Woman intends to develop community library in Pienaar
The community library will be in honour of the slain Grade 12 learner, Nomthandazo Mbatha.
A teacher and avid giver to her village community, Christine Simelane, has vowed to develop a library through her non-profit organisation, the Raise a Reader Platform.
The community library in Pienaar will be named in honour of the 16-year-old Nomthandazo Mbatha, who was tragically murdered in 2019 when she left home for a study session at a friend’s house one evening.
She was allegedly raped and murdered by a fellow Grade 12 learner of Ncakini Secondary School, who committed suicide in a holding cell in the Pienaar Police Station after his arrest.
Nomthandazo’s murder sent shockwaves through the entire nation when her body was found in a shallow grave near her house.
Simelane said the library will be a solution to learners who are exposed to the dangers in society, as they seek safer and conducive areas for their study needs.
“It will be built on remarkably convenient land, which is surrounded by and is at the border fence of Mtfophi Primary, opposite Ncakini Secondary, a walking distance from Siyakhula Primary, Ndlaphu Primary and Bonginhlanhla Secondary,” she said.
Simelane came up with the idea of building a community library in 2013 and has managed to collect about 2 500 books.”Nomthandazo’s death was a wake-up call and has pushed me to find solutions for the safety of our children, especially girls. Pienaar is a fast-growing rural community that does not have its own safe studying environment for learners.”
She said the library will allow children to participate in extracurricular learning. “Most children do not own a storybook at home so that they can practise reading. Due to the rising cost of books, with most parents being unemployed and some with low income, children cannot afford to learn more than what they are taught at school. The library will be a learning and research centre for the children.”
ALSO READ: TS Galaxy and Amazulu share the spoils
To collect more books and raise funds to start the building of the library, Simelane recently started a fundraising drive. “I have a raffle competition draw that has been running since the beginning of August, whereby tickets can be bought at R50 each and participants stand a chance to win a crochet blanket. People can buy as many tickets as they wish until the end of August. The money can be deposited into the Raise a Reader Platform’s Standard Bank account. The account number is1016 2607 944,” Simelane indicated.
She urged community members and stakeholders to support the library project and to offer help wherever they can. “As an NPO, we rely on the support of generous individuals and businesses. Whether it is monetary contributions, books, building materials, computers, furniture, water and electricity, it would be appreciated. It does not matter how big or small the contribution would be. It will make a huge difference.”
To assist in the library project and for information on the raffle competition, Simelane may be contacted on 073 761 5582.
