LIBRARIAN STRESSES TRAVEL THROUGH READING; YELL SALES BENEFIT SCHOOLS

JACKSON -- Orchard Elementary School librarian Mary Hitt hopes telling students about her recent trip to Africa will inspire them to read about other countries.

Hitt made several presentations to students Monday about her trip to Malawi, a small country in East Africa. She and her husband, Al Hitt, spent three weeks in June visiting their daughter Lisa Laffoon and her family, who have served for two and a half years as missionaries in Dedza, Malawi.

Her presentation included information about the Malawian family, geography and way of life. Hitt showed students pictures, carvings and money from the country and read a story about a Malawian boy. She also told the students about the animals and people she saw and taught them words of greeting from the native Chichewa language.

Hitt's presentation came on the eve of another event that encourages literacy. Volunteers will hawk special editions of YELL newspapers this morning to raise money for literacy projects in Benton, Cape Girardeau, Chaffee, Jackson and Scott City. Papers will be sold for $2 at most major intersections and in the Southeast Missourian office.

YELL is an acronym for Youth, Education, Literacy and Learning. The project, co-sponsored by the Southeast Missourian and Area Wide United Way, raises money to fund the Newspapers in Education program, which provides newspapers to teachers for instruction at no cost, and United Way literacy grants.

"We like to do a multicultural lecture from time to time to expose students to other cultures," she said. "I've set up a special geography session (in the library) to show them where they can look up more information about Malawi or other countries. If they can't go, they can read."

Third-graders attending Hitt's presentation were amazed by the poverty and lack of technology in the country. The shortage of running water and automobiles got their attention, but they were much more impressed by the fact that Malawian children do not have televisions, computers or Toys R Us stores for entertainment.

"I wouldn't want to live there," said one child.

Hitt said she hoped students would leave her presentation with a desire to read about other countries and to find alternate ways of entertaining themselves. People in Malawi don't have any of the things many Americans take for granted, she said, but they're still happy, gracious people. In fact, despite the harsh way of life and lack of education and skills, the country is known as the Warm Heart of Africa because of the inner beauty of its people, she said.