Huambo — At least nine school libraries in the provinces of Huambo, Namibe, and Cabinda will be rehabilitated and equipped over the next four years as part of the Libelinha project led by Standard Bank-Angola. The project will receive an investment of 900 million kwanzas.
The first phase of the initiative includes delivering three libraries to an equal number of public primary schools on Tuesday: No. 1 (São Pedro), No. 34 (Cidade Alta), and No. 53 (Académico) in the city of Huambo.
Rosemaire Luís, the Director of Sustainability at Standard Bank-Angola, said the initiative stems from a simple yet powerful conviction: investing in reading and people's ability to think, dream, and transform their destiny.
She added that each school library will have a collection of approximately 1,000 books and teaching resources aimed at promoting reading and literacy.
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Luis added that 90 teachers will be trained to energize and manage the learning spaces and promote community intervention initiatives so that the libraries are used by not only students but also families and the community.
The bank representative stated that it is a co-creation project in partnership with public and private entities that share the vision of strengthening libraries as visible spaces for learning and acquiring knowledge.
Luis said the initiative cannot be measured by numbers alone, but by the enthusiasm of a child discovering a book for the first time, the confidence of a teacher with the tools to stimulate curiosity, and the community's involvement, which begins to see the school as a space for knowledge.
The Libelinha project has three main objectives: the rehabilitation of public school library facilities; the training of sector employees; and the organization of educational events for literacy. The project also involves the installation of a library collection that considers its resilience and future sustainability.
Standard Bank Angola will celebrate its 16th anniversary in September of this year. The bank has emphasized access to credit in various areas of the economy.
