THIS NYSC MEMBER IS TOUCHING THEIR LIVES.

Early this year, I ran into Sintim Kingsley somewhere in Maitama and as we got talking,
he told me that he was a Batch A corps member  and had embarked upon the establishment of an after-school library for the children of Tasha Community in the Federal Capital Territory, as part of his community service.

I offered him my support and promised to donate some books to the project, then we parted ways but not without exchanging contacts.
 Last week Thursday  he was in my office to invite me for the formal unveiling  of the library he built and stocked with books and other learning aids for the children within and around the Community.

The Library That Was Formally Unveiled

I eventually attended the event which took place on Saturday 27, 2013 and needless to say that the sleepy remote village of Tasha came alive over the weekend as a result of the event. Among those also in attendance were officials of the United States Embassy, Books For Africa and Evans Brothers Publishers Ltd. 

 Mr Patrick Plonski, the Director of Books for Africa in a handshake with Kingsley Sintim.

Officials of  the Books For Africa had come to see the project for themselves having donated books to the project. They were obviously encouraged and pledged more support to the project. Mr Patrick Plonski, the Director of Books for Africa, said that his organisation would be working with the library in efforts to ensure that its shelves were filled with books that would be beneficial to people.

Cosmas Asogwa and Mr Patrick Plonski, the Director of Books for Africa

Evans Brothers Publishers Ltd donated books to the library as part of it corporate social responsibility and willingness to partner with stakeholders in improving the literacy level among the Nigerian child. 

Cosmas Asogwa Donating Books On Behalf of Evans Publishers Ltd to The Library

Cosmas Asogwa Donating Books On Behalf of Evans Publishers Ltd to The Library
The initiator of the project, Kingsley Sintim who was visibly delighted by the show of support he received, said that the idea of building library for the community was to encourage the residents to imbibe the reading culture and promote their societal values. He said that library project represented a way of giving back to the society part of what he had benefited from it.

Cosmas Asogwa Donating Books On Behalf of Evans Publishers Ltd to The Library

The kids took turns to showcase their newly imbibed reading abilities and it was a delight to see the impact the library has already had on them within the short spate of time it was built.  Mr Bill Strassberger, the US embassy’s Cultural Affairs Officer, stressed the need for children to be encouraged to read books. He noted that it is exciting to see children having access to books that will help them learn about today and the future. According to him, they have visited many libraries in Africa and in Nigeria and it is very exciting to see a village library such as this one having the support of all the people,’’ he said.

 Mr Patrick Plonski, the Director of Books for Africa and Mr Bill Strassberger, the US embassy’s Cultural Affairs Officer, posing with Kingsley Sintim and kids visiting the community library

The village residents who were visibly delighted, treated their visitors to the traditional Gbayagi Musical Dance and before you knew it, it was dancing galore as officials of the US embassy, Books For Africa and Evans Publishers Ltd danced to the the rhythmic beats of the talking drum.  Watch Video clip below.

Mr Patrick Plonski, the Director of Books for Africa tried beating the talking drum.

WATCH VIDEO CLIPS

If a corps member can conceive such a project and use it in touching the lives of  many, then what stops the representatives of this community to  even do more with the tax-payers money at their disposal?