The Librarians

"What would you like to read today?" asks Cuozongzengmao, as his friend Jiacuo looks on.

Cuozongzengmao and Jiacuo are sixth-grade students at Qingshuihe Primary School. Last semester, Jiacuo was the class' library manager. Whenever his classmates wanted to borrow a book from the UNICEF-supported library, he was responsible for logging the title of the book and the borrower's name in a notebook, and making sure that the book was returned for other students to read. Jiacuo also had to familiarize himself with all of the Chinese and Tibetan titles in the library, and make recommendations based on his classmates' interests.

Since the start of the new school semester in early March, the responsibility of managing the library has been passed on to Cuozongzengmao, and the silver key that once dangled proudly from Jiacuo's neck has been transferred to him. The key unlocks the cabinet in which the books provided by UNICEF are stored.

As Cuozongzengmao has only been on the job for a few weeks, he still needs guidance from Jiacuo every now and then. Between the two young boys, however, UNICEF's library books are in good hands.

To support quality basic education in the earthquake zone, UNICEF provided learning and recreational materials, including student kits, sports kits and library kits with both Chinese and Tibetan language books. In total, these materials are benefiting 13,750 primary school students in Yushu County and 7,750 students in Chengduo County, as well as nearly 800 preschool-aged children across Yushu Prefecture.

According to local partners, UNICEF was the first organization to provide Tibetan language books. One year after the earthquake, the books provided by UNICEF continue to be used by students and teachers, with many schools relying on them as supplementary materials to enrich classroom learning.