The initiative was a great success, and celebrates the beloved spider Anansi, known across the Caribbean for his clever and moral tales, and forms part of a Kingdom-wide literacy and cultural project supported by the Dutch Foundation for Literature (Nederlandse Letterenfonds) and Landhuis Bloemhof in Curaçao.
The visit began on Monday, October 27, with a working session led by the Culture Department together with Culture Coaches Sharmina Jones and Thorne Peterson, and Queen Wilhelmina Library Director Tiffany Zagers and Assistant Librarian Clarine van Heyningen, exploring ways to integrate the Kompa Nanzi stories into cultural activities and programming.
Later that day, the team visited the Saba Life Center, where the books sparked joyful memories among the elders who fondly recalled growing up with Anansi’s tales. In the afternoon, around 60 children and staff of Absolute Child Care and Saba Boys and Girls Sports Society Afternoon School attended Story Time at the Queen Wilhelmina Library, where the book was officially presented to Commissioner of Culture Eviton Heyliger in the presence of Island Governor Jonathan Johnson by Marjan de Visser of the Kompa Nanzi Project.
On Tuesday, October 28, the books were distributed to both the Sacred Heart Primary School and the Saba Comprehensive School, where discussions were held with teachers Miranda Simmons, Camille Fahey-Blackman, Tracy Zagers-Johnson, Ms. Silent, and Michel Hassell on how to incorporate the stories into lesson planning. In the afternoon, a final delivery was made to the Child Focus Foundation, where Suzy Guido received copies for the after-school programs.
In total, approximately 80 hardcopies of the book were distributed across the island.
The launch marks another important step in promoting literacy, storytelling, and cultural heritage on Saba.
