were boosted just a little by the cancellation of the Women In Media event that was planned for the Book Café main stage the same evening (a few curious individuals ventured to the back room where we were tucked away and were warmly invited to join us). They sat quietly curious as the 6 or 7 people who had read the book discussed it. Others, who had just come along for the discussion did chip in with questions and observations and requests to read the book (not available locally as far as I know). Which is also part of this book club deal. If book club does not make you curious to read the books discussed, then frankly it hasn’t done its job! And if you want to read this book, copies will eventually make their way to the shelves of the Harare City Library where it is hoped the book club discussions might continue (and other events cascade, a reading, theatre, films that expand the issues?). That is half the reason for my attendance.

The other half is because it is just such a good idea, made a reality through the combined efforts of Sunanda Ray, Book Café staff Extra-Blessings and Taku as well as Irene Staunton from Weaver Press.

Zimbabwean authors Simmer Chinodya and Virginia Phiri were in attendance last night (cool) and lent the weight of their literary experience to the discussion. Virginia had in fact read the book when invited by USAID to participate in the oldest continuous book club in America, the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle (CLSC) and shared with us that she had found it both a rewarding and a compelling read. Shimmer took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes vigorously and peered deeply at the book, eventually taking the copy I had borrowed home on loan to read. I do so hope they both keep attending.

So what did we share, this largish, diverse and tentative group?

The five dark and seemingly hopeless stories, told in a child’s voice each time was almost too painful to bear for some. Not just an African tale, we agreed, but a universal one (can the brutality on the street of Nairobi be any less than those on the streets of Brazil or the disappointment in the heart of the two Ethiopian girls forced apart by culture be any less so than in the hearts of the London parents whose son was shot dead by racists). So let not the book be too quickly judged as portraying Africa as victims when victims today are everywhere. We appreciated the books honesty in relating the harshest of lived realities that some of Africa’s inhabitants face. Every story told a tale of coping.

The authors skill was noted in how beautifully Uwem painted such an ugly picture and how well a child’s voice this grown, Jesuit priest spoke. In the final short story, to which the book is titled, he manages to drain Rwanda’s rivers of it’s broken and bloated bodies and replace this image instead with the voices of those dead. Never again his stories whisper. Never again. 

Discussions wound down after some one and a half hours had passed. What book next we asked? Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was suggested and accepted (locally available through Weaver Press). Another Nigerian, she also tackles the harder aspects of life in Africa through the narrative voice of a teenage girl, but in this one does the sun shine through? Look out for the notice. 

We stood up, shook hands, introduced ourselves and mingled a little. It was at this point I discovered what must have been the combined effect of my late entrance, Sunanda’s quick greeting of ‘Welcome Katrina’ and my association with Harare City Library that had led at least one participant to confuse my identity.

‘Are you Petina Gappah?’ Munyaradzi asked after he introduced himself. Interesting. 

Pippi Longstocking at Harare City Library

Pippi Longstocking is a fictional character (but she was at the Harare City Library today). What a hectic but entertaining 3 hours we had at the Renovation Project Launch.

Speechification followed by some, erm.....interesting? violin playing by some young ladies from Mabelreign Girls High School (I would have heard the Henry Olonga tune better if it wasn’t for those darned cats screeching....) and of course, Pippi.

Pippi appears in a series of children's books by Swedish author Astrid Lingdren (and has been adapted into multiple films and television series).

Nine-year-old Pippi is unconventional, assertive, and has superhuman strength ( being able to lift her horse one-handed without difficulty). She frequently mocks and dupes adults she encounters (ki ki ki), an attitude likely to appeal to young readers. However, Pippi usually reserves her absolutely worst behaviour for the most pompous and condescending of adults. Pippi's anger is reserved for the most extreme cases, such as when a man ill-treats her horse. Like Peter Pan, Pippi does not want to grow up (and why should she people!). She is the daughter of a buccaneer captain (the stories were written and published in the 1940’s but publishers keep it updated) and as such has adventurous stories to tell. She has four best friends, two animals (her horse and a monkey) and two humans, the neighbour's children Tommy and Annika.

