Loka Kerala Sabha meet: Library fame Somy to be in attendance
Over, 7,000 books came to build up a library in Kichakani, 35 km away from Dar es Salaam, one of the developed cities of Tanzania.
Thiruvananthapuram: A Keralite woman who set up the first library in a Tanzanian village by collecting books through Facebook is among those who will attend Loka Kerala Sabha today.
Somy Solomon had initiated Kichankani Library, a social media-driven initiative two years ago by collecting books from all over the state and even abroad to set up the library.
Over, 7,000 books came to build up a library in Kichakani, 35 km away from Dar es Salaam, one of the developed cities of Tanzania.
Ms Solomon, who has been writing in Malayalam online against the racial bias the people of the state have towards Africa, said the construction the library was in progress with the help of the local body. Many people have been contributing building materials.
The plan is to convert the library into a learning centre to train villagers to write and read English and the local language Swahili and in computer skills.
Ms Solomon had taken up two other major issues like lack of access to education and drinking water in the area.
She said the organisers of Sabha have communicated that they would provide an opportunity to speak on Kerala diaspora in Africa.
"I can only speak on the problems in East African countries such as Tanzania and Rwanda. The issues in countries such as Burkina Faso in Western Africa are different," she told DC. Ms Solomon had reached Tanzania after her marriage in 2012 as her husband worked as a hotel manager there.