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Manzibomvu Primary School, Kwazulu Natal Province

    After almost 70 bumpy kilometers of corrugated dirt roads and a seemingly random detour into the bush, you may find Manzibomvu Primary School if you're lucky. This extremely rural village is located only a few kilometers from Sodwana Bay on the Indian Ocean in the Ulundi region. The Ulundi region, with 923 schools and approximately 50 functional libraries, is the most rural of the eight regions in the KwaZulu Natal province in South Africa.
Learners at Manubomvu Primary School pose in front of their school.


    "Right now we are a school in isolation," said Themba Mdletshe, principal of Manzibomvu. "Around here we don't have industry, we don't have firms, we don’t have anything."Forcibly relocated to this remote part of the country during the years of apartheid, these villagers rely on subsistence farming for their food. The nearest town, Hluhluwe, is approximately 100 kilometers away, and the closest settlement is little more than a boarding house for tourists visiting the coast and vendors lining the road selling everything from food they have raised to crafts they have made.

Maggie Hite, assistant director of the WLP,  meets a learner at Manzibomvu Primary School.    The school is still several kilometers of deep sand and thick bush away from this settlement, known as Mbazwana. Directions to the school are futile, as only locals are capable of navigating the intricate maze of sand paths connecting the small hut homes scattered throughout the bush. Students walk, some barefoot, as far as 10 kilometers to and from the school.

    Because the local economy depends heavily upon tourism, local villagers are known for their elaborate weaving and carving. Most locals are unemployed, but the few that are have jobs work at the lodges that dot the coast. Electricity has not yet reached this remote location, and there are no bookstores or other media resources in the area. The extreme isolation makes the library's role crucial in disseminating information to this community.

    "The role of the library is essential," Mdletshe said. "We are in sort of a corner of the country here. We do not know what is happening in the outside world. When we get a library, we are exposed to what is happening in the outside world. When we get a library, we would be empowering our kids with the skills of looking for information for themselves."

WLP volunteers Dan and Judy Klement talk with principal Mdletshe at a site visit by trip coordinator Maggie Hite.


    The school is fortunate to have such a dedicated and intelligent leader. When he became principal here several years ago, there was not one qualified teacher at the school. Under Mdletshe's leadership all of the school's teachers have gone back to school to earn their teaching certificate. Refusing to let the many challenges he and his school face, this principal always makes the best of the situation.
Because there is no electricity in the school, this library corner at Manubomvu Primary School is located near a window to make use of natural light.
    World Library Partnership volunteers Dan and Judy Klement of Rockaway, New Jersey are also helping make the most of the resources this community has. Space and resources are limited here, so the school makes use of a corner in a classroom for their library. Known as a library corner, this is an effective use of limited space and materials. To deal with financial constraints, Mdletshe said teachers have been encouraged to have a library corner in every classroom.

     The Klements taught teacher/librarian Duduzile N. Nkambule basic library skills and how to most effectively utilize minimal resources, a stated goal of the South African Department of Education in this particular school. Principal Mdletshe also utilizes the resources of his school by encouraging his students to write their own stories. "I would personally encourage the situation where treasures of the area, like the histories of this area are recorded by children themselves. They will value that in the future."

    Taking advantage of the resources available to them is vital since transportation to the school can be difficult if not impossible. "Our schools really are deep, in some of the areas, inaccessible," Mdletshe said. "It's difficult to get things delivered to the school. These issues, they seem small, but they are very huge."
The faculty at Manubomvu Primary School poses with Principal Mdletshe and WLP volunteers Dan and Judy Klement.
   Through the World Library Partnership's Book Certificate Program, the school bought $500.00 worth of books and supplies from African publishers. The school purchased mostly children's books and educational posters. "My personal opinion is a top down approach is not good," Mdletshe said in regards to selecting books for his school. "Bottom up would be best, allowing the teachers themselves to determine which books are relevant."  In addition to paying for the materials, the WLP ensured their delivery to the school.

The faculty at Manubomvu Primary School poses with Principal Mdletshe and WLP volunteers Dan and Judy Klement.

 

    Mdletshe understands the importance of parental and community involvement in his school. For example, through his urging, four classrooms have been fitted with security devices to detour theft. "It is useless, in our view, to put treasures like books in unbuttleguarded (unsecured) classroom where a high rate break-ins occur," Mdletshe said.

    In addition to involving parents, Mdletshe encourages the community to utilize the school's resources. In so doing, community members gain a sense of ownership and are more likely to support the school and its library. "The school must not exist in isolation, Mdletshe said. "It must give fringe benefits to the people who are supporting it. I am open to challenges, and my door is always open. This is school is theirs. It's not my school. It’s our school."


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