|
Sipili, One of Our Rural Centres |
August 2010 update: Agriculture is the heart of the Kenyan economy, and reaching out to give farmers the information they need to improve rural land use and animal husbandry practices is a key role that KidsLibs Trust can play in remote areas. Donors are helping! An organization called Biovision has given us software on agricultural practices and the environment for our rural libraries, for use by local farmers. And our ability to help our rural communities will also be enhanced by the gift of informational leaflets and posters on livestock care from the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi. Meanwhile, we received a 50 percent discount on electrical supplies for one of our new libraries, and a generous cash donation from Clive Nettleton for operating expenses. Thanks to Gill Rebello for 7 boxes of books, magazines and jigsaw puzzles. |
|
We Love New Books |
June 2010 update: Students from the Magee Secondary School in British Columbia, Canada, organized by former BookLAB member Daelynn, collected a large load of books in excellent condition and also raised more than $750 Canadian to support our work. Some of the books were delivered to Kawangware library last month, and seemed to hold the interest of our young customers. KidsLibs is really impressed with the organization and follow-through by these Canadian students, one of whom hopes to visit Kawangware this summer while on her way home from seeing some World Cup matches in South Africa. Other recent donations include: A 20% discount on books purchased for Little Hands Big Steps in April, from Westland Sundries. Trustee Zak Gichane has been providing free accomodation for Anne and Patrick in Gacharageini while they oversee construction and setting up of our new library there. |
Alka Shah donated books in May. Trustee Susan Phillips donated a printer, 2 CPU computer units, 2 keyboards, and one VDU, along with books, magazines, stationary and two small digital cameras. Pauline Cunningham in the UK donated blue labels for Gacharageni book spine labels (can't find blue in Kenya!). Salon Malibu in Village Market, Nairobi, donated magazines for Kawangware library.
Thanks also to Necephor and Lily Mghendi for 20 bags of Bamburi cement for Gacharageini construction, and to Rosslyn River Garden Center for 20 trees and 80 shrubs for the Sipili Library. Helping us to green Kenya! Thanks! And we're grateful to Anjarwalla and Khanna lawyers for helping us create the contract KidsLibs Trust now uses to make sure our relationships with community groups are clear to everyone. This is a huge help! The American Chamber of Commerce (Kenya) is supporting us with funds toward the insurance on our pickup truck and much-needed repairs and parts.
|
Green, green Gacharageini |
May 2010 update: There's a whole lot of building going on! Thanks to generous donor support, KLT is in the process of building a new space for our existing library in Sipili, and a facility for an entirely new KLT library centre in Gacharageini, Muran'ga District. The Gacharageini project is supported by BookAid International. BookAid is also going to be providing yearly shipments of new stock to be shared by all of our centers. This is wonderful, especially since our books get so much heavy use. A lot of progress has been made on the construction of the new building to house the existing KidsLibs Trust's library in Sipili, Laikipia East. This is thanks to the generous support of Safaricom Foundation. We hope the new space will be ready in a month or two.
|
|
Our new wheels! Thanks, Safaricom. |
January 2010 update: Many, many thanks to the Safaricom Foundation, which is helping to keep KidsLibs rolling even in these tough times. Not only are we making terrific and heavy use of the Toyota HiLux pick-up truck we received through the foundation late last year, but Safaricom has already made the first payment to the contractors building our new library in Sipili. Some of the $1,100 US that was raised during our November fundraising campaign will go towards KidsLibs costs to oversee the work as it goes forward. Thanks to all who gave! |
Here's the nicest e-mail we've had in a while:
Thank you for your funding request. We are delighted to award you £5,000 from the Marion Esling Legacy towards the Little Hands Big Steps project. We very much enjoyed hearing about the great work you are doing with children and their families in Kenya and we hope you will keep in touch with us and let us know how the work progresses. The money will be transferred to your account before the end of the year.
(Anne Deering and Andy Coles, Church Wardens, Holy Trinity & St Peters Church, Wimbledon)
This means we are now able to expand our program to promote family reading to all of our centres, and we can't wait.
