Libraries
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Fundza has started or improved almost 400 libraries in schools throughout Swaziland. Each school is responsible for providing the space and staffing for the school and must have a library committee that is dedicated to sustaining the library. Interested schools fill out an application and send letters of commitment. Fundza reviews the application to be sure the library is sustainable and then submits the applications to the African Library Project (ALP). ALP sends approximately 1,000 gently used books in English of general interest and at the right reading level for the learners. Each school includes library time on their timetable, leading to improved literacy. Fundza supplements the ALP books with books from other partners, including Biblionef.
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"The novels reached us at the right time when we needed them the most. Students read them with pleasure, one book after another." Read more from Mrs. Lungile C. Msibi about the library at Ebenezer High.
"I was really touched by one book among the rest which was talking about a certain poor family who had to leave their place. I shared that story with my students. They were excited, and they told me that they won't laugh at their poor school mates but instead will try to help the needy. So, to follow through on their good intentions, we started a club to help needy children." Read more from Mrs. Doreen Magagula about the library at Siteki Nazarene Primary School.
debates
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Fundza organizes debates to ensure that students can not only read but also speak eloquently and intelligently. When students prepare for debates, they have to take a broad-minded look at the issue from all sides. Then, they conduct extensive research about the issue to form a strong argument for whatever side. Sometimes the students don’t know which side of the debate they’ll be on until the day of the debate; they only know the topic. The debates begin at the school level; the winners from each school go on to the regional, national, and even international level. Fundza typically partners with an NGO to fund the upper levels of the debates. One year, the topic was on child trafficking and Save the Children was the partner NGO. The topics are always timely, and could be global or national in scope. Some examples: HIV prevention, drug abuse in schools, gender-based violence and global warming. Read about how one debate participant went on to an international education.
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HIV/AIDS Education
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Each library has a set of HIV/AIDS books written especially for African children. Many of the libraries also have an HIV/AIDS display. Swaziland has the highest HIV infection rate in the world, so stopping the spread of disease is imperative. Knowledge is essential to prevention.
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Cultural Preservation
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Fundza encourages libraries to set up a "culture corner" with special objects. Libraries are a place for accessing information of all kinds. Fundza provides books in Siswati when possible and promotes literacy in English and Siswati.
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Sharing best practices
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In November 2011, Swaziland was privileged to host the 3rd African Library Project Summit in our capital, Mbabane. Fundza and the Swaziland National Library Service welcomed 38 delegates from six nations and our schools were very proud to show their libraries off. On the last day of the Summit, 90 of our teacher-librarians came to Mbabane for workshops run by the ALP partners from other African countries. They learned so much! We had a parade and celebration with dancing, singing and speeches to acknowledge the great strides we are making to build a reading nation in Swaziland.
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