Initiative to light up South Africa’s libraries
Light up the Library initiative is about lighting lives by keeping the lights in SA libraries. Randburg Library. Picture: Supplied
Johannesburg - The Light Up the Library initiative has committed to keeping the lights on at libraries across the country even in the darkest hours of load shedding.
This announcement was made by Nestle Bar One with the aim of raising the bar for students who rely on the library to get the full services that the facilities offer.
It is reported that these libraries have been selected based on the most urgent needs: Winterveld Library in Tshwane has been without power since 2019, the Randburg Library in Joburg uses portable lights during load shedding and Beacon Bay Library in East London and Musgrave Library in Durban issue books manually during load shedding.
In conversation with The Star, Matete Lesele, a senior librarian at Randburg Library, shared details about how load shedding had affected the library.
“The very first thing that was impacted was the number of people coming into the facility, which went down drastically because of load shedding. We had fewer clients coming into the facility. And the moment we had load shedding, many people would leave,” Lesele said.
He says with the new power solution, they will work hard to ensure that people come to the library and use the services without disturbance.
The campaign is also supported by several leading youth voices that include DJ Sbu, Oskido, Sheldon Tatchell, Kovini Moodley, Mashudu Modau, and leading Maskandi artist Khuzani Mpungose.
From a creative perspective, creative expressionists such as Gomora duo Lerato Mokoka and Sicelo Buthelezi, as well as Tik Tok stars Siphosethu Nkosi and Mess Jilla.
“I am an advocate for never letting my circumstances prevent me from fulfilling my dream. I believe that one is born clever, and we all can achieve what we set our visions on. This initiative by Bar One shows that South African brands understand the challenges that youth face and give back in a meaningful and impactful way. Libraries need energy to fuel the dreams of our youth, and I am encouraging every South African to get behind the campaign — one million shares and retweets. We can make this happen!” affirms DJ Sbu.
Zumi Njongwe, business executive officer for Confectionary at Nestlé East and Southern Africa, speaking about the campaign said: “The Nestlé Bar One #needenergy—Light up the library initiative is about lighting lives by keeping the lights on.
The Star
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