Starting Somewhere...

Every great project has a small beginning. We seek to start with a pilot project in Nyamira County, Kenya. Our pilot project will be called Base ya kuchop. This is a local informal phrase meaning a home of learning. 

We desire to start our pilot project in this town of Nyamira as we assess the need for these libraries and aim to attract like-minded individuals along this journey of inspiring a passion for learning. The library is to have one staff who should have a passion for learning and who will be in charge of managing the library. We have identified several locations for rent, one of which stands out since it is in a pristine location. 

Nyamira is one of the 47 Counties in Kenya. It is is located in the hilly and rainy western part of Kenya. It has around half a million inhabitants in an area of 899.3 kilometres squared. Half the population are youth of ages  15 to 35 years. According to the 2009 census reports there are 145,012 students enrolled in 567 Primary schools and 37,070 students enrolled in 168 secondary schools.

In addition the county has 3 University Colleges, 1 Medical Training College, 1 Teachers Training College, 36 Youth Polytechnics, and several Commercial Colleges. Several institutions of higher learning have set up branches in this town meaning there are more college and university going students. Sadly though, the entire county does not have even a single public library. It is notable that most of the schools in Nyamira do not have a library and that the entire county of half a million inhabitants does not have a library. And this is where you and I come in...

A Passion for learning

The top news this week in Kenya is that teachers are on strike. Their demands are simple: They want a salary increase. The politicians in Kenya have been increasing their salaries to sky high levels and the teachers are demanding for a similar increase failure to which no teacher will be stepping in class. Their demands are justified I think but the learning has stopped in most schools. The strike has not been resolved and we hope this happens soon.

 

In the meantime, the students have been sent home. What captured my attention and melted my heart and has consequently moved me to action was the sight of 14-year-old Pauline Atieno who was in tears because there is no more place for her to study. She considers learning so important that she cried when she was told to go home because she cannot read from home. Listen to her words: “I have no conducive environment to study at home...I’m the only girl at home and whenever I plan to study there is a lot of interruption from my younger brother and cousin.” 

A passion for learning

 

It reminded me of my time growing up in my home town Nyamira where I lacked a good place to study without interruptions and also to meet other passionate learners to inspire each other. This story moved me and a couple of other passionate learners to act on a small plan I have been having for years, a project we call: iRead Kenya with the bold motto of Inspiring a passion for learning.

Our aim is to establish community resource centres (Libraries) where the youth can get learning materials and also read and learn from without interruption. We seek to provide a conducive environment for inspired learning so that students like Pauline Atieno can read and learn without interruption. We seek to mobilize funds, books and other reading materials, computers and furniture and all resources necessary and to move every mountain possible to create community resource centres in Kenya. Our first project will be in my home town Nyamira before the student break for holidays in August. We have already identified a place to rent and are in the process of drafting a proposal, identifying a place and a website too and we need your support. 

Are you ready to partner with us in this most noble venture? Drop us an email at ireadkenya@gmail.com or on Facebook Group iRead kenya. Keep it here for more details