Elizabeth Bowers Memorial Library

The dedication of the Elizabeth Bowers Memorial Library was celebrated in Lumwana West on July 9th, 2009. The Library was a Peace Corps Partnership Program with the Elizabeth Bowers Zambia Education Fund, initiated in 2006 and sustained by Peace Corps Volunteers Bob Wilder and Jessica Hillsley. Linda and Gerry Bowers visited Zambia for the occasion and were accompanied by Peace Corps representatives Brother Mizhi Kakoma and PCV Stevie Greenwell as well as by Beth’s Girl Prudence Masanyinga. The dedication marked the transfer of the Library to the village.

Dignitaries Speak at Dedication

Many tribal, Ministry of Education, and political dignitaries attended the dedication. Speeches and prayers were offered in both Lunda and English by the District Education Board Secretary, the Provincial Education Officer, the District Librarian, the District Commissioner, the area Member of Parliament, the Bowers, and the honorable High Chief Sai’lunga of the Lunda tribe. Mr. Mbongo Njolomba, Headmaster of Lumwana West Basic School, was both host and translator for the 4-hour presentation. The entire village attended, while Beth’s Girls offered songs and dances between the speeches. The village slaughtered a bull for the occasion.

Library Construction

The Library was created by the people of the village. They carried stones, sand, earth, and water far distances on their heads to mix cement, made and burned the bricks, shaped roof beams, and constructed the building. The Memorial Library is beautiful both inside and out, including handmade shelves, tables, and chairs made of mukwa, a special hardwood from the NW area. The skylights offer clear light for study during the day. The walls above the bookcases hold large, smiling photos of Beth as well as brightly colored laminated reading posters from the EBZEF Library Committee and origami cranes sent by the Japanese students at Tokyo International University.

Book Collection

The shelves are laden with many volumes of new, up-to-date books donated and packed by Books for Africa, shipped by World Vision USA/Zambia, with transport fees paid by Caritas Charitable Trust. As the lovely calligraphy on the side of the Library reads, “For All Your Academic & Professional Research.” The collection is most impressive. Nurses from the Solwezi College of Nursing want to know why the health section is not at their college. The collection ranges from children’s books through high school and beyond, including all disciplines. It includes books written about Zambia and by Zambian authors, including Mr. Njolomba’s first collection of short stories Animals. Over half of the books have been catalogued by hand, and the library is rapidly filling up.

More to be Done

There is still much to be done to complete the Library. The storage room is filled with boxes of books yet to be catalogued and shelved. Students and village people need light to use the library after sunset. The Library staff needs light, power, and computers to inventory, record, and manage the library. The book collection lacks a full range of textbooks for students to pursue their education beyond the classroom. Few classrooms have actual texts for the students. The collection on Zambia and by Zambian authors is seriously limited since the collection came from the United States.

Trained librarians are difficult to find since there are so few in Zambia, but the librarian’s house is near completion. This is important to attracting a good librarian. Educating a Beth’s Girl to fill this void is a significant possibility. There are still so many ways you can help with this project.

The Next Step

The next step is to address the issues of no electricity, no communication, and no computers in Lumwana West. EBZEF received a $5,000 challenge grant to raise funds for solar panels for the Library. Our generous donor will match your donation dollar-for-dollar up to $5,000. With your help, we can raise $10,000 as the first step to provide electricity for the Library.

In addition to purchasing solar panels, the challenge grant will cover initial engineering to define the system, obtain and evaluate bids, oversee installation, and train people from the village to operate and maintain the system. EBZEF has worked successfully with partners in the past and intends to continue to work with partners locally in Zambia and in the US to make this a reality.

Preliminary Costs

Electricity

• $10,000 CHALLENGE GRANT-Engineering/solar panels
• $14,000 Lighting/wiring/energy storage/installation/security

Communication

• $5,000 Satellite links for internet/general communications
• $500/mo Monthly subscriptions

Computers

• $10,000 Computers, printer, scanner

$39,500 Total Budget

The EBZEF project was endorsed by Engineers Without Borders (EWB) and is posted on their website. We are talking with EWB chapters as possible partners to help define the best system, to assist with getting and evaluating bids for equipment/ installation, and to help train people of the village to operate and maintain the system.

You can Help

Completing the construction and stocking the Elizabeth Bowers Memorial Library with books is a major step toward the village’s realizing its goal of a secondary school in Lumwana West. EBZEF donors were instrumental in bringing Literacy to the community. Your continued support will bring Light to the Library to complete our goal of Light and Literacy for Lumwana West.