Library for Kouga residents

A modern facility serving the needs of the impoverished Sea Vista community came a step closer with this week’s handover of a state-of-the art library to the Kouga municipality.

The library cost R3.8m, and has been been funded in the main by the Kouga Wind Farm as part of its socioeconomic development programme.

The opening will take place in about two months’ time, giving Sea Vista residents previously unheard-of access to books and online resources.

The double-storey facility is wheelchair-friendly and boasts an SA Library for the Blind mini library, also sponsored by the wind farm.

“The challenges of accessing up-to-date information, conducive study conditions and research will soon be a thing of the past, not only for children who previously had to travel to Humansdorp to use a library, but also adults who want to study further,” the wind farm’s spokesperson, Trevor Arosi, said.

“Tribute must be paid to the local community for the invaluable support which helped make the dream a reality – Kouga municipality for donating the land, the Rotary Club for the books and their ongoing input and vision, Nordex for their book detection security system and the St Francis public, who collected books, magazines, artwork, CDs and DVDs.”

Guests at the opening included Kouga municipality’s portfolio councillor for community services, Danny Benson, Ward 1 councillor Zolani Mayoni, Rotarian Ann Knight and the municipality’s chief librarian, Linda Jack.

On behalf of mayor Horatio Hendricks, Benson pledged to have the library fully functional within the next two months.