Library Renovation Update

22 July 2015

Although we struggled smol with challenges created by shipping schedules and a few miscommunications, the renovations to Matanvat School Library are coming along beautifully. After receiving a generous amount of donations with help from Engage Globally, many private individuals as well as our friends at the Green Hedges School, I began purchasing supplies to renovate the library in May. We chose bright orange and blue paint for the inside walls as well as a bright green/blue (“Jolt of Jade”) for the outside. The paint was brought to the ship in May and finally arrived on the shore of Matanvat Village in June. We ordered timber and plywood to be shipped over from Santo to build new shelves and, after learning just how expensive tiling was, decided to go with plaster paint to lay down on the floor and create a new smooth surface. All of the materials arrived by the beginning of July so over the last month we have been busy trying to get the walls painted, shelves built and floor painted to have the library operational again for the start of the third term in September.

Here are some photos of our progress so far:

Sandra and Serema working hard!

moving things around to paint the floor

some bright jolt of jade to catch your eye and lure you into the library

mid organization

The shelves should be built this coming week. It’s been a little challenging because the school also has another big project going on—the construction of new teacher housing—which has been occupying pretty much every able bodied adult male in the village for the past few months. However, one papa has agreed to come build the shelves this week. While he’s building the shelves I’ll be painting the floor.

This week coming up is Vanuatu Independence. Technically Independence is 30^th July but the school is shutting down for the week to host a big celebration/soccer/volleyball tournament with music, lots of food and kava. We won’t be working all week but because of some unforeseen setbacks I wanted to at least make sure the floor was painted before we come back the following week because this term is coming to a close faster than is convenient for finishing all the small parts of this renovation. However, next week we should be ready to start putting the books on the new shelves and start organizing the library so that it’s ready for the next term.

We were hoping to be able to have a big library opening celebration at the end of this term but because the school is closing for a week they have pushed the last day of school to a week later. This would be fine, except that I’ll be traveling to India to meet Ana Cristina and embark on our yoga teacher certification adventure in Rishikesh! We could have the opening the week before but it’s also hard to ask the parts to gather at the school two weeks in a row (because they all come to the school on the last day of the term anyway to collect the term’s report cards). Regardless, like many happenings in Vanuatu, it’s alright to push things back if you need to. With the slight chaos created by this week long celebration, we would only have a week and a half to finish our work and plan the program for the opening. After discussing with my headmaster, we decided that the library will be opening for students to use in September, but we will wait until after I return from India to invite the parents to the school for the grand opening.

Donors and supporters, thank you so much for all of the donations you provided in order for us to create a new beautiful place for Matanvat students to come to read and learn and enhance their education. Everyone is so excited about the changes to the library and looking forward to the role of the librarians in enhancing the overall learning at the school. We couldn’t have done it without you! Check back for more updates in the middle of August once all of the work is complete.