Wednesday 22 December 2010

Happy Christmas!!!!

A merry and joy-filled Christmas to all! Go visit your neighbours n check that anyone elderly near you is OK!

Christmas is a time of giving... of yourself too!! The more you give, the more you get!

Here's to a good 2011, filled with unity and serving each other!


                                      Love Anne and Patrick @KLT

Sunday 28 November 2010

Prizes at Kawangware!

 On Thursday we finally managed (thanks to the donation of fuel money from a friend in USA!) to present prizes to some of the winners of the Children's Rights Story competition run by UNICEF Glasgow branch! Two highly commended and 1st and second prize winners arrived with their parents to receive their prizes! Third prize recipient and more Highly commended prizes will be handed out at Sipili Library as soon as we can! Many thanks to UNICEF Glasgow for letting us enter this competition.




















Our overall winner Cedric

Three of our winners are from the same school!













Saturday 30 October 2010

Gacharage'ini open... IT'S OFFICIAL!!

We opened yesterday- OFFICIALLY! - amidst many speeches from community members, and some great dancing by the local primary school. There was also a special poem written about the library- which we hope to put on the website soon!





 Certificates were handed to the library trainees, and thanks given and received! We were particularly pleased that Aggreko sent a representative to the opening! Dale and his family enjoyed the performances, and I think were impressed with the library. It was great for KLT to be able to thank Zack at Aberdare Cottages for their support of us, as they have accommodated us (lodging and food) for the six months it has taken us from start to finish.
 
Also to thank Patrick, and acknowledge his part in supervising all construction of the building- including sourcing materials and getting them- and keeping everyone motivated, even tho he has a full time job 3-4 hours aways from where the library is located.

Of course BookAid International were thanked for their generous support, and we are looking forward to receiving their donation of 3000 books to add to Gacharage'ini stock.



We can now look towards making our next libraries! We have building quotations available now for both Kinamba and Sosian.
Proposals to write and things to do!!!



THANK YOU EVERYONE for your support!! 
Here's to the next few libraries!!! 

Saturday 9 October 2010

Little Hands filled- and hearts filled!- at Kawangware today!

Today Little Hands Big Steps at Kawangware KLT library saw another 9 under three year olds graduate! I am particularly proud cos here we had two dads paticipating.. both of whom cannot believe how the experience went! I sat and watched one of the dads sit with his 18 month old daughter for 30 minutes sharing books in the library, amidst lots of giggling and other noises! WONDERFUL!!

Just look at these photos!
Faline and Mum Bella!


Another Dad with his son!

 
Faline again with her favourite book!
 




Anne giving out the T shirts and book to keep!





                                             
Next Little Hands Big Steps group in Kawangware will start in January 2011¬ Am SOOO proud of them all!!

Monday 4 October 2010

ONE more open, making TWO completed in the last few weeks ..THREE on the way!!

Gacharageini Library in Aberdare hills.. has now been open for 10 days! In that time we have 328 members, and an attendance figure of 692!

We also launched Little Hands, Big Steps on Saturday. Ten families with under three year olds came and took their LHBS bags, after being told how to use them, and how to share books with their children. I think this will be a real challenge in this area, as children- and indeed some grown ups- don't know how to use books for anything other than for school.
LHBS families!
  



LHBS participant!

























  


Sipili KLT Library in Laikipia West.

We finally moved into our new building on Saturday! After threats of possible riots and book burning we moved into the new building. Joseph had been packing books for a week, and luckily the kids from the next door Lariak School for the Deaf helped Patrick and Joseph move the books, shelves, carpet etc. We did have to hire a truck for the purpose, although our NEWLY painted pick up also played its part!






Joseph has to re construct the library in its new building, so it may make some days before he is able to re open. Look how bright and airy the new building is! Still, a daunting task! MANY thanks to Patrick, Joseph and the team of willing community members - including Mr Kiprop our library chairman in Sipili- who assisted in this dusty and Hot task! 








That's it till the weekend when we give out certificates and T shirts to our next lot of Little Hands Graduates at Kawangware  KLT Community library!

Talk then!

Saturday 18 September 2010

Possible next library location...

