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| Lubuto's first Traditional Storytelling Event, MOU signed, and Catalogue for Philanthropy |
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Newsletter #45 - June 2014
Click here for PDF version |
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| Traditional storytelling event |
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We held a tremendously successful storytelling event on 14th at the Ngwerere Lubuto Library with more than 1000 children in attendance. To celebrate and revive indigenous storytelling, an important but dying art form in Zambia, Lubuto invited the community at large to come to the library to listen and tell stories in their native languages. Facilitated by renowned Zambian artists, Mumba Yachi and Chama Fumba, hundreds of children and community members gathered to participate in storytelling, music performances, drama and poetry. Some participants, including Lubuto’s own Harrison, showed off their dance moves. Others shared stories and sang along with the storytelling facilitators. Most memorably, ten frequent Lubuto visitors read a poem they had written to express just how much Lubuto means to them. Here is an excerpt:
When all have left me
When all have abandoned me
Lubuto is the only friend I have
I’m wondering, what is Lubuto?
Is it a home?
Is it a school?
What is it?
Oh yes, what is Lubuto?
When I wake up I dream of Lubuto
When I knock off from school, I am rushing to Lubuto
What is this same Lubuto that has been troubling me?
Oh yes, to those who don’t know what Lubuto is
In Bemba it means Ulubuto
In Nyanja it means Nyali
In Lunda it means Chezezhi
Indeed Lubuto has brought enlightenment to me
What has Lubuto done for me?
Indeed it has brought me a place where I can feel free
A place I can share my story
A place I can learn to read and write
A place I can mingle with friends
A place I can hear all kinds of stories
A place I can dream and imagine all there is
We were amazed by the enthusiasm this event engendered in the community. Many participants asked when the next event would be held and how they could get more involved with our libraries. Most importantly, all children in attendance were able to see that a Lubuto Library is a place where any story, local or international, can be told and enjoyed.
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| MOU signed! |
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| We are very excited to have just received final approval and signing of an amended memorandum of understanding between the Lubuto Library Project and Zambia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training, and Early Education. In the works since 2012, this new MOU recognizes Lubuto as a “National Partner” in providing “professional leadership in specialized library services for children and youth and building that capacity among Zambian library and educational personnel>” The MOU formalizes the collaboration between the Zambia Library Service and Lubuto and the Ministry’s intention to provide the necessary financial support or request it from their supporting partners to implement a plan of building Lubuto Libraries in each province of Zambia. The MOU also details the government’s commitment to staff, sustain and maintain the libraries after they are established by Lubuto. It also recognizes the significance of Lubuto libraries’ indigenous designs and the importance of these rich spaces in the lives of young Zambians. This important document provides a framework for how Lubuto will work with the Zambia Library Service in coming years, specifically outlining a schedule for our next eight libraries. In partnership with the Zambia Library Service, we look forward to the success of this collaboration and a bright future for the Zambian youth we serve. |
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| Catalogue for Philanthropy |
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| Lubuto is honored to announce its selection for the 2014/15 Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington as one of the region's best community-based charities. This award reflects Lubuto’s status as a highly effective non-profit that provides quality opportunities to children and youth in Zambia through public libraries. The Catalogue for Philanthropy has, since 2003, connected caring citizens with worthy community causes and raised more than $24 million for featured nonprofits. And their vetting process is rigorous: members of a 125-person review team, made up of foundations, corporations, peer nonprofits and the philanthropic advisory community, evaluate charities on the basis of program impact and fiscal soundness and each featured charity is visited on-site by at least one member of the review team. Lubuto has been listed in the Catalogue twice previously, in print in 2006 and online 2010, and this year will once again be featured in the print edition! |
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| Indiegogo campaign continues |
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Our very own Thomas Mukonde has been accepted to the Masters in Library and Information Science Program at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. At the perennially highest ranked MLIS program in the country, Thomas will gain essential children’s library training that we see as being the key to the future not only of Lubuto, but also to children’s libraries across the continent. On May 20th Lubuto launched a crowd funding campaign on Indiegogo to provide Thomas with the $25,000 needed to start his professional education in the fall. Thanks to your generous contributions we are on the way to fully funding Thomas’ MLIS, but we still need as much funding as possible. So that Thomas can continue to champion Lubuto Libraries and public children’s libraries across Africa, we hope that you can pass on our Indiegogo campaign to your friends, family and professional circles.
Donate Today!
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-leader-for-african-libraries/x/7589615
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Volunteer of the Month
Our June Volunteer of the Month is Diana D’Agostino! Diana first began volunteering with Lubuto in January of 2011. |
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Copyright © 2014 Lubuto Library Project, Inc.
The Lubuto Library Project is exempt from U.S. Federal income tax as a public charity
under Section 501(C) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. |
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