Wednesday 28 January 2009

New Year, New Times

Well, here we are in another new year! Here we are still making libraries! Hope for another 4 this year..

DONATION RECEIVED form Paterson Family Foundation!! for $10,000USD!!! Waitng for cheque to clear! This will enable Anne to stay here longer and make more libraries, paying for fuel, phone, car maintenence, office etc, as well as help with some KLT projects! THANK YOU!!!

Maili Saba will open next month as long as furniture and carpeting arrive by then! Staff have been GREAT during training! A MYSA library

Githurai I REALLY hope will open this year. Work remaining to do on the floor and roof of the building before carpeting and furniture can go in, and then the books- which have been sitting at Eastleigh for 2 years or more! A MYSA library

Gilgil. Again hope this year will finally see some action
here! If we can start in a temporary building, getting staff trained and books processed, and with luck by then the new building with Sonata Trust will be ready!

Kasarani. This is with ICEI. They are still trying to find a donor to support their centre and their sustainability plan. Fingers crossed! They are SO enthusiastic and determined!

Ngong Town. This is a possible new centre. Teh building and land are being donated by the owner for a children's centre! We may b able to s
tart gardening clubs, teaching children how to grow produce in a library shamba. Their planned sustainability project is chicken raising next door to the library.

Kawangware. Is a bit desperate. We are trying to save this library from closing - SO desperately needed by this community, but the CBO has been unable to find sustainability, and rent is due for 5 months so far. Should know more next week..!

Sipili, Laikipia West is developing and growing all the time! We are trying to find funding for a girl child project here in the library. We want to set up a ' safe space' for girls to come to talk.. about anything from being married at 12 years old, to hair styles, to raising goats, to school, to female circumcision, to nail varnish... We want the to be able to talk freely to a coordinator and each other, then create drams, poems or music to express thier issues to show to others. We also want to bring inspirational speakers from Nairobi every month .. a lady lawyer, a lady chief, lady doctor etc who can show these girls that they are able to do more than just become a mama age 14 like their mama's did before them.

Mathare North has a great girls rap group, and a hip hop group! Trying to get this recorded and onto the blog! Watch this space!
Eastleigh now has thier adults fiction arranged in genres, as Sipili is. Mathare North will follow in the next week or so. The problem is that their typewriters are in use at Maile Saba until they open!!

KLT CAMCORDER. This is now available thanks to Bakewell Rotary Club! We are just waiting for the wire to transfer to computer to arrive! THANK YOU BAKEWELL ROTARY CLUB, UK.!!!

Braeburn schools. Anne is now doing one day a week advising Braeburn on their school libraries. Money from this is going to KLT account.

Book Clubs. The are now at ISK- Mathare North library (next book is 'Hoot'), and Braeburn primary school - Kawangware. Still trying to pair Eastleigh with Rosslyn Academy! All books chosen are chosen loosly on a theme of reconciliation and tolerance.

MINISTRY OF YOUTH, KENYA. We have just had a meeting with the ministry of Youth today, and there may be possibilitie for partnership , to help the youth of Kenya.

Talk again next month!!!

Anne