Part of Pippi’s story was read in English, Shona and Ndebele by three youngsters (very interesting, Pippi imagines her father has become a king of cannibals over in wild Iceland and the Shona translation for cannibal king was 'mambo anodya vana' and in Ndebele??? ...translations can be fun:)

Anyways, 100 books were handed over in a token gesture to start the 1 million renovation and banners were hung as people celebrated (go Sweden, go Sweden) and lots and lots of networking afterwards.  Cool.

Too much for this blog to tell all at once so I will leave you with a picture of some young Chipawo stars [www.chipawo.org] who entertained the crowd and were treated to eats, fizzy pop and music afterwards (as were the children who attended from 6 different schools around Harare). Gorgeous. 

The million dollar renovation project

Careful what you wish for, it might come true.

What can I say. It's AWESOME. The main library building is being renovated, some fixtures installed, some furniture and some books. It will make the building safe, secure and useable (most of the money is going into sensitive roof renovation). Courtesy of the good people of Sweden.

Check out the link below for the announcement via the culture fund. 

<http://www.culturefund.org.zw/index.php/2011-12-14-07-07-05/artist-focus/216-sweden-provides-one-million-united-states-dollars-to-revamp-harare-city-library>

NOW the work of the library committee begins. NOT included in this grant are the 5 community library branches, they still need everything that the main building is gonna get. 

And we need a cash flow, and staff budget, and staff......:/

Yipee!

Books for everyone 2

So, following up on my previous blog with the same name I headed out to Jairos Jiri on Saturday at midday with Gayle and her gang. It was hot and sticky and the room seemed to have more books than I remembered (and instead of half of them being crusty, it was more like three quarters!)

Never mind, the junk filled side room was quickly cleared and once the clutter and dirt were gone it was easier to start removing books that would never ever be read. We made some headway. Broken shelves were removed and space created for new cupboards as well as a reading and story telling corner where a mural will be painted (eventually when we get some paint). We removed three large boxes of damaged books and super-dated encyclopedias (of no interest except perhaps to the most cliched of interior designers) and filled my 'bakkie' with books that maybe would sell at a car boot this coming Saturday 1 December at Gateway High School 9 to 12 noon (so if you want, come buy a few books and donate a few dollars to the Jairos Jiri library project).


I just feel it is really important that these lovely children have access to books. Evelyn who teaches at the school tells me at least 20 young people at the school there are competent readers in English, and more than this can read well enough in Shona. So I am determined to weed out and find those books they can read (even if it is just a few shelves) so the children can see and reach them.


Just as importantly the teachers at the school have no staff room and this library space will double up as a teachers meeting room, resource space and library space. Maybe the children will not use it as a typical library space, but with some murals on the wall maybe we can encourage some story telling to take place there and the teachers to get enthused. Just now and again will be fine.


So, am I taking Harare City Library on an outreach to some of the neediest children this city houses? Hope so.  

Look out for part 3 of the blog sometime soon I hope! In the meantime, back to work. I have a Friday deadline :/ 

I came across an article in the Mail & Guardian last weekend that talked about the dire situation of teaching in SA but the article below took it further and talked about strategies to overcome it...one of the key issues being literacy and a reading culture. I especially liked this from the article (I have read one from this young reader series and can see its appeal)

"Workshops entail exploring reading, writing and storytelling strategies to turn any environment into a conducive one for literacy learning. They are about inspiring and supporting community members to start and sustain their own reading clubs, big and small."

Cover2Cover's Harmony High series continues to receive praise from pupils and teachers. The series centres on the lives of teenagers who attend Harmony High, a fictional township school.  Foundation CEO Ben Henderson said Siyanda High's principal, for example, has noticed "the children are so enthusiastic about the books that they [don't] return them to the library, [but pass] them on. They also sit in the library engrossed in reading".

The series has five titles: Broken Promises, Jealous in Jozi, Sugar Daddy, Too Young to Die and Two-Faced Friends.

Check it out: 

http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2012/11/20/ordinary-folk-lead-reading-revolution


This is the same issue we face north of the border here in Zimbabwe. Many, many people do read here in Zimbabwe but are held back from lack of books. But many more can't ,won't and don't (and in this group it is the youngsters that bother me). 

