Es’kia Mphahlele Library Check In
In the spirit of checking in and checking out what libraries in the city got up to during this year’s South African Library Week which started on the 15th of March 2014 and ends tomorrow, ShowMe joined in on a book launch and what jolly great fun that was. Often left feeling nostalgic of childhood memories gathered in a circle eagerly waiting for the teacher to read to us, did you have such memories?
By: Letlhogonolo Ndhlovu
Or are your memories of night stars gathered around a fire and listening to stories like Shasha Seakamela, the author of the Sepedi children’s books namely Legobu le loga maano a botlhale translated in English, Chameleon makes a clever plan and Neo le Lesedi ba aga mokgatlo wa tsa tlhago also translated into English, Neo and Lesedi form Nature Club.
Shasha Seakamela grew up in the rural areas of Limpopo around cows and goats, “there were no books at school so we shared one book. I remember growing up that there was a big steel box full of Northern Sotho books and English books,” he said to the young audience from Christian Progressive College. He read all the Northern Sotho books because he could not read in English as a child.
As a rural schoolboy at Kodumela Primary School, I was discouraged to read and to discuss schoolwork because of the language barrier…
An environmental rural activist, Shasha Seakamela is also one of the founders of an art movement called Rural In the Citi that promotes rural art and assists rural artists with exhibiting their work in the city. As an author he tackles issues of language, reading and learning, in an article on the Rural In the Citi website Shasha states, “As a rural schoolboy at Kodumela Primary School, I was discouraged to read and to discuss schoolwork because of the language barrier. The mission of starting Rural in the Citi Movement was to try and assist in resolving this issue.”
The Es’kia Mphahlele librarians made the book reading fun for the children by playing out the book Chameleon makes a clever plan. The kids laughed while learning all at the same time, this is the magic of the ancient art of storytelling.
Shasha was kind enough to donate his children’s literature to the Es’kia Mphahlele library for children to enjoy. Go to his website www.ruralintheciti.org and like his Facebook page Rural In The Citi Movement to find out more about this initiative.
Below are images of all the people who checked in the Es’kia Mphahlele library, snippets of the play and more.
(click to enlarge)
Read the article titled South African Library Week Unisa Check In to find out what Unisa got up to.