Tsholotsho man sets up mobile library

Thandeka Matebesi 

TSHOLOTSHO – A Tsholotsho based young man, Elvis Ndebele, has broken new ground by establishing a mobile library which caters for most  of Tsholotsho North, in a bid to uplift and upgrade rural livelihoods.

“My  vision is to create a highly literate and self-sufficient community that can take advantage of its opportunities and resources by 2030. 

“The initiative  was first mooted in October 2018 when a young man came to me and asked for help with a signature on a form meant to assist him receive some money after doing some community work with the Rural District Council. He indicated that he could neither read nor write. This eye-opening encounter was so moving for me as I realized that something had to be done against this pervasive illiteracy,” he said.

As a way of ploughing back to the community that raised and nurtured him, Ndebele operates a non-profit library that does not charge any amount  for  services even though readers have to return the books within a stipulated time.

He revealed to Community Podium that several individuals and organisations have helped him build the library by way of book donations. Ndebele singled out Kate Chambers for coming through for him in a big way.

“In search of resources, I network through social media and have received a lot of book donations from individuals and various organizations locally and internationally. With the help of individuals like Kate Chambers. I have amassed books for both young people and adults,” said Ndebele. 

 Chambers, who currently works in communications and has supported book clubs for the last 10 years, commended Ndebele’s efforts in upgrading his community while also letting in on her own works with book clubs.

“Elvis has been doing an amazing job of getting books and literacy materials into his community in Tsholotsho. It is actually not just books he works with. In line with library trends in other parts of the world, I and donors have also been able to provide things like baking materials to support such projects.

 For the last 10 plus years, I have supported such initiatives as Elvis’ book club with books and other donations, through a network of book donors from Zimbabwe, the US and the UK. I am in awe of his persistence and drive, and constant drive to innovate. During the Covid 19 lockdowns he offered Whatsapp lessons to children who were out of school – with encouraging results,”  said Chambers.

According to Ndebele most children in the area have seen their reading capacity improve due to exposure afforded them by the mobile library.

Chambers further emphasised the importance of libraries in achieving sustainable development.

“Libraries, even when they are not in a physical building, are important wherever they are found, be it in rural or urban areas. I think that is because they offer possibilities, both of human connection and of new ways of seeing and understanding things, whether it is locally written literature or farming tips or current affairs. 

The thing about rural book clubs in most countries is that they often serve communities who are more dispersed, who may previously have had less access to books than those living in towns where a library or someone who has books or papers and is  happy to lend others is much closer at hand. So they are incredibly important in rural areas, especially. Elvis is dedicated to what he does and I am so glad our paths crossed,” she said.

However, the fledgling library is not without its own share of teething challenges.

“The challenges that I face include financial problems  since the project is mostly self funded and complemented by some  donations. 

Secondly, some areas are so remote  and difficult to access. Another challenge is that  mobile networks in these parts are not up to standard hence  communication is hugely hampered and as such, virtual  meetings and online reading sessions are negatively impacted.

The  other stumbling block is the ‘South African indazula  effect’ that has seen most children  drop out of school with the intention of going to South Africa for greener pastures. Consequently, books have become less important to them as they seek to join the great trek down south. The situation is compounded when locals see those who have gone to South Africa ahead of them seemingly living in clover,” he said. 

Elvis is hoping for more partners to ease the burden of the work which he is determined to carry on so as to inculcate a reading culture in his locality and ultimately upgrade lives.