Singapore community helps improve library services for children in Jaffna

The Singapore International Foundation (SIF) officially handed over its Jaffna-based project – Enhancing Services in the Children’s Section of the Jaffna Public Library – to the Jaffna Municipal Council in Sri Lanka on 29 July 2011. Singapore’s former Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo was the Guest-of-Honour at the ceremony.

This project was initiated by Yeo during a visit to Sri Lanka in October 2009, where he met with Sri Lankan leaders and envisaged a community-based project that would be meaningful to children. The project to enhance the services in the Children’s Section of the Jaffna Public Library was inspired by the library’s history and Singapore’s experience with library outreach and literacy programmes.

The SIF, which has worked towards the development of Sri Lanka since 1991, scoped and managed the project in consultation with the Jaffna Municipal Council, Jaffna Public Library and Singapore Cooperation Programme, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The initiative also received the strong support of members of the Singapore Sri Lankan community, Singapore’s National Library Board (NLB) and The Prima Group.

The coming together of different groups from Singapore’s community to support this project has helped to create a conducive learning space for Jaffna’s children and aims to promote a vibrant reading culture. “This has been a wonderful opportunity for members of the Singapore Sri Lankan Community to contribute to Jaffna’s children by equipping the Children’s Section of the library with resources that will make reading and learning enjoyable experiences,” said Dr. C. Anandakumar, a member of the Singapore Sri Lankan Community.

Over the past 11 months, volunteer librarians from the NLB worked with their Sri Lankan counterparts to improve systems and operations within the Children’s Section; develop reading and educational programmes; and organise outreach programmes to schools in Jaffna.

“By drawing on our experiences as children’s librarians, we hope we have passed on to our friends at the Jaffna Public Library the skills and techniques we use to inculcate a love for reading in children,” said Amarjeet Kaur Gill, Assistant Director of Public Libraries at the NLB. The volunteers also shared their expertise in the physical remodelling of the Children’s Section, which The Prima Group helped to oversee.

 “We are encouraged by the lasting friendships formed between Singapore and Sri Lanka through the good work of the librarians from both countries. We are sure that the exchange of experiences and skills will create ripples of positive change for the wider community in Jaffna,” said Vinodh Coomaraswamy, SC, Governor of the SIF.

Its activities are organised around three strategic thrusts: working with communities for sustainable development, exchanging ideas for greater understanding, and showcasing Singapore to build ties. The foundation focuses on five core areas: healthcare, education, the environment, arts and culture, and livelihood and business.

For its work, the SIF was presented the Excellence for Singapore Award. Its Patron is His Excellency S R Nathan, President of the Republic of Singapore.