The existing Silundika Family homestead is being developed and expanded to become a Cultural Community Centre and Memorial Library. The Centre will provide facilities for education, recreation, arts and culture and health awareness for Ward 6 villagers and the surrounding villages in Bulilima District. The project is developed as a community development initiative in honor of the late national hero Tarcisius Malan George Silundika and shall be administered under the auspices of the registered Silundika Family Foundation. The library is a major component of this project, which is expected to help improve the study habits of students in this area, thereby improving their chances of advancing to secondary schools and university. Gala is one of the cluster of villages in ward 6 in Bulilima District, Matabeleland South that fall under Headman Manguba and Chief Gambo III. Each one of the surrounding villages has a population of between 600-700 inhabitants. There are four cluster primary schools and two secondary schools in the area. This library will go a long way in addressing many challenges and improve the pass rate in the district. The long-term plan for the library is to introduce literacy and computer programs.

Through this community library, children will develop a culture of reading, a prerequisite for an enlightened society. Adults also enjoy library activities that usually include packages for recreation, culture, education and informational reading. Study circles also offer adults an opportunity to participate in the lifelong continuing education process.

Various studies have shown that there is a gap between the demand for and supply of essential reading materials in Zimbabwe especially in rural communities where the rate of illiteracy and economic hardships are more pronounced. This is despite general consensus that every individual and community has a right to access to information.

The Zimbabwean government has always supported education and social services but inadequate resources have affected many rural communities. Whereas school infrastructure is available, study material via books and information technology is in short supply in rural communities. This initiative will help fill that gap by complimenting government efforts while at the same time preserving the legacy of the late liberation hero TG Silundika. The library will provide the youth and elderly with study materials and access to information technology that is not available in the schools.

The Zenzo Nkobi Heritage Gallery

The Zenzo Nkobi Heritage Gallery will be a big feature of the library with photographs documenting the liberation war. The archive includes thousands of photographs taken by the late Zenzo Nkobi, a liberation hero and professional photographer.
www.zenzo-nkobi-heritage.org