Where
is this place?
Namibia is located on the west coast of Africa, just
north of South Africa. It is one of Africa's newest
nations, having claimed independence in 1990 after seventy
years of South
African rule. With independence, the government
of the Republic of Namibia declared English as the nation's
official language and has since worked to promote equitable
social and economic development for its population.
With only fourteen years of liberty under its belt, Namibia
is just in the beginning stages of developing a literary tradition
and, currently, the schools bear all the burden of
providing English language literature. With English being
a new language, illiteracy and extreme poverty are posing
a great challenge to that pursuit.
What do they
need?
The school needs books for reading levels grades
2-8. Storybooks and reference books are all needed to
build a great classroom resource for students and teachers,
a library that will allow students to check out books,
a library that will foster a love for reading and contribute
to the growth of an educated, English-literate population.
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You are welcome to choose books directly from Jane's
Wish List or send your own favorites. The kids there are
the same as the kids here. They'll enjoy anything you
would have enjoyed when you were first learning to read!
Amazon will even donate 5% of your purchase amount every
time you access her
wish list through
www.tanashabitat.com and buy books! We'll stretch your
dollars by applying that money to buying MORE books as the
credits are received.
As soon as the library is expanded, Jane will institute a
borrowing program and library skills classes. The school staff
members welcome this and are eager to work with her.
| So
what do the kids think about all this? |
They're psyched!
Jane has organized the few titles they currently have
and the students visit every day to share the books
with each other. They've shown a great interest in reading
and often spend hours on the floor (and sitting on the
empty shelves) of her small library, poring over the
books that are currently available again and again.
The idea that they may soon be able to bring books home
for a brief loan period is incredibly exciting! |
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