Empower, Engage, Educate in Rural Kenya!

In 2018, we launched our mobile school library program and our quest to be "The Village That Reads." Our mobile library initially reached 5 schools with students receiving a library card and checking out books for the first time. Seven years later (and a pandemic to contend with) we are now reaching students and teacehrs at 51 schools! I wish you could be there to see the kids running to check out books and then sharing the titles they selected with their friends. Initially, teachers encouraged students to only check out revision books (to practice for exams), but they have seen how children who are reading on a regular basis are improving academically and more engaged in the classroom!

Thanks to generous donors, we built the first community library for over 100km in 2022. Initially we had 10,000 books, but over the last several years our collection has grown to 54,000 books thanks to BookAid International, Books for Africa and donors from around the world. We are also growing our collection to have books written and published in Kenya in both English and Kiswahali. As the word has spread about our robust collection, parents are bringing their children to our library to receive their first library card.

Our librarian Esther shared with me this week, "We have a new library card holder: Asher. Asher's mother brought him and his big brother to the library since he will be joining grade 1 in January. It was the very first time for Asher to be in the library and he was registered to get a library card. He was excited to read and picked up "Get Up! And in the Bin" by Catherine Baker. Thanks to BookAid International, we have these colorful picture books. Asher shared that he picked up the book because of its illustrations. We are excited that Asher is beginning his reading journey."

Thanks to hundreds of GlobalGiving donors, we have also been able to hold programs like our free Saturday Storytime, the school break Radio Read Aloud program and World Read Aloud Day. We are deeply grateful for your support in helping us be "The Village That Reads." 

During this season of giving, we encourage you to give the gift of reading by making a donation to help grow our library programs to reach more students, teachers and parents.

Wishing you and your family a joyful holidays season and hopefully a little time to read!