Empower, Engage, Educate in Rural Kenya!

"Happy World Read Aloud Day!!!" chanted the children at Ngangani Primary School. Ngangani was just one of Kenya Connect's partner schools who participated in World Read Aloud Day 2021 as part of our quest to become "The Village That Reads."  The celebrations on February 3rd included students and teachers reading books aloud, the creation of reading champion crowns, and inspirational stories by Kenya Connect  staff and teachers.  The staff issued 137 new library cards and inaugurated two new LitClubs with partner LitWorld.  Since 2018, Kenya Connect has issued over 3500 library cards and built our book collection to 10,000.  Engaging children in reading is one of our strategies to strengthen education in Wamunyu.

We also premiered two special "Read Alongs" as part of the celebration.  Students in Kenya, Canada and the U.S. participated in the joint reading of "Sulwe" by Lupita Nygong'o and "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" by William Kwamkamba.  Children, teachers, and our staff read pages of the books which were woven together to tell the story.  This powerful WRAD activity connected our communities in a meaningful way.  It was especially fun for the children in Kenya to see their peers reading together!

As most readers will say, the heart of a literate community is the library.  We are thrilled to share that we officially broke ground for the LRC Annex on Friday, January 29th.  This building will house a proper library that will include reading chairs, study carels, a children's kiddie corner for read alouds and our book collection shelved properly for easy access.  The library will be open to students, teachers and community members. The LRC Annex will also host meeting space for teacher professional development and other workshops, a recording studio, and staff offices. Local and county officials, teachers, students, parents, the architects, and business leaders were part of the festivities. They sang the praises of Kenya Connect reporting that Kenya Connect partner schools have shown the highest student achievement for the subcounty for the last decade.

In addition to sharing our "Lit" news, we want to invite you to a "Virtual Field Trip to Kenya" with our Co-Founder and Executive Director James Musyoka on Thursday, February 25th at 7:00PM (ET). James will share information on the culture, geography, food and traditions of Kenya while also providing a glimpse into the work of Kenya Connect.  Participants will also be able to ask questions and learn about future volunteer opportunities. You can register for this FREE event on eventbrite.

Our work continues to grow because of donors like you. Your support allows us to offer our many literacy, STEM, and empowerment programs. Thank you for being a Reading Super Champion!