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