Dear Seekers of Solidarity made Simple,

I hope this letter pops into your inbox at a time when you have a moment to relax and absorb it. If not, feel free to leave it for later (or, like me, leave it unread and eventually delete it in despair!).

The middle of August was always the start of the 'back to school' feeling - gearing up for uniform-buying, new teachers, new classes, and honestly too much of the same old shit; different year.

As an adult I really appreciate NOT having to go through that. I think the thing that most repelled me from learning was a completely and consistently terrible experience at school. If it wasn't the teachers, it was the other kids, and if it wasn't them, it was something.

Now I like to learn new things as often as possible, without anxiety about good grades or passing tests (usually) - I am free to research and find out what I want, and as someone who has discovered they quite like teaching - a good way to learn is to explain your findings to others.

That's part of the point of this newsletter - I've been through processes of unlearning and relearning that I never even considered, and I know I've got further to go! To help it to stick, I want to share it.

In keeping with a school-ish theme, then, let's consider libraries.

When did you last go to your local library? Are you a member?

What kind of things do you usually borrow?

Funding for libraries is being harshly cut by governments who aren't keen on the idea of us plebs getting anything for free. Librarians are (by and large) vehemently opposing these cuts, and encouraging people to make use of their local libraries, which are not just a repository of free knowledge and entertainment, but also community hubs, offering group activities, signposting to critical services…and 'warm banks' in winter when people were choosing between eating and heating.

Whilst many of us can just opt to buy books online, or peruse charity shops, our custom and engagement is VITAL to justify libraries continuing to exist. I encourage you to check yours out today - you never know what you might find!

Solidarity Spotlight

Nancy is a single mum in Kenya, who is trying to ensure her daughter Arya can access all aspects of schooling. Arya is in P1, which means she has this year and another two before she goes to secondary school.

Kenya is brutally impoverished, largely as a result of British colonialism and ongoing global exploitation. Kenyan families are still at the point where if they're not super rich, they really cannot access stability. Nancy is trying hard to give Arya the best possible escape from this being her future - through education.

If you feel able to budget $3.5 - $50 a month, you can support Arya's current and future schooling by signing up to a membership tier via Kofi.

If you're not in a position to support, please pass this email onwards to someone who might be interested, and who might have more flexibility in their income to accommodate such a gift.

Take care, and see you next time.