A Library Built on Belonging
When I visited Joy to the World School in 2024, I found a library that had not been updated in nearly 20 years. The books on those shelves had been left behind by a school that vacated our building long ago. Worn, outdated, and written for someone else’s children, they didn’t reflect our learners’ faces, their stories, or their world.
That visit was a turning point. I came home determined to change it.
Books have always meant something personal to me. Growing up in Cape Town, I spent long afternoons in libraries. Books shaped how I saw what was possible for my own life. I wanted that for our students in Namibia. Not just access to books, but access to books that made them feel seen.
The goal was never just more books. It was the right books — culturally aware, beautifully illustrated, and housed in a cozy, welcoming space that was genuinely theirs.
That vision came to life on April 24, 2026, when we launched our brand-new library with help from the Afrikan Baby Book Project.
Story, Commuity, and Pride
Teacher Sebenzile Ndlovu organized the launch, and made it feel like a celebration from the start. The day opened with a joyful and proud welcome extended to our guests and to the books themselves.
In the dining hall, our learners were joined by some of their families and invited guests, including Wandi Steward, founder of the Afrikan Baby Book Project; Reverend Waandja and members of the Mothers’ Union of Christ the King Anglican Diocese; and representatives from Sakaria Shikudule and Ehambelelo schools. Principal Henry Tsuro, English teacher Timothy Nyikazino, and the Director of Grace Private School led with remarks reinforcing that our children deserve stories that honor who they are.
500+ Books, 5 African Countries, One Powerful Message
Working with the Afrikan Baby Book Project, we sourced hundreds of brand-new books from multiple publishers and booksellers – Kunda Kids, Jacana Media, Book Dash, TPH Bookshop, Ethnikids – in South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, and Nigeria. Every title either centers African characters or was written by an African author. All reflect the African experience specifically, showcasing landscapes, languages, values, and ways of knowing that our learners can actually recognize.
When the students came into the library and started exploring the shelves, the energy said everything. They were picking up titles, reading back covers, and showing pages to each other. Reading wasn’t an assignment at that moment. It was something they hungered for.
Mrs. Ndlovu put it plainly, “African authors bring authenticity and pride. Our children need to know that great writers and storytellers come from home.”
What's Next
Reading proficiency is declining globally, and the African continent is not exempt. The pull of screens and social media is real and fierce, and it competes for the same attention we’re trying to cultivate. But when a child finds a book that makes them feel like the story was written just for them, something shifts. Confidence grows and curiosity takes root.
This library is a beginning. We’ll keep adding titles, expanding access, and sharing our learners’ stories with you.
The April launch was the most visible chapter of this story, but it wasn’t the first. Over the past two years, board members Fran Friesen, Julie Jerkins, and Beth Land have sent and carried books and supplies to Namibia in their personal luggage, paying the extra baggage fees out of their own pockets. Last year’s book drive yielded several stacks of new titles that Chris Grobin personally transported in January. And we’re deeply grateful to local high schooler Sydney Mafong, who directs San Diego’s Book Project/Libros Sin Fronteras, for donating boxes of books for our learners. This library was built by a lot of people who quietly showed up before there was ever a ribbon to cut.
To everyone who made this possible: you saw the passion of our team and the joy in our students, and you showed up. Thank YOU.
To our donors who made this possible: you saw the passion of our team and the joy in our students, and you showed up. Thank YOU.
Solange Jacobs
on behalf of Team Joy
Recent Posts
