Mama Mtoto/Mother Child Story Time will teach 75 young mothers how to read story books to their pre-school children in 5 libraries in diverse areas of Kenya, promoting literacy and a love of reading.
Children in Kenya often do not have access to books, promoting a vicious cycle: because there are no books, a reading culture isn't developed, and the resulting low demand for books ensures that they will remain absent in all but the big cities in Kenya. Developing a love of books, however, is about more than simply providing them. They must be introduced in comfortable environments, and in relevant and inspiring ways, so that readers can see themselves and their lives reflected in the pages.
Librarians will teach mothers to read stories to their children, using locally produced books, guiding them through exploration of a new book, including reading out loud, engaging children with the story, and answering children's questions.
Studies show that reading at early ages has positive cognitive affects on children. Further, women's education has been shown to be directly related to the education of children, particularly girls. 75 mothers and their children will benefit.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
