Where to begin?!!!! So much to tell!!!

Hello! 

Well this week has been crazy! On Saturday we launched Little Hands Big Steps at Kawangware library.. 15 parents turned up!!! We only asked for 10!
Patrick and I both talked about the project, and Peggy (now chair person of LHBS) spoke about how it went in Mathare North last year (Peggy was a member of the first LHBS group of parents in Mathare North). Peggy is going back this week, and Patrick and I will return in two weeks to see how it is going! As always a big thank you to our donor from Holy Trinity and St Peter Legacy group in Wimbledon, UK. Hope to launch Little Hands Big Steps in Sipili after they have moved into their new building.... 

 

Sipili library next!
Anne and Patrick went to visit the new building this week. It is still not quite finished.. hopefully by the end of next week! There is some painting and tidying to do.. also our sign has to be completed, stating that Safaricom Foundation are the donor and that it is a KLT library!

the loos!

                                     

And now for Gacharageini! We are hoping that the walls will be completed by the end of next week, and the windows in. We then need to wait for the second installment of funding from BookAid International to do floor, reinforce sustaining wall, plaster and paint inside.. then move in! Very exciting! This library has taken us on the builders adventure.. to some very unexpected places.. for example finding crop gum trees to cut down to make scaffolding... assessing types of cement.. 

Training is coming on well. The seven trainess have nearly completed the childrens' fiction, and will start on Adults fiction next week.. the delights of classification will wait a wee bit longer!! 

Will talk again in a week or two! Enjoy photos!!!

Anne

 

Bags are packed.. we're ready to go...

Little Hands Big Steps bags are packed for two libraries! We launch at Kawangware library on Saturday 15th May, then at Sipili the following week! Other libraries will follow. We need to get more bags printed up too.. so more mess!! Yeay!!!

MANY thanks again to Westland Sundries, a local bookshop for giving us 20% discount on some of our LHBS books!


  

PLUS! We should start building our Gacharageini library this week! This has taken much longer than we anticipated due to problems with the existing building, and trying to find materials ourselves We should be all set by Wednesday or Thurs! Will post photos when The Event starts!!! As always thanks to BookAid International for sponsoring this new library!

Still much rain here in Gacharageini, so have bought some wellies/ gum boots- Very fetching black ones! Ha!

Sipili library should open in its new building this month.. fingers and toes crossed! Thanks as always to Safaricom Foundation for sponsoring the new building

Lots of visitors coming from UK and USA this month and next month!

Talk soon!!!


Anne

Little Hands... made lots of mess!

Many kids turned up to have their hands painted to decorate our Little Hands Big Steps bags yesterday! This is Faline, who will also become one of the participants of Little Hands Big Steps at our Kawangware library!

Next step is to put books into the bags, then train staff in their use! Hope to get rest of books as soon as we get the quotations from the shops!

TALK SOON!!!

WORK HAS BEGUN- and so has the rain!!!

Now Anne is back in Kenya we can get on and DO stuff!!!

Yesterday Anne and Patrick visited the site of the new building in Sipili . The library looks wonderful- I love the blue! We have some small jobs to finish- letting th eplaster dry being a major job, and difficult to accomplish due to the rains being frequent and heavy at the moment. Still hope to open early May... fingers crossed!!! This is another project funded by SAFARICOM FOUNDATION. Thank you so much!!



Little Hands... Little Hands Big Steps stage 2! We have now oganised to do the hand prints on the LHBS bags on April 24th at Kawangware library! We hope to get about 10 3 year olds to help us decorate our bags! Anne has book collections organised- some more to buy, then we can start staff training with them and introduce to our KLT centres! Exciting stuff!!!


Gacharageini Library Well we are here in Gacharageini and making a start! The KLT books are here, and 7 trainees selected. They now know all abour what KLT does- and why we do it!! Look at that view outside the library window.. breathtaking! Sould have bank account sorted out this week so we can purchase stationary and start work... a change of priest a month ago has caused many delays! Think we should be back on track soon!! Many thanks to BOOKAID INTERNATIONAL for funding this project!


Possible New Library in Kinamba village in Laikipia West.

Patrick and I had a meeting with some chosen community members - including the local chief- in Kinamba about making a library there. Kinamba is somewhere we know well, having to pass through it to get to Sipili. It has a population of over 20,000 in 2009 censu, with many primary and secondary schools. It is an active, buzzing community all day every day.. great for a library.



The library committee is made up of retired teachers, farmers, and shop keepers. They are putting a proposal together to KLT, and we will then try to find donor money to make LIBRARY NUMBER 7!! We hope to be able to make Sipili and Kinamba 'sister' libraries, and have them working together to serve a larger community, possibly with Joseph from Sipili in overall charge of both libraries.




