This page has been created as a forum for outside speakers to share their views and experiences with ELITS.

Partnerships

Dr Susan La Marca

Publications Officer

School Library Association of Victoria

Lecturer – School of Education

Latrobe University, Bendigo Campus

At the International Association of School Librarianship’s conference in Malmo Sweden in 2000 I had the pleasure of meeting Sibongile Nzimande and Mariana Du Toit from ELITS in Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa. This meeting has lead to a project being formed between the region of Kwa Zulu Natal and the School Library Association of Victoria in Australia. This partnership has brought myself, and my colleagues, an immense amount of satisfaction. I know, from first hand experience, that our co-operative project has also made a difference to four very special schools in the region of Kwa Zulu Natal.

After the meeting with Sibongile and Mariana in 2000 a project was proposed that would pair our State Association in Australia with four schools in the Kwa Zulu Natal region. The four schools were Middledale, Impandwini, Jagersdam, and Bangani schools.

The aims of the project were:

To facilitate access to school library services

To promote and provide professional development and training
To endeavour to raise funds to support the objectives of the Educational Directorate of the Province

The project has raised enough money to provide new books for each of the schools and also send a small shipment of books across to the schools from Australia. This was supported by ELITS with the provision of storage cupboards and assistance with book selection.

The money has been raised through auctions, raffles and donations obtained at SLAV professional development activities with the support and encouragement of the SLAV Council.

As well as this SLAV hosted a group of ELITS members during 2002 when they visited Melbourne. The group were provided with tours of a number of Melbourne school libraries and were welcomed at professional development activities.

The following is taken from the report of the visit on the SLAV website:

ELITS visits Melbourne!

From Monday July 29 to Saturday August 3, five delegates from the province spent time in Melbourne schools and in various professional development activities. All of the five visitors are involved in providing library services for their region in organisational and leadership roles with ELITS - Education Library Information and Technology Services.

The visitors were Sibongile Nzimande (Director ELITS), Lunga Molapo (Ladysmith region), Khanyi Dubazana (ELITS - Information skills), Bongeka Mjwara (ELITS School Library Provisioning) and Mariana du Toit (ELITS School Library Provisioning).

The delegation visited the following schools on the Tuesday and Wednesday and we thank these schools for their kind hospitality and willingness to share knowledge and ideas. They certainly showed the wealth and breadth of library services on offer here in Melbourne.

Carey Grammar School
Junior School teacher-librarian - Cheryl Adamson
Senior School - Dr Robyn McKeand
St James Primary School
Teacher-librarian - Anne Arbon
Languages and Multicultural Education Resource Centre
Librarian - Judy Blyton
Koonung Secondary College
Teacher-librarian - Trish Cotter
Springview Primary School
Teacher-librarian - Marianne Punshon
Regency Park Primary School
Teacher-librarian - Denise Roberts
Banksia Secondary College
Teacher-librarian - David Carter.

The delegation also attended the CEO conference on Thursday August 1 at the Venuto Club in Bulleen and the large SLAV conference held at the Tennis Centre on Friday August 2.

A welcome dinner was held for the group on the Wednesday evening at which SLAV was thanked profusely for its generosity and warm welcome by Sibongile Nzimande on behalf of the group. Though their time with us was hectic it was beneficial to everyone involved. We here at SLAV made new friends and learnt more about the province of Kwa Zulu Natal and the broader educational picture in South Africa. Our visitors were given a varied and information packed view of school libraries in Melbourne. They also benefited from hearing a number of quality local and overseas speakers.

The personal highlight of the project for me was the visit by Mary Manning, the Executive Officer of SLAV, and myself, to the four schools involved in the project following the International Association of School Librarianship Conference in Durban in 2003. During this visit we were able to visit each school with the regional liaison Lunga Molopo and other members of ELITS to meet with the school communities. These visits became a celebration of the books provided by SLAV and ELITS – the beginnings of libraries. It was a very rewarding and heart-warming experience. Whilst we witnessed great need we also met dedicated teachers, keen and interested learners and supportive communities. All of which was being ably supported and extended by the work of the teams at ELITS.

The following piece is taken from the report on the visit that appeared in the SLAV journal FYI in 2003.

Visiting the ‘Australian’ schools

Previous reports have appeared in FYI describing the schools involved in the SLAV Kwa Zulu Natal Project - the remote locations, the lack of transport nearby, the harsh climatic conditions, no electricity or running water and the paucity of resources. Nothing, however, could prepare us for the emotional response that a visit to the schools engendered.

During our visit to South Africa to attend the IASL (International Association of School Librarianship) Conference in Durban, staff members of ELITS arranged for us to visit the schools in the project: Bengani School, Impandwini School, Jagersdam School and Middledale School. The Director of ELITS;

Sibongile Nzimande, the organiser of the Ladysmith region; Lunga Molapo and Bongeka Mjwara and Mariana du Toit from the ELITS School Library Provisioning team are to be thanked for their generous and warm hospitality. These true professionals are working hard to resource and support over 6000 schools in the Kwa Zulu Natal region, an enormous task they tackle with dedication and enthusiasm.

Each of the four schools that SLAV is assisting is located on a farm and fall within the Bethany Circuit, near Bergville in Kwa Zulu Natal. Parents of students at the schools are generally seasonal, temporary workers with limited funds.

Our welcome at each of the schools was almost overwhelming, with students, teachers and community members on hand to provide entertainment, gifts and speeches of thanks. The warmth and generosity of these welcomes was in stark contrast to the poor physical conditions of the inadequate classrooms and (in most cases) the complete lack of teaching and learning resources.

The genuine appreciation shown by the parents who had arranged time away from their work and the enthusiasm of he students who were attending during school holidays was moving to experience.

Suffice to say that the generous support of members of the School Library Association of Victoria has certainly made a difference to these school communities. Students and parents now have access to the beginnings of a small library which we hope will grow with further support from SLAV and ELITS.

Our project continues with a number of fundraising efforts. Whilst this support will continue our next aim is to encourage communication between our schools in Melbourne and our schools in Kwa Zulu Natal. Such communication will benefit all involved, broadening horizons and encouraging understanding.

SLAV Council, and the Executive of SLAV, lead by Mary Manning, remain supportive of this project as its aims are important to the membership of the association. Personally I have found that the partnerships I have formed through my involvement with the project have been enriching, uplifting and professionally stimulating. I urge anyone interested to develop similar ties as every effort returns reward one thousand fold.

Mary Manning and Susan la Marca enjoying the scenery and people in Ukhalamba Region

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