During the past week I made three visits to the Nima Maamobi Community Learning Center. The Nima Center is a two-story round building with a wide staircase that wraps around the building. The lower floor is a multi purpose room with a stage and the upstairs is the Reading Hall. It is across the street from the guest house and right behind the Nima Library, a small children's library built by OCLF in 1998. During my visits to the Nima Center I had informal discussions with four of the staff/volunteers; Nathaniel, Michael, Martin, and Taufic. We talked about the history of the Nima Learning Center, its significance to the community, and its programs, procedures, and activities.
The Reading Hall at the Nima Center
Nathaniel workig the reference desk in the Reading Hall
Michael is one of the five staff members at the Nima Center. Altogether there are five paid staff at the Center; Taufic, the director, three library assistants, and one security officer. One thing that makes the Center successful is the cooperation between OCLF, the community, and the government. The salaries for the staff and the cost of utilities are paid by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA). The land was purchased by the city of Accra. And the building was built with donations from OCLF. And not just donations from Canadians. When the building was being constructed Kathy had the brilliant idea of asking for donations from the families of scholarship recipients and adult literacy students. She requested that they donate cement blocks to be used in the construction of the Center and many did so. OCLF also provides books and performs maintenance on the building. This partnership between NGO and recipient is vital for sustainability of programs. It proves the commitment/support of the community and it allows OCLF to use its funds for new initiatives rather than meeting the ongoing commitment of paying staff salaries or utility bills.
Michael also told me some history about the Center. Years before the Center existed, the little Nima Children's Library had become a hub for neighborhood activity. The Library had coordinated a wide variety of programs for children and adults alike, such as a drumming group, a choir, a football club, and even a bathing program (since discontinued due to liability issues). The little library was overflowing with activity in a neighborhood that needed all the educational/artistic/ community services possible. Kathy saw the need and had the idea of building the Nima Center, a bigger space that would include books, learning, and creative programs.
These creative programs are the realm of Martin, the volunteer in charge of the Theater Company. Among other duties, Martin writes and directs plays that serve as community programs on such topics as malaria, AIDS, and sanitation. Other agencies, such as the AMA, also use the downstairs space to present programs for community education.
Martin was inspired to pursue drama and the arts due to the example of Eric Rose from the Canadian Theater. Mr. Rose has visited Accra and the OCLF libraries in the past and is returning this summer to help with the dramatic production, The Forbidden Sacrifice, written by Martin.
Michael, Nathaniel, and Martin in the Reading Hall of the Nima Center
In addition to the creative programs, the Center also holds adult literacy classes four nights a week. Taufic, the Director of the Nima Learning Center, spends his evenings with the adult literacy classes teaching the beginners. I had the opportunity to sit in with one of his classes. He explained that these students were starting from scratch-- learning to converse in simple English phrases in order to get a service job and learning the alphabet.
Taufic's academic background is in social work. And when I think about the work they are doing here-- the different clubs and activities for all ages, the adult literacy classes, and the informational programs, I think a background in social work is a very good fit. Taufic is currently writing his thesis for an advance degree and we shared research questions and talk about Friere.
Taufic in front of the Nima Center
I asked Taufic if he believed the Nima Center was needed/wanted by the community. Often in international aid, programs are created based on the NGO's faulty perception of need. Sometimes they are misinformed and create programs that eventually die from lack of participation and/or community commitment. Taufic believes that the Nima Center fulfills the needs for all ages and all segments of the community. He feels that the Nima community, indeed all of Ghana, believe in the power of education. That belief, along with the efforts of Kathy (known and trusted by Ghanaians for her humility and proven effectiveness) give the Nima Center wide support and no shortage of users.
