World Book Day writes new chapter in Cape Town primary school's story

If principal Lameez Rabbaney is right, something special lies in store for children in the Cape Town suburb of Lavender Hill.

Those who attend her school, at any rate, just got the chance to begin to explore the wider world through the pages of the books in the brand new library of Prince George Primary School.

The shelves are filled with books to fire the imagination – picture books, fiction, geography, science.

On Tuesday, more than 1,000 pupils crowded into the school courtyard to watch as the library, a collaborative effort by Breadline Africa and Novus Holdings, was unveiled.

The opening on World Book Day was intended to be more than just symbolic.

"I don't want it to be a monument, I want it to be a library that students use and sit in every day," said Rabbaney.

The school had never before had a proper library. The closest was a classroom temporarily converted to hold a few books. But now, the new prefabricated building will be a dedicated space for young learners to read, learn and play.

Rabbaney said the role of a library in a community should never be underestimated, and  Carrie Nixon of Novus said the printing company contributed because it believed libraries were a way to ensure young people are "not limited by their circumstances". 

• Todd Pengelly is on a SIT study abroad programme with Round Earth Media