Nestled in the mountains of the North West Province of South Africa, the Bakubung community now has 75 new e-readers, loaded with 7,950 books at the disposal of 33,000 local residents. In their native language of Setswana, Bakubung translates to people of the hippo, and unlike the hippopotamus’ reputation for being one of the most dangerous animals, the Bakubung community was the exact opposite, extremely friendly and welcoming of us. As a first time traveler abroad, I could not have asked for a better community to share my experience with.
During the 3 day training period for the students and teachers to get accommodated to their new devices, we watched as the students developed a strong desire for learning and reading. When the first 4 hour training day was complete, several students asked if they could stay longer to continue the story they were reading. For us, this was so inspiring. We honestly went in with a blind eye, completely unaware how this rural community would react to this new technology brought by American strangers. Luckily, for us, the community was tapped into the wireless world with cellphones and tablets, which helped the training period go smoothly since the students weren’t afraid of their devices. Throughout the next few days, the students would come in on their breaks from school just to continue reading and discuss with their peers what they read.
To make this new initiative successful, we partnered with WorldReader, another global literacy non-profit organization, who supplied the Kindle Paperwhites at an affordable cost for us. They loaded each Kindle with 106 books, mostly written by African authors with subjects that are relevant for the students. I explored through one of the e-readers and titles like “Ananse’s Magic Drum” and “The Africats” were just a couple I stumbled upon. These devices will help students develop opinions and views that they may not get in the traditional classroom setting. And for a community that does not even have a library, these new 7,950 books are the gateway to a completely new world of ideas.
“I want to be a doctor when I grow up,” one 7th grade girl shared with me. Several of these young scholars have dreams and admirations that can only be achieved if they continue their education and keep pursuing their desire for learning. These e-readers are only the start of a modern education to which these students now have access. We can only hope that this is the motivation the students need to reach their full potential to do whatever they want in life.