Peace House 6

I loved every minute of being there and wish I could have stayed to see the project's completion, as there isn't a whole lot of motivation from within the school to get the project completed. Unfortunately, because the teachers went through Tanzania's education pipeline without a lot of print resources and came out just fine, the faculty is relatively apathetic about the establishment and maintenance of a library. In their opinion, a library is both unnecessary and only presents kids with one more distraction from their studies instead of – in my opinion – an opportunity for self-discovery to enhance what is being learned in class.

These attitudes are frustrating for other international staff members at the school, most of whom are from western countries in which libraries are considered crucial institutions especially for education. But even with their support of the project, the challenge remains that staff members in favor of the library are not able to take time away from their own prior commitments to make the library dream a reality. Despite the favorable bleakness this situation presents, I firmly believe and trust that the right help will come along at the right time to ensure the library is completed and that the students will be able to immerse themselves in the valuable resources now available to them.

*The panoramic shot above shows half of the new library space with an identical half stretching to the right. I am so excited for what one day will fill this room and, in turn, enrich the students' learning experiences and lives.