Summary of project status and achievements:
The libraries ran well this month, although some cutbacks to the programming had to be made. ‘F’ nursery class is still running successfully, with attendance holding at around 25 kids per session. The PMs have decided that the nursery class will feed into the Mwangaza Project in January, at which point all of the children will be transferred out of the nursery class and into the preschool. At this point, if the ‘F’ librarian is still willing to work the extra hours without extra pay, the ‘F’ library will hold classes in reading and writing Swahili for adults.
The English classes have stopped permanently, after the PMs decided that moves towards English class consolidation and standardization must be made before continuing. The PM has chosen a replacement for Theophile, the ‘G’ librarian, who is scheduled to leave on resettlement to America in the next couple of months. The replacement, Jean-Claude, is currently being trained by Theophile and has been in the library everyday working as a volunteer.
Inventory is continuing, and the librarians have been extremely helpful in this process. Two libraries are finished completely, and the rest are well on their way. Due to budget constraints, the PM had to cut the supply budget significantly and the hours of the coordinator, Robert, down to ¾ time. A schedule has been worked out that still allows him to visit each of the libraries weekly.
Future activities and projections:
Next week, the PM will hold a meeting with all of the librarians together to brainstorm new ideas for cost-effective programming. The PM believes that any further plans for programming should come from the librarians themselves, as they are most intimate with the needs of their communities.
Indicators and statistics:
Substantial problems or issues:
Monitoring and evaluation encountered a few obstacles this month, but the kinks are being worked out. The PM believes that the communities just need some time to adjust to the detailed sign-in sheets before they become completely comfortable with filling them out.