Belle Vue unveils new neighbourhood library

Apr 07, 2024 Features / Columnists, News, Waterfalls Magazine

Belle Vue unveils new neighbourhood library

– A safe space for children to embark on a journey of learning, discovery, and endless possibilities

Waterfalls Magazine – The small community of Belle Vue West Bank Demerara (WBD) recently unveiled a public library for not just their community by for the communities in Region Three to access. The library is the first of its kind in Region Three.

The idea first took root in 2020 when a staff from the Ministry of Health – Aruna Faria sought out ways to emulate her leaders and give back to her community. Ms. Faria who also sits on the board of directors for a Canadian Charity – Giving Health to Kids, reached out to her fellow board members in 2020 to ask for tablets to help children who could not afford to access school work due to the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her colleagues responded by providing 60 tablets and 2 laptops which were donated to children living in Belle Vue, Patentia, Canal Two and Stanleytown Primary School; as well as twenty tablets to less fortunate children.

It was during this exercise that she realizes the gravity of the educational needs of the children in the community. As a child, Faria visited the Stanleytown Public Library located in Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara where she was born and raised by her parents Mr. and Mrs. Gladwin Lall.

As an adult, she moved to Belle Vue and would pass the Belle Vue Community Centre daily on her way home from work. It was then that she noticed a vacant room at the entrance of the centre.

After making enquiries about the vacant room, she found that the room was not allocated for any activities. It was then that the idea to start a little library came about.

While her intentions were to build a library, Faria was unsure of how to get books and resources. However, a chance meeting connected her with Mr. Joe Persaud, a philanthropist who has been giving back to his home country in many ways for over a decade. Mr. Persaud was quick to assist with sending books and connecting Faria with his friends from the Little Library, a nonprofit movement in Canada.

Faria discussed with the team ways to bring the Little Library concept to Belle Vue.

As part of setting up the library, Faria sought permission from the local Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and the Regional Chairman for the use of the room and upon receiving approval sought to commence renovations on the room. With the help of her friends, family and strangers who shared her vision for giving back to her community, she received donations to renovate the ceiling, rewire the room, redo the plumbing, replace the bathrooms, replace the doors both external and internal, and replace the windows and locks among much more.

While much was provided by donations, she paid for most of the materials and labour often times recruiting family and community workers to help.

At the final stages, Little Library provided the needed assistance to build the shelves and complete the painting and fund the purchase of the carpeting for the room. It was not an easy task to clear the books and move them from the storage location and then finally to the library. But with help from fellow members from the community, the books were successfully transported to the library where sorting and packing commenced.

On March 17, 2024, the Belle Vue Little Library was officially opened. The library stands as a testament to the power of community work and the boundless possibilities that emerge when people join hands in pursuit of a common goal. It is in these efforts that children can embark on the journey of learning, discovery, and endless possibilities.

Belle Vue, learning, library, Neighbourhood, West Bank Demerara (WBD)

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