MAKONDE - An unsung heroine is changing the lives of the poor and the illiterate by hiring out books and magazines to the rural villagers free of charge.

Sylvia Nissen (55), the Director of La Duu Ma Bakery, which is situated at Makonde Village outside Thohoyandou, said she felt there was a great need to free the local villagers from the bondage of illiteracy. She has also waged a war against illiteracy by donating 400 books to the local Silemale Secondary School in 1997.

Now Sylvia uses the lapa of her bakery as a mini library where villagers borrow books and return them upon completion. “I don’t charge them anything because my idea is not to make money, but to contribute in the improvement of the lives of the people in rural areas. I only register their names and give them books because my community service is based on trust…”

Sylvia, who originally comes from Zimbabwe and now stays at Makonde village, said she inherited the love of reading from her father, Fred Neville, who dropped out of school at the age of 12.

She told Mirror: “My father was never educated but he taught himself to read and he became one of the most respected men during his time. I felt that it would be useless to keep all those books in my house whereas there are people out there who are thirsty for knowledge.

“When I buy a new book and finish reading it, I put it out for borrowing because I know that reading broadens one’s mind and horizons. When you read a book, you have new experiences and it is important to share the experiences with others.

“I also come from a poor family and I know that there are people who like reading books, but they cannot afford to buy any. That is why I decided to extend my helping hand to the local community. People are responding positively because they are making use of those books and they are returning them in good condition. I bought most of the books but some are from my friends who give them to me after they finish reading them…”

Sylvia, who is married to Jim, a co-director of the La Duu Ma Bakery, says she enjoys living among the blacks in a rural village. “I see no colour or poverty, but I see the need to give love and support to my people so that they become a literate and responsible nation. These villagers are the gentle men of Africa and they are the nicest people I have ever come across…”

Among the book titles that are available for borrowing are A house divided, A sparrow falls, The living Reed, Evangelism by fire, In the skin of a lion and Earth of the mountain. Magazines include various copies of Joy, You, Cosmopolitan, Farmers Weekly, Animal Talk, Fairlady and the Readers Digest.

Tendani Rembuluwani (49), a teacher at Mavunde Primary School, who also borrows books from Sylvia says he appreciates the good job that Sylvia is doing to fight illiteracy among the rural villagers.

“She has brought light and her work is great. She is a heroine whose contributions will always be remembered, even by the generations to come. Books are very expensive and it is difficult to find a person of Sylvia’s caliber who does not even ask a cent for her valuable service. This is a blessing for us and we will make use of those books to develop ourselves and gain more knowledge for the benefit our community,” said Rembuluwani.