Young man turns home into public library
This is not something you hear every day! A youngster has turned his home in Mohlakeng into a library after the original one sustained damage during protests.
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With the recent spate of violent service delivery protests that affected Mohlakeng, the local library was one of the public service buildings badly affected.
With the local library in ruins due to being burnt by protesters, youngster Neo Mathetsa has offered his home on Moroka Street as a library. Due to the extensive media coverage of his kind deed, he soon received book donations from far and wide.
What he has done was also mentioned during the State of the Nation and State of the Province Addresses.
Neo said, “As the demand grew, more and books arrived in large numbers. A book container from Bright Kids Foundation was donated to us and we put it in a space next to Ramosa Hall. The only challenge we are faced with at the new facility is the lack of electricity for WiFi and IT-related services, as well as water and sanitation.”
He said the library plays a meaningful role in helping kids with homework as well as offering acting lessons. It especially benefits those in townships, informal settlements as well as RDP houses.
“While we agree to people demonstrating dissatisfaction with service delivery, it is no good to loot or burn important facilities such as libraries and other government structures,” he said.
Neo is also part of a troop of actors, and arts and culture vultures called Mohlakeng Youth Movement aimed at promoting arts and culture among the youth in the township.
For those who want to donate books, computers and any give any form of financial donation can call Neo on 078 485 0823.
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