Richard Penna

Medina Children's Library  9 of 10 / View all

There is a hidden treasure in Souad's home city of Fes. We're not talking about the pomegranate red dyed babouches or an array of Fassi pottery, but a children’s library buried deep in the medina just off the Talaa Sghera. It was started in 2015 by three women who live locally and wanted the children in the community to have a place to discover books and develop a love of reading.   As a child Souad was lucky enough to spend her summer holidays with an aunt who was a headmistress. This was the only way she could access a range of books and ultimately extend her education to include university and with it the freedom to choose her way of life. For most children, especially girls, access to books is still fragmented. This rare, free library focuses on children’s books ages 3-14 in Arabic, French and a few in English.

Souad visits the library when she stays with her mother and brings books, memory and card games. Other donations have included tooth brushes to teach oral hygiene and tables and stools so the children no longer have to read, draw or write on the floor. Most recently the children have been introduced to the creativity of Lego donated by London based charity The Toy Project. As one Lego ad states ‘Kids build Lego. Lego builds kids’!