Sunday 13 April 2008


As promised!!! Photos of Laikipia Community library with carpet down!!

.....This is the adults library

We need to buy some carpet tape to seal joins etc. We didnt QUITE have enough
carpet, so the adults library still has a delightful concrete floor near the ref section and National Geographic. Countries sections.



This is the children's Library. Children immediately started lying on the carpet and getting comfortable!!











This is the children's storybooks/ fiction section. We do hope to find some more money to get some notice boards made, so we can display children's work on the walls.








There is still a lot of work to do in th eadults library... cataloguing the fiction catagories :- Romances are complete, just Thrillers, Horror, Science Fiction/ Fantasy, Westerns, and General fiction left to do!! Also all of the Non Fiction... IT WILL BE DONE by 7th June!!!

Tlak next week!!!


Anne



Saturday 12 April 2008

Anne living in Sipili, Laikipia West making libs!!

Hello and happy new year!!

Well, a less safe Kenya than it was. Alll of our libraries/ centres survived the violence. Our staff did not fair quite so well. Stephan and Charles in Mathare North centre both lost everything, their houses being burnt down and all their worldly goods destroyed.

Align Center


is now




We are still hoping for a peaceful solution to all of the problems here. God willing the wonderful Kenyan people will see sense, and realise that they are all Kenyans.Charles and Stephan despite everything both were going into the Mathare valley talking peace to community members. Things in Mathare are now quiet, although rents have increased. Charles is still living in the library, but Stephan, -thanks to a donation from a very kind Janie Ellerby - enabled him to pay rent for 6 months in a safer place,

NEW CENTRE IN KAWANGWARE, NAIROBI!!

During all of this KidsLIbs Trust managed to open a new centre, in Kawangware slum area in Nairobi!!! Over 200 children came, and their parents - from every tribal origin-. They all danced and sang together... it was a joy to see and watch! It just goes to show that our centres encourage tolerance and reconciliation!
This was inspirational!!

The next library is Sipili in Laikipia West.

The books were transported to Laikipia (Sipili), and work started in October. Anne was visiting every two weeks as funds allowed.. I Work had to stop for several months though during the post election violence experienced all over Kenya.

Well, since end of Feb I have been living in Laikipia! It is the best- and cheapest!- way of getting the library here open before hell freezes over!! I was battling with an inert library committee, and staff who are only there for the money!

Not now! I have got rid of the two money minded staff, leaving me with two guys who are working really well - and for the right reasons!! Geoffry and Joseph are wonderful! We have very nearly finished the childrens's library- by wed of next week it should be done!! -. and are already making headway with the adults library!

We will open on June7th

Well, I have found 2 guys to do drama (kids and adults) - both now working on something for the opening... did I say that was on JUNE 7TH???? and John who wants to run art classes! All for free of course! See?? Good people exist everywhere!!


The fundi ( carpenter!) completed the 6 new shelf units this week, and they are now in their new positions in the library... and it looks GREAT!!!! The adults library particularly looks like the business!!! Am taking photos tomorrow as...

we put the carpet down tomorrow!! Carpet donated by East African Womens League (EAWLS). Bakewell Rotary Club, UK. paid for it to be transported from Nairobi to Sipili. They also paid for the new shelving AS WELL as paying for my rent, food fuel etc to be here in Laikipia making the library!!

thank you Bakewell Rotary Club, UK!!!

ALSO LDS Churches have donated KidsLibs Trust centres 6 brand sparkelling new wheelchairs for use by library users in Laikipia (2), Githurai (2) Eastleigh(1) and one for our next centre. The idea being that wheelchair bound users come to the centres in their own chairs, then move to our indoor chairs to use the centres!

Talk tomorrow!!!