A Culture of Reading

When I was a child, my parents would let me choose a book to read each evening before I went to sleep. I would settle into my bed, comfortable in my pajamas, Big Pop Bear safe in my arms, as they would read the story I selected. It was often the same book every night, But No Elephants. It was the story of Grandma Tilly and a travelling animal salesman. Each day, Grandma Tilly would give in to the salesman and buy yet another animal, a turtle, a canary, a woodpecker and so on until she had bought all the animals he had to sell. And, each day she would say ‘okay, I’ll buy this animal but NO ELEPHANTS!’ Then winter came and she had bought all the animals except for the elephant and the salesman just left the sad elephant in the yard. Eventually, Grandma Tilly felt sorry for the elephant and let him come inside the house where he ate and ate until there was no more food left. He fell through the floorboards because he was so fat.  Then he started walking and he walked until he and the house were in a sunny, warm place. I can clearly remember the drawing of Grandma Tilly in her bikini, sipping a fruity drink and wearing sunglasses.

Then, when I was five, and we were about to move, I started wanting to read the story of a little girl who moved to Sesame Street. I liked her marble collection and how she made friends in her new home.

Books were important in my life from a young age. My parents were always reading in their spare time and as I grew older and started reading on my own, I found a similar joy at being lost in a book.

Last weekend, I attended a training for future Malawian librarians. I have been working with a village near my own to attempt to start a library at the primary school (elementary school). This has been one of my more exciting projects because the community is so excited about the possibility of getting the books. Each month, I would get on my bike and ride for almost an hour, crossing the Mwanza River, to attend the library meetings. And each time I would be pleasantly surprised at the timely turnout. You might remember that “African time” can be much different than what we westerners are used to. Malawians usually measure time by the placement of the sun in the sky rather than by looking at a clock. This means that if a meeting is set for 2:00pm, one might not see people gathering until 3:00 or later. So, having a dozen people arriving to a meeting on time showed me that they took the project seriously. I never felt like it was a waste of time to cross the river. Further, at each meeting, at least three village headmen were in attendance.

We worked through a series of activities in order to complete the application. A library committee was formed and the group decided to name the library Katawala Library because it sits near the Katawala River, a place that once nurtured trees and plants, helping to produce fruits and vegetables that nourished the villagers. In a way, the library can be like the river, helping to nourish the children who use it so they may grow with knowledge and understanding.

The recent library training was encouraging. The teachers in attendance spent a lot of time discussing ways to inspire a culture of reading. In Malawi, students study for the tests. They memorize information but usually fail to link it with full understanding. Reading for pleasure can help open new doors to learning and creativity. This made me wonder how a culture of reading develops and I had to think of my formative years when my parents would pause each evening to read me a story before scratching my back and sending me to sleep.

There is plenty of time for reading during Peace Corps service. Projects and work move at a different pace here which leaves many afternoons free for getting lost in a book. I just finished The Elephant’s Journey by Jose Saramago. It’s a story of an Indian elephant that travels from Portugal to Venice as a wedding present. Maybe this is how I’ve come full circle from my days of reading But No Elephants. I still find joy in an elephant’s tale of travel. I hope that in my time here I can help inspire some children to enjoy reading too.

** If you are interested in helping with the Katawala Library Project, please contact me. I’m still looking for a U.S. Book Drive Organizer who is willing to collect gently used children’s books and a shipping fee. Others have done this through schools, community groups and churches with great success and not much difficulty.  It is a great way to help several generations of student who live in a Malawi village.