COMMUNITY LIBRARY PROGRAMME
As an extension of its environmental workshops and community projects, the Community Environmental Trainers established Rekawa’s first library on March 22, 1996, following a donation of approximately 1,500 English-language books from supporters of the UK charity Care for the Wild.
The library primarily serves children from coastal communities. Since its inception, it has been regularly used by around 200 schoolchildren and other residents. The library operates daily from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM and is managed by local environmental trainers, each of whom takes at least one library duty shift per week under the supervision of the TCP’s staff. The TCP periodically donates new books, while local environmental trainers actively seek donations of Sinhala-language books, which are in high demand, particularly among young readers interested in fiction.
In addition to the Rekawa library, the TCP has established two more libraries in Kalpitiya and Kosgoda. The TCP provides essential facilities such as reading materials, cupboards, and bookshelves to support these libraries.
The Community Library Program aims to
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Develop skills and talents among coastal children to create future employment opportunities as alternatives to unsustainable practices such as turtle egg poaching, turtle hunting, mangrove deforestation, and coral mining.
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Improve reading skills among children in coastal communities.
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Provide alternative income and training opportunities to community members employeed as librarians.
