The Library Service of Fiji community literacy programme has been hailed a success.
The programme has taught rural women and youths that libraries are for everyone and it will help Fiji become a knowledge-based society.
Library Services director Ms Sokoveti Tuimoala said they were able to focus on the disadvantaged cane belt communities in Macuata, which included Korotari, Baubale, Vuniika, and Basoga.
“Although most women and youth never reached class eight we were able to translate into Hindi or Fijian when needed and taught them the skills to become more literate,” she said.
The response from these disadvantage communities was overwhelming.
“Whenever, we came out for training they were there eagerly waiting to be taught literacy skills, which they thought they would never know in their life time,”Ms Tuimoala said.
Library Services were able to set up community information centres in these disadvantaged communities where they trained youths to look after these centres.”
Since its inception these information centres have been used frequently by students during or after school and rural women are using the centre to expand on their knowledge and practise literacy.
Ms Tuimoala said their community literacy programme was becoming very popular with eight requests already received for next year, unfortunately they could only do six due to funding constraints.
The Library Services of Fiji’s initiative to cater for disadvantaged rural communities is commended for being in line with government’s ambition of making Fiji a knowledge-based society.
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