Sue Truter, Janet Kriseman and Piet Postema attended the official opening of the new Rainbow Library at Good Hope Seminary Junior School on Thursday 17 October, 2024. “This is the fourth of our library global grant schools to have been taken on as a library project by the Otto Foundation” writes Janet..

The Good Hope Seminary school principal, Mr W Cicilie expressed his gratitude for the library, and remarked how quickly it had all come together. The guest speaker, Dushkenka  Stojakovic former CEO of Macmillan Publishing, spoke about her childhood growing up in South Africa as the child of immigrant parents. She spoke only Serbo-Croat when she started school but was given a path to understanding and growth from a small library near her childhood home. Two groups of Grade 4 and 6 learners gave spirited readings of poems they had written themselves, expressing their joy and excitement at the beautiful array of books now available to them.

Zephne Ladbrook, the Otto Foundation chairwoman, described how the children at the school participated in choosing the name for the library. She also spoke about the parallels between books and rainbows: both are pathways to realizing your dreams. The new library is in a former woodworking classroom at the school, large and spacious and full of light from high windows.

There are several mobiles made from Lucite in the shapes of suns and rainbows hanging from the high ceiling, which bobbed in the breeze from the windows, catching and reflecting the bright sunshine. Suns are a recurring theme in the design and decor for this library. Rainbows are universal symbols of hope, love, happiness and acceptance. The sun is a symbol of life, energy, and growth. These two elements encapsulate the impact that we all believe the Rainbow library will have on the Good Hope Seminary Junior School community. (Thanks to Janet for this descriptive feedback.)