Empower, Engage, Educate in Rural Kenya!

“I didn’t know that books could be so colorful!” remarked at parent at Kaitha primary school. Over the last several weeks, our Library team has been visiting partner schools interested in being part of the School Mobile Library Program. Part of our process to enroll new schools in the program is to have our Literacy Team, led by Librarian Esther Muinde, meet with parents at the school to share information about the importance of reading. She, Sharon and Rael talk about how reading helps with student achievement and future career success while at the same time talking about how reading expands students’ horizons and nurtures creativity and critical thinking. They also talk about the sheer joy of reading and how books can be funny, touching and also full of knowledge.

One of our goals at Kenya Connect is to shift the culture and community to be one of readers. Having the only library for over 100km and a host of programs including the Reading Challenge, LitClubs, LitMoms and a free weekly Saturday Storytime is opening new pathways for encouraging reading. Programs like our Girl/Boy Empowerment Program to reduce teen pregnancy and gender-based violence use affirmational books and books about feelings to help students build confidence and self-esteem. Books also explain trickier topics like consent, respect and boundaries. 

We are grateful to donors like you who are helping us bring the joy, wonder and knowledge of books to students, parents and teachers in rural Kenya. Your support is creating a new generation of readers excited to explore the world through books. At our parent sessions in May, it was especially heartwarming to see parents at the sessions sharing books with their toddlers, something that would not occur without Kenya Connect.