Give a Child in Africa the Gift of Reading

2017 is going to be a really happy New Year for children using public libraries in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. Thanks to you, we have raised over US$2,000 to buy books by popular African authors to put on the children’s shelves in seven public libraries.  We’ve been working with library leadership in the three countries to select public libraries most in need of children’s books. So far, we’ve chosen -

• Two small public libraries serving rural communities in Kenya, that will greatly benefit from this gift. Dzitsoni Community Library serves the coastal village of Dzitsoni in Kilifi County. Librarians report that children from Dzitsoni schools are enthusiastic library members and are looking forward to the new books. Rumuruti Community  Library, in the heart of  Rumuruti trading centre in Rift Valley region. The library was started by community members who wished to improve standards of living by building a reading culture among young people. It has four very active book clubs, say librarians.
• Four public libraries, Kirkos, Lideta, Kolfe Keranyo and Yeka, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s bustling capital city. The libraries serve the children of factory workers, traders and small business owners, and farmers who send their children to the city to study. Librarians are looking forward to adding new books to the sparsely stocked children’s shelves, and starting reading sessions in the afternoons.
• In Uganda, we have Moyo Public Library, in Moyo District in northern Uganda, one of the poorest areas of the country. This library is planning to start a reading club and will be buying many copies of books to support group reading activities for the children of subsistence farmers who attend schools in Moyo town.

Delighted librarians are now choosing books. We’ll tell you more about the books - and what the children say - in our next report.