“Never ignore small and slow animals because they can do great things” –Matheka
Students in Wamunyu celebrated International Literacy Day by reading books and writing a highlight of the story. The growing Kenya Connect library includes books written and authored in Kenya from Phoenix and Longhorn publishing companies, biographies and picture books from the U.S. and the popular Magic Tree House series. Providing a range of books gives students the opportunity to select books that look interesting or depicts kids that look like them.
Our collection has grown, to over 6,000 and we now have 1400 students with Library Cards thanks to the generosity of donors. Cash gifts mean we can purchase books in Kenya while gifts from our Amazon Wish List adds beautifully illustrated picture books, information books styled in creative ways, and biographies of famous people from around the world. We believe our collection is rich and well curated and among the best in rural Kenya.
Our latest initiative, including parents in literacy programming, is key in encouraging children to read in Wamunyu. However, it’s a bit of a challenge in rural Kenya since the majority of parents have never read themselves, are illiterate or are not versed on how to nurture their children to read.
Librarian Primma Kioko has been meeting with parent groups demonstrating effective strategies of reading a book, encouraging a “reading safari”, suggesting that parents have their children read books to them, and asking about pictures and posing, “What If” questions. A Parent Guide was created in consultation with parents and written in both English and Kiswahili, giving pointers and ideas on how to nurture reading.
New ideas and worlds are being open to students, teachers, and parents as reading rates increase. International Literacy Day was September 8th, but we see every day as Literacy Day in Wamunyu!
Do you love books? Do you want to help our library grow?
We invite you to make a donation from our amazon wish list and a bookplate will be affixed with your name or you can make a financial donation.