20 April 2021, 08:33 am
With the Cape Town fires burning, roughly just a 120km from where I sit this morning, I log on to my computer to start working on my research essay for my postgrad.
Usually before I start working I like to go through my emails - just to make sure I’m not missing anything.
Usually the only emails that catch my eye are those from my parents (and on the rare occasion, an email from the university) filled with recipes, blogs about the music industry or “interesting” news articles.
But on this Tuesday morning the only email catching my eye is the Daily Maverick email (@dailymaverick) sent to me at 06:26 am. Specifically the “First Thing” column with John Stupart.
Tuesday, 20 April 2021
“Libraries always remind me that there are good things in this world.”
Lauren Ward
And just underneath the quote lies a heart-wrenching photo of the fires.
This quote made me think and feel.
And I really wanted to share my thoughts with you.
By now we’ve all heard the news of the Jager Library burning down at UCT. By now we’ve all probably sent out a small prayer or “good vibes” to those students who had to evacuate and find a safe space.
My heart aches for all those stories and voices lost in that fire. For all the beautiful, one-of-a-kind books lost forever.
Yes, libraries do remind me that there are good things in this world. How can they not?
They are huge, powerful and strong buildings protecting and preserving the voices of writers who felt the need to share their stories with us. The voices of people who only knew how to speak their mind and share their experiences, knowledge or creativity through the art of words.
The stories may be fictional, educational or biographical. The stories might have a tragic ending but an inspirational aspect. Each of those stories in the library at UCT had a word/line/chapter that portrayed and inspired good in this world.
Yesterday, I spent numerous hours on social media taking in all the updates of the fire, the heartbreaking images of the burnt down library and mill, and the photos of the firemen doing all that they possibly can to contain the fire.
I was so invested in the updates and photos that I forgot to focus on what I was feeling.
I know I’m not the only one who have been tracking the news and social media posts over the past few days. I felt like I could feel every emotion of the UCT students, the researchers who gathered everything within those African studies research that’s now lost in the fire, the firemen fighting with all they got...
The frustration and overwhelmingly anxious feelings I felt last night when I went to bed, made me realise (again) just how draining social media can be during situations like this.
I also know it’s extremely difficult not to track or check in every now and then. But as human beings we cannot constantly drown ourselves with the negative and tragic news shown on social media or the news. We need to take a moment, take a break from it.
And this does not mean we must continue scrolling endlessly on Instagram and avoid the profiles posting about the fire. It means you need to switch off.
We need to go out and look for the beautiful in the world. Go out and look at the flowers (corny, yes). Go out and appreciate the sunshine. If the sun’s not shining where you are, make a list of everything you are grateful for or spend quality time with the people you love.
What happened on that campus this weekend is extremely tragic. I cannot begin to imagine how it must have felt for everyone involved but I can try to help.
By simply SMS’ing VWS and your name to 41006, you can donate R25 to the Volunteer Wildfire Services.
If you by any chance have images or scans of books from that library, please click on the link and fill in the form for each document you have. There are already efforts to recover some of the lost records.
UCT African Studies Library Special Collections Recovery: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1reMSaVXCFyGjIXTVGXfRcJmQWgbNKRHDHcH0KbNkeH4/viewform?edit_requested=true&fbclid=IwAR1W7NHYfKOyNYcVWzpW2COiH7TTKR7ynqRnai6Sf4AZZjja72lppvOXR68
You can also donate supplies.
The drop off point: Graduate School of Business
Supplies needed:
Toothpaste
Deodorant
Lotion
Other basic toiletries
Clothes
Food and Water
If you need any updates or want to find out more ways you can help, follow @uctjustkidding over on Instagram.
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