Gifts That Keep On Giving

It’s 7:30 pm and the GHEI Humjibre Community Library is quiet, the only sounds coming from the rustling of turning pages and the low murmur of whispered discussions about homework and readings.  Around forty students fill the study carrels, working quietly on their homework or enjoying some leisure reading with their favourite novels.

The four white boxes in the corner haven’t attracted the students’ attention yet, which isn’t surprising as there is nothing remarkable about their appearance.  But it’s the content of these boxes that will soon turn the library’s quiet atmosphere into roaring excitement.  Recently Lincoln Community School in Accra donated these four boxes brimming with books to GHEI’s library.

Breaking into the evening silence, Library Administrator Lawrence Donkor addresses everyone, asking for a few volunteers.  A few hands go up, then a couple more, and the reluctant volunteers stand up and come forward.  “Go ahead, see what’s in these boxes,” Lawrence says.  The kids look at one another cautiously, and then at the boxes, as if they’re wondering if they’re about to be pranked.  They slowly open the cardboard boxes to reveal their contents and are pleasantly surprised by the wide array of reading material they hold.  Then they immediately start browsing through the books.

Two boxes contain picture books for young children, while the other two boxes hold young adult novels, such as the classic “Harry Potter” series (in it’s entirety!) and "Lemoney Snickett’s A Series of Unfortunate Events", as well as less familiar titles such as “The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy!”

By now the rest of the students are watching closely, their attention captured by the bright covers of the hundreds of books.  After a little encouragement to go and explore the library’s newest literary treasures, the rest of the kids practically sprint to the boxes to catch a peek.

The kids’ curiosity was contagious, and I couldn’t resist browsing through our new collection myself, wondering what other books might be found.  I was pleased to find one of my favourite picture books from my childhood, “A Color of his Own,” a brightly illustrated book about the colour-changing chameleon.  It’s amazing to think that after all these years I still remember special books that made an impression on me during my growing up years, and awesome to think that our young students here in Humjibre will remember their favourite stories from this batch of books for years to come!

Lawrence was also delighted when he saw that amongst the donated books was his favourite, “Whistle for Willie,” in which a young boy does his best to learn to whistle for his dog.  “I used this book in teaching some of our young students.  It’s great!  I will read this book to my daughter so that she will learn to love to read,” enthused Lawrence. 

 Back in May of 2005 when GHEI first opened the Humjibre Community Library, 1,300 books found their home on its shelves.  After expanding the building structure in 2007, we were thrilled to add over 3,000 books through a generous donation from Books for Africa in 2009.  Through our partnerships with groups like Books for Africa, and other institutions like Lincoln Community School, our library now has close to 6,000 books and is still growing.

I’d like you, for a moment, to think of your home’s bookshelf.  It’s probably filled with a variety of books covering an assortment of subjects, most of which you have already read and are now collecting dust.  Imagine how happy those books would make an eager young reader in the developing world!  I’ve had the privilege of seeing their excitement first hand, and it’s a heartwarming sight to see the kids rejoicing over these wonderful gifts, getting so excited about their education without even knowing it!

I urge you to round up those old books of yours and donate them to organizations that make it their mission to put them in the hands of people who will cherish their every word. They’ll go from useless trophies on your shelves to becoming valuable educational resources for years to come.

GHEI would like to offer our sincere thanks to Lincoln Community School, as well as all our other partners who continue to support our library!

 

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