Libraries Are Sites of Linguistic and Cultural Sustainability
By Hannah Mistovich, Education Committee Member
When I think about The Literate Earth Project’s mission, I can’t help but reflect upon the significance of its work through my perspective as a biliteracy educator. There is a stunning linguistic dynamism inherent in Ugandan students’ day to day lives. Students and teachers in Ugandan classrooms regularly translate between English, Swahili, and their indigenous home languages. I think especially about how linguistically complex Ugandan students’ lives are, how marked by colonialism language use is in Ugandan classrooms, and how critical it is that students’ cultural and linguistic identities are deliberately sustained throughout their schooling. The multilingualism of Ugandan students is something to be honored, nurtured, and respected. This type of linguistic and cultural sustainment doesn’t just happen. It must be mindfully and deliberately cultivated, especially through powerful, joyous reading experiences. The Literate Earth project is unique because it is an organization that knows and recognizes this need at the core of its mission.
My training and experiences as a bilingual teacher remind me time and time again that students need both to be able to access texts in their various languages, and that they need to see their communities and cultures reflected in the texts they read. Perhaps one of the most critical sites of nurturing students’ linguistic and cultural traditions is in the library. Libraries are spaces where students discover new worlds and realities, but they are also sites where students learn about the inherent value of their own communities through stories. Researchers, teachers, parents, and students alike learn in their own ways that stories matter. Consider, for instance, the wild success of Black Panther, a movie that complicates colonized notions of Africa while underscoring the meaning of black brilliance. The success of the movie is no coincidence. Whether a window into a new world or a mirror of one’s own, there is something visceral to take away from viewing Black Panther. The same goes for traditional texts (e.g., books). In LEP’s libraries, students can pick up a book that allows them to peer into another world, or they can page through a text that affirms their day to day. In the 21st century, and especially in 2020, this type of access to literature is not just a gift, but an absolute necessity.
The provision of a broad variety of texts to libraries across Uganda is one facet of LEP’s work. Within that work, there is a foundational understanding that Ugandan students must have access to Ugandan folklore, tales, and stories. LEP also partners with the education organization and publisher Pangea in order to ensure that students have access to clever, funny, and lovely books in students’ regional languages. I support LEP because they know what I know---that books open worlds, change minds, and sustain precious cultural and linguistic values and traditions. In the words of the great Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign. But stories can also be used to empower, and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people. But stories can also repair that broken dignity.” I am proud to support an organization that knows that stories matter---they sustain the identities, histories, traditions, and languages of those who engage with them.
About Us
The Literate Earth Project has made significant progress on our path toward improving literacy within Uganda. Thanks to the hard work from teachers and schools, we can help every child learn, grow, and thrive. We are also excited to announce we are set to open our 17th library in the fall/winter of 2020.
That said, we still have so much further still to go in making an impact on the lives of Ugandan children. Join us on our mission to create lasting change- please reach out to get involved or donate today!