Dear friends of Lubuto,

We closed the physical library buildings several days before the government closed schools, and when the schools closed we were presented with a new reality: children who were in school would now join those who had all along been out of school – perhaps a new kind of social leveler.  They were all equally in danger of contracting and spreading a virus that they were unprepared to know how to avoid, and many were frightened and anxious.  We needed to act fast to effectively teach them the government-approved hygiene and social distancing lessons.  And from our 15+ years of working with Zambia’s children we knew how to most effectively teach those lessons.
 
Fortunately, Lubuto Libraries have large outdoor spaces—conducive to small group social distancing – that according to official directives at the time did not have to close. It didn’t take long for our resourceful, caring, and creative staff to figure out how to teach children to be safe, in fun and joyful ways inspired by the children themselves.  We captured those lessons on film, which is now a resource that children can learn from, enjoy, and even participate in virtually. 
 
Please check out our other virtual resources – to which we will be adding and expanding means of access: https://www.lubuto.org/

Stay safe and well,