KHOROG, August 20, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- A school library has been set up at the regional orphanage in Rushan district, Gorno Badakhshan.

The library has been set up on initiative of two Tajik students studying at Earlham College (the State of Indiana, USA -- Shahnoz Aqnazarbekova and Bunyodjon Tusmatov with financial support from the 103-year-old philanthropist Kathryn W. Davis.

According to  the April 26 item “EC Students Working to Help Spread Peace This Summer” posted on the Earlham College’s website, Shanoz Aqnazarbekova and Bunyodjon Tusmatov’s project, Nido as Kuhiston (The Voices from Mountains), was selected for funding as a Kathryn Wasserman Davis Project for Peace.

One of the main components of the two-month project was to furnish a library with books and four computers. The orphanage, which home for more than 200 children aged five to 18, has many outdated textbooks and classes which often have only one book for as many as five students. Many of the few existing books are in bad condition with large chunks of pages missing.  The refurbished library will contain updated textbooks as well as fiction and non-fiction.  Computer training workshops will teach basic computer skills to a core group of students, who will go on to teach other students.  Teamwork exercises with university volunteers will help show the children how they can help teach others. And finally, additional workshops will teach efficient use of the library’s resources, the item said.

Shahnoz Aqnazarbekova told Asia-Plus the project aimed to help broaden outlook of children from mountain regions through studying languages and history of other peoples of the world and teach basic computer skills.  “Due to funds provided by family of Mrs. Davis, the library has been furnished with three computers, 1,500 instructional wall sheets, and 1,800 books, including 300 fictions and 1,500 textbooks,” she said.    

Besides, Shahnoz and Bunyodjon also organized free English and computers courses for the orphanage students during the summer holiday.