Summerfield Primary library gets a colourful makeover

As part of a CSI programme, Standard Bank has been implementing much-needed upgrades to school libraries in many primary schools across the country for the last three years.

This initiative has been conducted through its Employee Volunteer Programme in partnership with external service provider, RAK Events.

The main objective of this programme is to cultivate a love of reading in foundation phase pupils and to improve the level of literacy in those grades.

Summerfield Primary recently had to clear their old library and once this was completed, the team came in to conduct the upgrades. Library wall art was drawn onto the walls by a muralist and custom-made shelving was made to kit out the library.

Standard Bank employees from the nearby branches volunteered their time, skill and passion to complete the initiative. Some of the activities the team were involved in to beautify the library were to make reading-corner cushions, make tyre and pallet wood seats, paint the custom-made block shelving units into the library and place the new books on the shelves.

School principal, Mr Naidoo, was extremely grateful to Standard Bank and RAK Events for selecting their school for the library initiative.

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“We were approached by former councillor, Brandon Pillay, about this initiative. Everyone applies for the initiative and we were fortunate to be chosen as the school to receive this upliftment. Most of our pupils come from disadvantaged backgrounds and their parents can’t help them with reading and comprehension. In the future, we are looking to have ABET classes for the parents as well,” he said.

Events manager at RAK Events, Angel Mgayo, shared that the Department of Education identifies a school that is in need of a library upgrade and liaises with Standard Bank once they have found a school.

“Standard Bank is trying to tackle literacy issues through this initiative. According to the statistics, pupils in grade four cannot comprehend the things they are reading. So Standard Bank is implementing this programme to get the pupils from grades R to three to read more books and become literate from a young age,” she said.

The Standard Bank employees are encouraged to adopt the school library and re-visit to run literacy activities such as reading circles and comprehension days. The enthusiastic staff worked arduously throughout the day and left behind a colourful library with an array of new books that will entice the pupils to read more.