Read a book out loud and the kid gets it, make the book easy to reach and easy to get and the kid reads it for themselves. Awesome. That is why our public library still has a future :D

Books are for everyone

My gorgeous friend Gayle is involved in a church outreach program. This took her to Jairos Jiri home for the disabled. This is a residential school for some 140 children, many of them severely disabled. The children come from mostly poor homes from all over and reside at the school during term time and go home to families and guardians during school holidays.

However you feel about this concept of care for children, it exists and is in quite a run down state.   During her visit there Gayle discovered the facility had a large library room, neglected and unused. She persuaded me to come and have a look. Next weekend some of her church group (mostly teenagers in the churches dare to serve program) are going to do a clean up and help with painting. She had hope we could paint and cheer up this room and get the children back in there.

Sadly, the state of disrepair is too severe for anything substantive to happen next weekend. Shelves will need to be removed and lots and lots of piled up 'junk'. It seems people have been very keen to donate things over the years. Not things that the children or their carers and teachers actually need, but stuff they just have to give. Seeing all this being piled up and rotting gets you thinking about the fine balance between what people need and the need to give. Get it wrong, and things just get worse.

So having spoken to Margaret, the lady in charge as well as Evelyn the teacher assigned to assist us with the library, they are keen to have the library space restored, as much because they can use it for training as for the children. Cool.

So, next weekend I will join Gayle and her group and help them clear the space and make it safe. Margaret has someone to fix the roof (critical, can't do much with books if the roof leaks). With a donation of new ceiling boards (who i wonder can do this??) we can then, only then, be in a position to clear the shelves, clean and paint, design a simple but fun and colourful space for the children and repurpose some of the furniture for children's activity and adult learning. Big job, huh. But worth doing. I will use the Mount Pleasant Branch model as a template for this space.

Here is what it looked like today. I do hope something can be done. I believe St Georges College Form 4 boys do a service project here too (and those lucky young men benefit from one of the finest school library spaces I have seen).

A life without books is a much, much smaller one- and how much smaller can it get for a child in a wheel chair. Books are for everyone.

This weekend

An Irish Librarian to the rescue? Would shoor be good for the stories :D

A view from Zimbabwe

Check it oot!!

Thunderstorms and Story Reading

Friday afternoon was hot and sticky. This was after a long week of more hot and sticky with a huge thunderstorm on Thursday that reminded us that this is lightening season.  My back-up inverter refuses to turn back on and my Aunty Maud's TV went kapoot, I am sure we are not the only ones.

Deborah reading to a class of children during the Book Fair 

Despite all this and a very busy month of work, exams and life generally for me, my friend and fellow library volunteer, Deborah Makoni, made it all the way across town to read to children at Mount Pleasant yesterday. A better turn out than last time - and thanks to Kubatana and Zimbabwe Reads websites for spreading the word. As Deborah said to me over the phone 'we have just got to keep a presence going'. So, even if the timing is not great and our communications not getting to where they need to go, she is right. The word will spread. And we will get it right.

Deborah read three tales to the children who attended (The Jays New Feathers, The Strange Bag and Tendayi and His family). Deborah is one of our 'golden' reading volunteers. She is always there; at the books fair, at meetings, rolling up her sleeves to help with dusty and tiring book weeding. And Deborah comes all the way across town to do this as her branch library remains, sadly, closed. Deborah lives in Hatfield. Don't you just love the dedication! One day Hatfield Branch Library will open, I know this for sure. Don't know when, but it will and it will benefit from all the experience Deborah has gained helping Harare City Library all across town.

Friday November 30th at 2pm is the next reading day at Mount Pleasant. See you there.

INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE

I read this recently and liked it a lot. 

Very often when someone would tell a great, long tale, and particularly if it was one that someone had heard part of, perhaps from his grandmother’s sister or somebody far back, they would say, “God’s blessing be with you, my man. Isn’t it a long time since I last heard part of that tale? Then most people would say, “Many thanks to you. Many thanks to you. That was certainly a wonderful story to listen to.” Joe Neil MacNeil (1908-2000), Cape Breton Gaelic storyteller (MacNeil, 1987, pp. 34-35) 

There are many different types of storytelling. Story telling that connects us to our past is important. I discovered today that there is an Oral Tradition Association of Zimbabwe. I look forward to finding out more about it.