We have also received a donation from Jana Single via AFK. Jana was the Aggreko representative who came to see our proposed Muranga site in November. Jana donoted personally the sum of $800. This is being set aside to support our oversight of the Muranga construction once it begins.
|
Our AFK visitors at Mathare with Charles & Anne |
August 2009 update: A group of visitors from one of our Partner organizations, American Friends of Kenya visited Mathare North on August 21st, where they enjoyed performances and were even coaxed into dancing. Our Mathare dancers are very persuasive! It was terrific for KidsLibs to meet some of our AFK supporters in person -- AFK has been helping us in so many ways, with donations, advice and support. This time they brought some lovely simple and sturdy bags with handles for use in the expansion of our Little Hands, Big Steps family reading program.
|
|
Mathare children show off the Obama kangas |
July 2009 update: Have you ever seen the book, 101 Uses for a Kanga? KidsLibs can add a new chapter. Barack Obama kangas on sale at Carol Craven's art gallery in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts are selling well at a good price, and every dollar goes directly to support KidsLibs. We hope news that the Obamas are planning to spend the last week of August on the Vineyard will lead to a sell-out. Thanks to Carol for this creative, fun and successful way to raise funds and awareness of KidsLibs. Sticking with the Obama theme, Sarah Emerson of Nairobi donated five copies of a children's book about President Obama and his Kenyan roots, and each KidsLibs Centre now has the book on its shelves.
|
Westland Sundries located next door to Uchumi is giving KidsLibs a 20 percent discount on books for our Little Hands, Big Steps program, which aims to promote family reading and early fun with books for the youngest children.
Speaking of books, they've been pouring in: Jane and Kate Ainslie of the UK sent books, toys, pencils and notepads, along with money for costumes used by children in the drama and dance programs. Also from the UK, Pauline Cunningham has sent 24 boxes of books, and paid for their transport to Nairobi.
American Friends of Kenya has contributed 15 boxes of books, and materials for repairing books. These last are very much appreciated, as wear and tear really takes a toll on our stock. Our reference shelves have gotten a boost with 10 children's dictionairies from Gill Rebello of Kenya and copies of the Guiness Book of Records 2009 for all the centres from Karna, Diksha and Ujwala of the USA and Kenya. Mike Somen of Nairobi has given us five cartons of books, mostly quality adult fiction, from his shelves at home along with some invaluable advice...thanks to all.
Donors :
Partners :
|
Goal |
Goal GOAL is an NGO working in slum areas of Nairobi. Near Mukuru slum they have a small Resource Centre, which aims to provide a place for community members to read the papers and access other information. They also have a small mobile library, which tours other areas lending books to other organisations. These two projects are both run by qualified library assistants (certificate and diploma). Until recently the resource centre had very few books. KidsLibs Trust has been able to provide GOAL with Children's picture books, young readers, and story books, and story collections. Staff from the GOAL projects attend our monthly library meetings. At the meetings we all share ideas and information. |
|
|
AFK: American Friends of Kenya American Friends of Kenya works with partnerships in Kenya and worldwide to improve the quality of life of Kenyans through education and health care. AFK ships books, school supplies and medical supplies to schools, libraries, hospitals, clinics and orphanages. AFK does periodic work/pleasure trips where volunteers work and see the fruits of their efforts for a week and get to know beautiful Kenya for the second week. The teams provide professional development activities as requested by Kenyan partners in hospitals, schools or libraries. AFK connects volunteers wishing to work on specific areas to organizations in Kenya that need their support. AFK raises funds to work on major projects with partners in Kenya, like building libraries. AFK has two chapters, Connecticut and Chicago, and hundreds of volunteers from all over the world, including Kenya. AFK has a blog, and director Emely Silver is reachable by e-mail at Director@afkinc.org. |
|
|
Libraries of Hope Libraries of Hope is a non-profit organization dedicated to the belief that stories have the ability to lift and change lives. A child who has a personal reservoir of stories that is broad and deep is better equipped to deal with life’s challenges. Libraries of Hope raises funds to support organizations like Kids Libs because community libraries bring the gift of stories into children’s lives. Fundraising is done by republishing and selling classic children’s literature in the United States. “Literacy is quite simply the bridge between misery and hope.” (Kofi Annan) You can learn more at librariesofhope.org. |
Telltale Theater and Storytellers Telltale is a group of young Kenyan artists who address ills in the society through theatre. Telltale uses stage plays, storytelling, community theater, films, radio productions, educative forums and published materials to address social problems, The group operates mostly in Kenya, working with like-minded organizations. Telltale partners with KidsLibs through training and performance of African conventional storytelling called Sigana in the libraries. Sigana weaves banters, chants, songs, riddles, instrumentations,acting, dancing and narrations seamlessly in an interactive forum that involves the audience and generates discussion on issues emerging through the story. Programs Co-coordinator Onyango Owino.
