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05 December 2019 | Story Nonsindiso Qwabe
Laptop read more
At the handover were, from the left: Dikgapane Makhetha, Officer in the Department of Community Engagement; Zwelinjani Mbatha; Ntsiwoa Andries (both teachers at Botlehadi); and Legopheng Maphile, Assistant Director: Library Marketing and Community Engagement at UFS LIS.
School libraries are an important resource for young minds. International research has shown that school libraries are beneficial to the academic development and progress of learners. A fully stocked and functional library within a school can improve learner performance and reading abilities by up to 8%. 

A seemingly simple gift of a laptop will therefore go a long way in ensuring that Botlehadi Primary School in Turflaagte has a functional library that will be a reading haven for all its learners.

Inspiring change

The laptop was a donation to the school by the University of the Free State Library and Information Services (UFS LIS) and the Department of Community Engagement. Before the handover on 26 November, it was pre-loaded with software that would allow the school to create an inventory of all books in its library, track their books, and consolidate their learning resources in one central place, like any fully-fledged library. 

Botlehadi was one of the schools that benefited from the Mandela Day project in July, when the two divisions gave the school’s library a much-needed revamp. A laptop was promised, and the school’s representatives were all smiles when they finally held it in their hands. 

Botlehadi teacher, Ntsiwoa Andries, said the school was beyond grateful for the laptop and the stability it would bring to their library. With their learner count numbering 1 800, Andries said keeping track of their books had become quite a daunting task. 

“The books are there, but we have a lacking library system. We don’t even have a librarian to manage the library for us. This laptop will help us to store our books and know which books we have, and which ones have been taken out by learners. It was easy to lose books because we had no effective system.”

Promoting a culture of reading

Andries said the school is a leader in its community by encouraging a culture of reading for both learners and their parents.

“We have books for all ages and even invite the parents to make use of the library facilities. It feels good to know that we will be able to give our community better access to books, because most of them cannot afford to buy books. They will finally know how it feels to have a wide variety of books to choose from.”

As a librarian, Postgraduate Research Librarian, Carmel Nel, said she knows the difference a small school-library system can make for a school like Botlehadi.

“When we first visited the school in July, we felt their strong need for a laptop in order to track their books. After approaching the Bloemfontein Rotary Club for help, we were finally able to fulfil our promise to the school. The laptop’s management software will allow them to effectively plan and distribute their resources and manage book circulation.”

Legopheng Maphile, Assistant Director: Library Marketing and Community Engagement at UFS LIS, said: “We are just planting a seed now, but there’s a lot of watering that needs to be done. We promised to donate this laptop before we even had it, and today we’re excited to be making an impact.”

News Archive

Walk to Cape Town closes on high note
2014-06-03

Photo Gallery of arrival in Cape Town
Dagbreek interview (kykNet) (YouTube)
Thank you from all UFS students (YouTube)

It was a gruelling road totalling a distance of 1 038 km, but the UFS #NSHstride team completed the challenge of walking all the way to Cape Town.

On Thursday 1 May 2014, Adéle van Aswegen and Ntokozo Nkabinde, both from the UFS, took on the road to Cape Town on foot in order to highlight the problem of food insecurity among students at the UFS.

Two kind-hearted Bloemfontein residents, Nico Piedt and Ronél Warner, tackled the journey together with them, not only to draw the country’s attention to food insecurity, but also to raise money to address the problem.

The hike, known as the No Student Hungry 1000/33 stride (or #NSHstride), came to an end at the St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town on Tuesday 3 June 2014.

About R500 000 were raised before, during and after the foursome’s hike.

The NSH bursary, established in 2011 by Prof Jonathan Jansen, the Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS, and Rudi Buys, Dean of Student Affairs, aims to put food insecurity among students at the UFS under the spotlight.

Rudi Buys, Dean of Student Affairs, says: “We are completely inspired by the victory of a 1 000 km with one step at a time – as it reminds us of the courage of our students who beat hunger one day at a time.”

“The stride team challenges us to change our world for the better every day. We hope to continue their victory for students by challenging all universities to join the struggle for food security and will call a colloquium in this regard in October.”

These boots are made for walking ... to Cape Town (Article of 02 May 2014)
“Aren’t auntie and them hungry yet?” Country folk worried about NSH hikers (15 May 2014)
UFS hikers to Cape Town reflect on their journey (Article of 26 May 2014)

Daily updates:
(You can also follow us on @UFSweb for daily tweets)

Day 33: 2 June 2014
13:40
20 km
Sunset Beach, Cape Town

Day 32: 1 June 2014
16:05
26 km
Mervyn and Sanet Wessels, Belville

Day 31: 31 May 2014
16:31
39.6 km
Rhonell and Gavin Julain, Paarl

Day 30: 30 May 2014
14:00
16 km
Monte Rosa, Rawsonville

Day 29: 29 May 2014
13:16
31 km
The Habit, Worcester

Day 28: 28 May 2014
11:00
22.4 km
Monte Roza, De doorns

Day 27: 27 May 2014
17:00
21.1 km
Karoo Hotel

Day 26: 26 May 2014
18:27
43.3 km
Tows river

Day 25: 25 May 2014
12:18
Lord Milner Hotel, Matjiesfontein

Day 24: 24 May 2014
16:30
42 km
Laingsburg Country Lodge

Day 23: 23 May 2014
17:32
41.8 km
Vergenoeg

Day 22: 22 May 2014
16:42
43 km
Assendelft Lodge and Bush Camp, Prins Albert

Day 21: 21 May 2014
15:09
42 km
Leeu Gamka Hotel

Day 20: 20 May 2014
13:39
20 km
Alida, Springfontein

Day 19: 19 May 2014
12:31
27.6 km
Teri Moja Game Lodge

Day 18: 18 May 2014
First rest day
Nagenoeg Guesthouse, Beaufort West

Day 17: 17 May 2014
19:30
62.3 km
Nagenoeg Guesthouse, Beaufort West

Day 16: 16 May 2014
13:00
14 km
Taaibochfontein

Day 15: 15 May 2014
16:03
32 km
Travalia, Three Sisters

Day 14: 14 May 2014
18:33
43 km
Joalani Guest Farm

Day 13: 13 May 2014
17:30
33 km
Die Rondawels

Day 12: 12 May 2014
16:49
40 km
Aandrus B&B in Richmond

Day 11: 11 May 2014
39 km
Wortelfontein (Magdel and Christiaan)

Day 10: 10 May 2014
15:44
34 km
Hanover Lodge

Day 9: 09 May 2014
40.8 km
Camping between Colesberg and Hanover

Day 8: 08 May 2014
15:25
33.7 km
Colesberg, The Lighthouse Guesthouse

Day 7: 07 May 2014
15:08
23 km
Orange River Lodge

Day 6: 06 May 2014
15:57
51.06 km
Gariep Forever Resort

Day 5: 05 May 2014
12:18
28 km
Rondefontein

Day 4: 04 May 2014
15:27
35 km
Trompsburg: Fox Den

Day 3: 03 May 2014
17:30
46.74 km
Edenburg Country Lodge (Hotel)

Day 2: 02 May 2014
11:44 am
15.3 km
Tom's Place

Day 1: 01 May 2014
32 km
Leeuwberg

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