From Paul Ayutoliya:
Patronage to the three community libraries continued to be very great and encouraging with lots of reading activities and others for the month of February 2020. At the Sumbrungu Community Library, attendance to the library for the month was very encouraging and good. Patrons from far and near maximized their visit to the library and read different kinds of story books in the library, notes written from schools, and also played different kinds of games among others. Among the story books read were; The Baobab Tree of Salaga by Hiro Yoneyama, City Sounds by Kathy Knowles, the Fati series, the Cat and Dog series, Jafta’s Mother, The Bush Rangers, Awkward Annie, and many others.
A little about the story of the Baobab Tree of Salaga I read. The story was about the excruciating pain and agony that characterized the slave trade era. It gives an account on how the people (slaves) were captured and taken to Salaga a town in the Northern Region and chained to metal pegs that were stuck on the trunk of a giant Baobab Tree which was located in the heart of the Salaga town whiles waiting for traders to come and buy. Some of the slaves died in the process because they could not withstand the torture. The Baobab Tree up to date is still there with the metal pegs on it’s body (trunk) and now serve as tourist attraction to visitors today. Never again should this be allowed in any part of the world. But there are still rumors of these inhumane practices (slavery) still go on some places in Africa and perhaps elsewhere. It is my hope that these practices when found to still persist should be quickly brought to an end. It is just unimaginable!
At the Sherigu Community Library, patronage to the library was very good. The activities that characterized the month in the library were group reading of story books, individual reading, interesting games among others. The librarian has been doing a great job there by organizing a number of reading programs every week with the support of some teachers from St. Peter and Paul Academy school. The day time was normally well attended by students and pupils of the surroundings schools. During the night time, young adults from far away place including the Sherigu Senior High school which is about 4 kilometres visit the library and read story books and notes taken from school.
At the Gowrie-Kunkua Community Library, patronage were also encouraging. Students from the Kunkua Primary and Junior High school were the regular visitors to the library during the day time. Students and pupils from distant schools visit the library mostly at the night time. I read with students in this library the story of the Teen Princess by Diana B. Mc Bagonluri. The student were challenged by the little girls story, how she defied poverty and rose to greatest height of becoming the Crown Teen Princess despite her poor background. Some students who were part of the reading said if she could achieved that from a poor background with a single parent (her mother was a single parent) they should be able to do more. I visited the Kunkua Primary and Junior High School with the librarian there and engaged with pupils and students on the need for all to visit the community library and read.