Sosian is a village located in Laikipia province. It is a small place, with a hard working population, who mainly work for the nearest large farm. There are a mixed group of tribes here, but all think of themselves as Sosian people: tribe is irrelevent. There are 13 villages within walking distance (up to 3 hours walk), and six primary schools, plus one secondary school within the 1,345 square KM, and a population of 13,571.



 The community is very keen to progress and develop their skills. The nearest library is 17 km walk away. The community is willing to donate a 1/2 acre plot for their library. This plot is located within the grounds of the school, but well away from the school buildings, so the library wil not disturb the school- or the school disturb the library!


After talking to the local employing farmer we will start looking for funding- and books!! Our library here will not be too big, and will be stone built, with high walls and many windows to allows for ventilation in this hot climate. We will also include solar power here- we are assured that it will not be stolen!!


 
Donated piece of land


Talk soon!



 

Monday 30 August 2010

Not bad... past, present... AND future!

Well, Library number seven is nearly complete (STILL waiting for furniture...!). I thought I would post piccies of all seven libraries KLT has made!! SOOO here goes!







 


Eastleigh MYSA library opened November 2002








Next came Mathare North MYSA Library in February 2004, funded by Sara Lee, Kenya

.







Next was UKenya library at Bethlehem Community Centre in Soweto area of Kayole, Nairobi.July 2004, made with the British High Commission.

 

 






Next came Kawangware in 2006, originally with Work for Food community group, but taken over by Dagoretti Empowerment centre in 2007. This library was sponsored by Safaricom Foundation.

         









Then... Sipili KLT Library in Laikipia West, our first rural library in 2007. This was originally sponsored by the Australian High Commission in Kenya. The new library is sponsored by Safaricom Foundation, and should open any time now!

Existing library                                          
   
  New building due to open any time now!






Next came Maili Saba MYSA Library, opened September 2009 (completed by MYSA)







Finally Gacharageini library, our second rural library, made with the library committee of Muthangari Catholic church (although open to all community members!). Sponsored by BookAid International and Aggreko.


 
  



What Next??
Well, we are planning libraries 8 and 9 now, and visiting sites. Kinamba in Laikipia West, 

 


and a possible one in Sosian in Samburu District. We have visited the proposed site already donated by the community in Kinamba, and hope to build the wonderful library designed for us by Symbion Architects some years ago. We have yet to visit proposed site in Sosian, but hope to get there in the next week of two.. then we start hunting for donors again!!

Talk again soon!






      

Sunday 15 August 2010

The Not Opening Yet of Gacharageini Library

Well, on August 14th we didnt open Gacharageini (I reckon another two weeks until all furniture finally arrives!) but we did celebrate a really great new library! Joseph from Sipili library came and trained Faith and Mercy (two officially appointed staff!) in daily record keeping. Chris from Sara Lee came- and I think liked what he saw, plus the library committee- and our special guests MYSA Mathare North Library drama group, PLUS our guest of honour Clive Nettleton from BookAid International.



 Here are some kids using the new children's area!



Here is a great photo of some of our older residents enjoying the adults section of the new library!











Mercy and Faith - our two official staff!- enrolled many people into the library.











Photo on the left shows study area.. great light here!












 
 Kids from Mathare North MYSA library dancing for us!


Someone found a quiet spot to read.. despite all the noise and fuss of visitors!











Clive from BookAid International giving his speech to the crowd!

Adults library before people arrived!














 Childrens area again, showing Young Adults section

People were amazed by the library- most commenting that they had never seen a library like it, and were amazed it was for them. We discovered some challenges:we had organised for a shoe rack for people to place their shoes before they come inside.. we forgot about the kids (particularly) who dont have shoes, and whose feet are covered in mud.. I think a supply for water to wash feet before coming is is called for or our beautiful carpet will get spoiled.
 

Have to stick carpet down yet, and wait for catalogue drawers, shelf dividers, magazine rack, shoe and bag rack, computer table and staff desk!

We discovered a young man who is studying agriculture.. he was VERY interested in the forthcoming Biovision software which will be loaded onto our computers, and also information coming from ILRI.

Will take more pics when ALL of the furniture is in and when we actually DO open!!!

Let me know what you think!!!


Anne