Anda Ntsodo, Mayoral committee member for area east, along with Junior City Council members Azola Ndongeni from Claremont High School, who is the junior deputy mayor and Lazola Nomkala, from Milnerton High School, who is the junior Sub-council 5 chairperson, visited Kuyasa library in Khayelitsha on Friday July 7.
The aim was to get children to read and inspire them to continue learning. Holiday programmes are being offered by the City’s libraries to help in this regard.
Mr Ntsodo realises the importance of reading and learning.
“Reading opens up a whole new world. You can visit exotic places and learn about different cultures. You can improve skills and hone talents, and at the same time you gain knowledge about subjects that may have seemed foreign before,” he said, encouraging parents to take their children to the library from a very young age.
Azola said she is encouraged by the interest shown by the young people of the area.
“It was good to see so many young people use the facility. It gives them no excuse not to succeed as they have access to knowledge right here. The youth here can do as well or better than those elsewhere. It is about what you do with what you’ve been given and this is world-class,” said Azola.
Lazola praised the City of Cape Town for investing in such a project.
“This is a great facility and worth the City’s investment into the infrastructure. I am glad to see that those young people who may feel they are not as privileged as others have access to the same opportunities,” she said.
Mr Ntsodo said that reading can help communities grow.
“Reading promotes a culture of learning and it is at our libraries where we can level the playing field.
“The provision of this service forms part of the City’s Organisational Development and Transformation Plan goals to ensure economic inclusion and build integrated communities,” he said.
Mr Ntsodo believes that young people should love to read and learn about the world we live in.
“It’s never too early to join the library and kick-start a love for reading. It is when we’re reading that we learn about ourselves and the world.
“It is also the start of a lifelong relationship with books which only has benefits for the reader,” he emphasised.