NLS gets K50m book deposit from Standard Bank

For many young Malawians, access to books can be the difference between curiosity and closed doors. That gap narrowed significantly on Saturday following a K50 million donation of books to the National Library Service by Standard Bank Plc.

Head of Global Markets Mlangadzuwa Chigaru said the donation is a continuation of initiatives under Joy of the Arts, the bank’s platform for supporting the arts, culture and literature.

“The donation includes K10 million towards books by Malawian authors on academics, history, fiction and children’s books. This is our vote of confidence in home-grown literature,” said Chigaru.

Receiving the donation, Board Chairperson of the National Library Service, Brian Ndawa described books as one of the most enduring assets any nation can hold. But he bemoaned the lack of funding towards replenishing book stocks, saying it undermines efforts towards building an informed, literate, and curious citizenry.

“Reduced funding to our budget coupled with declining book donations over the years has negatively affected the National Library Service’s mandate to provide reading materials to Malawian students and the general public. This situation has forced us to downside the purchase of books. This I why we are delighted with the donation from Standard Bank which has come handy and in time, ” said Ndawa.

The NLS Headquarters serves as the hub for 17 other branches across the country. This donation is expected to filter through the entire network, reaching remote communities to foster a national love for reading.

During the donation, officials from Standard Bank took turns in reading different books to the children, evoking the folklore moments of the past when elders would pass wisdom to children around the open wood fire in the evening.