By Ingrid Jones | Director
After five years of operating in extreme weather conditions, scorching heat or freezing snow bound mountains, the Mobile Library was looking faded and worn–out, so a face lift was in order. The Mobile Library travelled down from Tropoje to the capital Tirana and spent two days being re-sprayed and decorated. The transformation was amazing giving the Mobile Library a brighter and fresher look and once more becoming a shining beacon of information for the children of the mountains. The inside was also given a boost with 280 new books and games equipment, including; colouring books, pencils, balls, skipping ropes, skittles, bean bags and tennis kits. Ilir, the librarian was delighted with the extra resources he was taking back to Tropoje.
Kocanaj, is a small village in Tropoje Municipality. The children live in small houses surrounded by green fields overlooked by the mountains. Some of the children who use the library are longstanding borrowers, like Argjend who is twelve years old and comes to the library with his mother. Argjend likes to draw, but his second passion is reading books. He draws pictures of the mobile library and things that he sees in the books he reads.
Also in Kocanaj, two sisters, Adela, 15 years old, Zana, 13 years old and their brother, Jeton, 7 years old have been members of the library for the three years that the library has been visiting the village. Adela and Zana also help Ilir with the registration of the children wishing to borrow or exchange their books by finding their names amongst the registered members list.
The children in Kocanaj are very organized and very careful with their books respecting the need to protect the books and bring them back so that other children can read and enjoy them. One day on one of Ilir's visits, not all the children were able to come to the library, so they asked if Ilir could make an extra visit on the Saturday. Ilir agreed, knowing how much the books were appreciated by the children. The missing children met Ilir and the library and were able to exchange their old books for new ones to enjoy in the forthcoming month.
Children like, Argjend, Adela, Zana and Jeton not only in Kocanaj, but also in other villages across Tropoje Municipality like to learn English using the small selection of phrase books and stories in English that the library has. Their other favourites are explorer books or science books.
Now that all the children are on their school summer holidays the library, the books and games help to occupy the long summer days.
Thank you to all our supporters for bringing fun, games and reading to the children of Tropoje!
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