By Anna Bunce | Africa SOMA Board Member - Fundraising Officer
The Elangata Wuas Library and Resource Centre is undergoing some changes!
Noah continues to lead computer classes and has some wonderful eager students. Many of these students were able to put their new found internet skills to use and acted as research assistants for a service learning partnership Africa SOMA has had over this last semester with students at the University of Maryland. Students investigated and researched a variety of issues surrounding the library and it's access to the community, such as how we can better serve community members in outlying areas. Noah's computer students worked for the Maryland students on the ground, providing them with answers and helpful contextual information. All in all it was a wonderfully beneficial project for both the Maryland students as well as the Elangata Wuas Computer Lab students!
Aside from our recent partnership with the University of Maryland class, the library has been undergoing some significant changes. Africa SOMA has always aimed to create a sustainable self-sufficient library. With this in mind, the long term goal for the library and resource centre was to transfer over the operating costs to the community-run Elangata Wuas Resource Centre Committee (EWRC). As this point has now come there have been some changes as a result of this transition. Due to the low levels of income being made by the library, the librarian is now only working part time, with Noah picking up the slack. Africa SOMA is working with the EWRC to come up with creative income generating solutions, and thankfully the computer lab, which you helped create, is providing much needed regular income for the library. Africa SOMA will soon be posting a Global Giving Project aiming to fundraise for the seed money to start income generating projects which will keep the library open and running smoothly into the future.
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