African Library Project (ALP) has partnered with Kibabii and Rongo Universities in establishing libraries in schools in a bid to cultivate reading culture and improve language performance in both primary and secondary schools.
Prof. Munir Muganda, acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC), partnership, planning, research and innovation at Kibabii University said the University is excited about the African Library project (ALP).
He said that the University partnered with ALP in 2019, adding that through the partnership, they have been able to reach out to several schools.
Muganda noted that over 70,000 books have been distributed to Bungoma schools and 61 librarians trained through the project.
Doreen Wangila, Deputy Headteacher of Maliki Rising Star Academy admitted that the project has been of great importance to schools in the region.
“Through this project, the children at my school are doing great by reading the books, they have become exceptionally good in speaking English and also communicating,” she stated.
Wangila urged parents to help their children learn English so that they become good communicators.
“Most children in the villages aren’t able to make statements in English therefore becoming poor communicators but through such partnerships, they will improve,” Wangila said.
Speaking at Maliki Boy’s high school in Bungoma North during the Librarians, students and teachers summit, Chris Bradshaw, founder of the African Library Project, noted that she started the project with aim of supporting and embracing reading culture and improving communication skills.
The founder revealed that she started the library project 20 years ago upon her visit to Lesotho where she worked with the local community and later spread throughout Africa.
“Upon my visit to Lesotho in 2004 it is when I started a library where a single community worked and later grew and spread in Africa,” she said, adding that with the help of partners in Africa, her project has been able to establish 4,000 libraries in 13 different African countries.
“Currently, we are working in 13 different countries where we have established libraries and we intend to spread more,” she affirmed.
Among the Countries that the project is being implemented include; Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Lesotho, South Africa, and Botswana among others.
She stated that through the partnership with Kibabii University in Bungoma, they have been able to set up 38 libraries in Bungoma adding that plans are underway to establish more libraries in the county.
“I am impressed with how Kibabii University has helped us sell our agenda of Kenyans embracing the reading culture, we have seen change,” the project founder stated.
Bradshaw noted that, in Kenya, the project is running in the Western and Nyanza regions adding that the reason why the project is focused on the two regions is because there was great demand for libraries.
“We decided to focus on Western Kenya because the need was great and we also have traffic partners; Kibabii University and Rongo University,” she said.
She stated that her project has also partnered with Tom Mboya University in Homa Bay County adding that apart from establishing libraries in schools, the project targets improving small libraries in Sub-Saharan Africa saying that she works with the local community to achieve that .
“Through the involvement of the local community, they have promised to provide space for the new libraries, bookshops and a teacher who can be trained as a librarian.”
Bradshaw also said that the project provides a curriculum for the teacher library where they are trained locally by the University they are partnering with.
She affirmed that the libraries are well stocked where readers can walk in and pick their favourite books to read to improve their English.
“We are pleased with how both teachers and students in Bungoma County have prudently used these facilities,” she noted.