The openings – within the scope of the Reading Promotion Project, which aims to encourage the habit of reading and also promote "access to books and literary resources in communities that traditionally have fewer opportunities" – took place last Thursday and Friday.
The director of the BAI Foundation Project Office, Joseth Rita, said that with these new libraries, the aim is to "create and encourage" reading, as well as "provide easy access to quality educational materials".
"With these new spaces, dedicated to the promotion of reading and educational development, we intend to create and encourage the habit of reading, provide easier access to quality educational materials, foster greater knowledge and general culture and, consequently, contribute to reducing dropout rates school", explained Joseth Rita, quoted in a statement sent to VerAngola.
"The 'Kandengue Libraries' are a meeting point that allows expanding opportunities for access to information, education and culture, essential aspects for progress and the formation of critical and well-informed citizens. With the inauguration of the Kandengue libraries, we hope that these spaces become centers of learning, creativity and reflection for everyone", added the director.
According to the statement, in addition to building the libraries, the foundation also provided training for 30 librarians, "referred by the institutions where the libraries were established".
As for the number of books, the library at IMEL has the largest collection, with approximately 600 books. The library at Primary School No. 5142 has more than 530 books and the library at Gaspar de Almeida School has more than 550 books.
"These are books from different areas, which will support the growth and sustainable development of our children, who are the future of Angola. The 'Kandengue Libraries' are not just places for reading, but symbols of the power of education and the positive impact it the culture of reading can have a bearing on the development of a community", said Joseth Rita, pointing out that the objective for next year is "to build and inaugurate more libraries and expand the project to other provinces".
According to the note, "through the Kandengue Reading and Libraries Promotion Project, the BAI Foundation aims to contribute to the creation of a solid reading culture, offering the community a wide range of books and educational resources, in addition to establish reading as a daily practice".
Thus, with these libraries, "it is expected to cultivate not only child readers, but also critical thinkers, contributing to the formation of a more informed society", says the foundation, which also says it hopes that this initiative will serve as an inspiration for other "organizations and communities to recognize the value of reading as an instrument of social transformation, encouraging the implementation of similar projects, expanding access to knowledge and personal development".
