This week I went on a mission to find the village library that I had heard vague rumors about. When I located it, it was closed. Though it is theoretically open Monday-Friday, I learned that it is generally only opened on Wednesday afternoons and Saturdays when students may stop by. Luckily, the librarian was willing to open it just for me.
The library has a nice collection. There are children's books, novels, and reference books, all in French, with a heavy emphasis on novels. The building, furniture, and books are apparently all donations from the French. They return to the village every June, presumably with more book donations.
A year's subscription to the library costs 40 cents for students and $1 for all others. Judging from the amount of dust on the books, the library is underutilized. I would like to stop by on a Wednesday or Saturday to see how many patrons appear on those "peak" days. I have never known any person in my village to read for fun, or frankly to practice reading at all, so I wonder if there are truly many adult subscribers.
As the pictures show, the organization of the books leaves something to be desired. I suspect that even if someone reorganized them, they would soon return to chaos. I think part of that is cultural: the Beninese are not used to many books at home, so organizing books neatly on a shelf is not instinctive to them as it is to us. Also, the library is not well adapted to organization. As I flipped through the selection, I kept thinking how much easier it would be to keep things organized if the children's books could be placed in bins rather than on the shelves.
As it currently stands, the library appears to be a diamond in the rough. I am interested in pursuing its potential to promote reading and education in the community. I would like to contact the French donors to learn more about their vision and role, but I have been advised to wait because the man who has their contact information just lost his brother.
As I write this, I am trying to avoid the development trap that the French may have fallen into themselves. The library will never be successful if the only drive behind it comes from abroad. The village itself needs to be motivated to make the most of this resource. I wonder if they ever wanted it at all, or if some French people just came by and said, "Hey, do you want a library?" and the villagers said, "Sure, why not?" So many well-intentioned projects start that way and ultimately lie in disuse. That is one reason Peace Corps requires that the community contribute financially to any project Peace Corps funds: if the village pays part, it will be more invested in the project and will not commit unless it truly wants it.
The library has a nice collection. There are children's books, novels, and reference books, all in French, with a heavy emphasis on novels. The building, furniture, and books are apparently all donations from the French. They return to the village every June, presumably with more book donations.
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| There are another four shelves along the other walls of the library. |
A year's subscription to the library costs 40 cents for students and $1 for all others. Judging from the amount of dust on the books, the library is underutilized. I would like to stop by on a Wednesday or Saturday to see how many patrons appear on those "peak" days. I have never known any person in my village to read for fun, or frankly to practice reading at all, so I wonder if there are truly many adult subscribers.
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| Not quite sure what system of organization they're trying to apply here |
As the pictures show, the organization of the books leaves something to be desired. I suspect that even if someone reorganized them, they would soon return to chaos. I think part of that is cultural: the Beninese are not used to many books at home, so organizing books neatly on a shelf is not instinctive to them as it is to us. Also, the library is not well adapted to organization. As I flipped through the selection, I kept thinking how much easier it would be to keep things organized if the children's books could be placed in bins rather than on the shelves.
As it currently stands, the library appears to be a diamond in the rough. I am interested in pursuing its potential to promote reading and education in the community. I would like to contact the French donors to learn more about their vision and role, but I have been advised to wait because the man who has their contact information just lost his brother.
As I write this, I am trying to avoid the development trap that the French may have fallen into themselves. The library will never be successful if the only drive behind it comes from abroad. The village itself needs to be motivated to make the most of this resource. I wonder if they ever wanted it at all, or if some French people just came by and said, "Hey, do you want a library?" and the villagers said, "Sure, why not?" So many well-intentioned projects start that way and ultimately lie in disuse. That is one reason Peace Corps requires that the community contribute financially to any project Peace Corps funds: if the village pays part, it will be more invested in the project and will not commit unless it truly wants it.
What is the literacy rate in Sonsora? This might be a basic problem. Some people without the requirement to learn to read, as in school, learn to read when they find a need for it eg. how to build a latrine, repairing a well. If the books are somewhat colorful and age appropriate they can be engaged at an early age. Here it is something parents do with children, but that probably, I'm guessing, is not something they do and probably don't understand the need for such. They would also have to have aspirations for their children that would require reading and education. Someone would have to be responsible for the use of the library and understand that organization is important. You also have problems with the vaccination cards at the clinic. Organization, somehow, does not seem important to them.
ReplyDeleteJean Ralley
I'm not sure what the literacy rate in Sonsoro is. 10%? I doubt anyone learns to read outside of school since reading materials are virtually non-existent and only available in a non-native language (French). The Beninese have an oral tradition and don't have the instinct to turn to books. Parents can't read to their children if they don't know how to read themselves. It is very hard to learn to read outside of school.
ReplyDeleteI was very impressed with my host mom in Dangbo. She is illiterate, can't speak French, and never went to school, but she insisted on sending her kids to school. Even though school is expensive and her husband contributes no money, she finds a way to pay for her kids' education.