Kinamba Library committee... plus Patrick!

Kawangware Library is benefitting form a donation from Rachel Altmann and her family so we can purchase 4 new library shelves- 3 for the children's area, and one for the adults. THANK YOU ALTMANN FAMILY!!

Anne and Patrick have taken visitors from CISP (an Italian NGO) to visit Mathare North MYSA centre, had meetings with Don Howrad and his lady wife re a collaboration over training staff in making children's libraries, organised meeting swith another two groups, and accepted a donation of books form Francis Oludhe (to be delivered on Saturday).. and I havent even been here 2 weeks yet!!!


SOOO good to be back and working again doing what I love , and what I know is needed! Talk after LHBS painting session!!!!

Back to Kenya!!!

I'm goin' Home!

Will be back in Kenya in April! We have funding from BookAid International (courtesy of Agrekko) to make our new library in Gacharageini village in Muranga district! 8 trainees (Yes, I did say EIGHT!) are chomping at the bit waiting to start their training! This should take about 6 months all up, during which time Anne will be living in Gacharageini village- with some forays down to Nairobi!

Anne will also be able to create the new Little Hands Big Steps collections for all of our libraries! This courtesy of a donation received in January from Holy Trinity church South Wimbledon. SOOO looking forward to introducing this to other centres, and watching the responses of both toddlers and their carers.. and their neighbours, family members, friends etc etc!

Anne also has MANY people waiting to visit our libraries on her return, including an Italian NGO and a development worker.

Also dying to see how our new building for Sipili centre is shaping up- again, many thanks to Safaricom Foundation. We are hoping to re open in our new premesis mid April... fingers crossed!

We are DESPERATELY hoping that further more permenant funding will arrive while Anne is in Kenya.

In order to make our libraries and develop them Anne needs to be in Kenya to advise and train staff in this new concept of libraries, attitudes to books, and to learning and education. Eventually the concept will stick, but currently much guidence and training is still needed. This obviously involves funding Anne to live in Kenya (rent, medical insurance, food, work permit renewal etc etc).

There is our challenge!

Talk soon!

We are still workin....

Although I am still in Scotland (STILL trying to find donors to get me back to Kenya to continue developing our libraries, AND to create new ones) the work continues!!!

Sipili Library update!
Latest piccies of our new library building!! (Feb 12th 2010)

It is starting to look like a building now!!! Thank you Safaricom Foundation, and THANK YOU to Patrick who has been doing up weekly to supervise the construction- DESPITE having no vehicle to get there (ours if off the road until we can get new tyres).

Edinburgh Half Marathon.

We are now up to possibly 15 'runners' willing to run for KLT!! Charlie's friend Sophia has mobilised Cyprus to sponsor her! Hope we can raise at least some money to make a dent in our target of £50,000.This will pay Anne, Patrick and Joseph (Sipili), develop exisiting five centres, and create two new ones, and keep us operational for a year- with luck!

Hope!
I have been reading 'Three Cups of Tea' by Greg Mortenson (a wonderful true story of perseverence..) he found a donor to help him create schools through his mountaineering contacts... SURELY there must be someone with money who can SEE what we are achieving and HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO THE CHILDREN- AND YOUTH- OF KENYA??!

BookAid International.
The MYSA libraries have now completed their assessment forms of the books they received from BookAid in December, and have also completed teh list for their requirements for this year. I will go through these this weekend and get them off to BookAid International on Monday. Hope we are in time!

All libraries are busy collecting inspirational stories from their users, about how the libraries have affected them and their lives. We can use these stories hopefully to generate interest.. Maybe put a few on the blog too!!

KEEP THE FAITH!!!

Anne

From Little Acorns do mighty oaks grow...

Here are piccies of the building work started as of 2nd week of January at

Sipili KLT centre.!

Patrick has gone up today to see what has happened in the last week. Very exciting! Thank you Safaricom Foundation!

ALSO the bags are nearly finished for our Little Hands Big Steps project to expand into all of our centres! Next steps will be photos of three year olds decorating the bags with their hand prints! We hope to do this at Eastleigh MYSA centre Then books, then training .. then launch!!

All KLT centres are now busy with their new consigment of books from BookAid International! They are currently assessing the new selection, completing forms for what they want for next year, and adding new materials to stock!! Now we have 6 centres completing forms! Githurai and Maili Saba MYSA libraries are now on board!!

We are still desperately seeking a donor to build our new centre in Murang'a district.. Books are all ready, sustainability set up...just need the building!

Talk soon!!!


Anne