Leading African energy conglomerate, Sahara Group, has renovated the library at Pugu Secondary school in Tanzania, opening a new world of learning and development for over 900 students and 76 teachers of the institution.

The school, which has a celebrated heritage of producing presidents and notable Tanzanians, hitherto experienced a lull in its reading culture due to the dilapidated library.

The project was carried out by Sahara Group’s subsidiary, Sahara Tanzania, in conjunction with Sahara Foundation, the Group’s Corporate Responsibility vehicle and READ International, a non-government organisation.

Speaking at the inauguration of the library in Dar es Salam, Bethel Obioma, Head, Corporate Communications, Sahara Group, said the organisation was delighted to be given the opportunity to empower youth in Tanzania.

“In addition to renovating the library and refreshing its ambience, Sahara also donated new books which we believe will inspire the students to pursue their dreams and aspirations with renewed vigour. At Sahara, we are passionate about providing platforms that transform lives,” he said.

While formally inaugurating the library, Acting Commissioner for Education, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Nicolas James Buretta, said he was confident it would “improve access and equity in education for the current and future students of Pugu Secondary School.”

“Sahara’s gesture resonates with the resolve of the Tanzanian government to sustainably improve access to quality education. We commend Sahara for identifying with youth empowerment in Tanzania and I urge the students to make maximum use of the library and care for the books to ensure sustainability,” he said.

Pugu’s Headmaster, Juvenus Mutabuzi, said the library was a “new dawn experience” for the school, adding that it had paved the way for Pugu to reinforce its position as a leading institution of learning in Tanzania. “The excitement of the students says it all. We are proud of Sahara. The teaching staff and our students will definitely take advantage of the new library to enhance the school’s academic excellence,” he stated.

Also speaking at the event, president of the students’ government, Elias Rwegerera, said the new library would rekindle the students’ passion for reading and ultimately improve their academic performance. “On behalf the students, I would like to thank Sahara Foundation and READ International for renovating our library. We would like you and other organisations to continue donating more books to enable us read more in order to become the leaders of tomorrow.”

Sahara Foundation’s Manager, Babatomiwa Adesida, said Sahara was also exploring the introduction of its extrapreneurship framework in Tanzania to provide a platform that finds, creates and connects young entrepreneurs in emerging markets.

“We will embark on projects that expose and connect young business owners to boundless growth opportunities. In keeping with our corporate responsibility initiatives in over 10 countries across four continents, where we operate, Sahara is bringing energy to Tanzania and we are grateful for the opportunity we have been given to contribute to the development of this great nation.”