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

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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!

      

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.

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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

The Last dash!

Chairs arrive today, electrician finishes up today, carpet goes down today, we move tables, shelves and books in tomorrow... et voila! A library!! No bag or shoe racks. staff desk, computer table, magazine shelves, catalogue drawers or shelf dividers tho.. they still being made. Phew!

All things considered we did well, even tho we cant open this weekend as we had hoped due to waiting for last pieces of furniture. Maybe next week....

Should be a good day on Saturday anyway, as local community want to thank our donor BookAid International. Dancing and singing anyway!!! Also our new KLT sign will go up outside the door :

For some reason the photo is refusing to go the right way up!!! Sorry!!

Talk after Saturday!

Paint and flowers!

 











Hi again! No little tots in these pics, just Gacharageini Library  update! Landscaping has begun, and painting is just waiting for its last coat- should happen on friday! ALSO funding from Aggreko and Bookaid International has arrived so we can complete the wiring and get the carpet! 

Voting for new constitution in Kenya tomorrow, and day after is a public holiday, so no work.

All shelving completed. Tables and chairs should arrive on friday. Just catalogue drawers, shoe and bags racks and staff desk... plus shelf dividers left!! We are getting there!!

More Little Hands making Big Steps!!

Kawangware library in Nairobi saw its second group of families with under 3 year olds embark on the Little Hands Big Steps journey! The Mums/ aunties were so excited to start- indeed they were all sitting there sharing books before we arrived-, and their children were hooked by the look on their faces!

This time we have explained a little better about how the books are to be used!  We found that last time some busy young mothers/ aunties were leaving their babies alone with the books so they could do their work without carrying the baby on their back.. resulting in damaged books! Yesterday we started by training the grown ups how to turn pages. We have also now asked that the books only be used with a grown up, as this is part of the 'sharing a book' experience. Also that the books be kept somewhere safe and special. Let's hope this will result in fewer damaged books!!

 
                                              I LOVE THIS!!!


Gacharageini library: we are still waiting for paint to dry before we can apply last coat. The trainees even helped with some of the painting! They have completed all books now (YEAY!) and are making a start on sorting out catalogue cards this week! We have also had to find a new fundi (carpenter)- twice!- to make the rest of the furniture. This has been a challenge!
We hope money for wiring and carpet will be available this coming week..

Sipili Library... Well, Joseph will move in to new building this week, even though the solar power is still not installed. We will then start Little Hands making Big Steps in September in Sipili.
We have also submitted our proposal to Coca Cola Africa about our tree nursery and water trough idea based in Sipili community Library compound.. waiting for their response! 

Oh Yes! We now have some great new signs to go beside the entrance door of each KLT library! Kawangware were given theirs yesterday. The signs are 9 inches square and made of metal, and painted with our bibliosaur logo.. will post a photo of one next time!

That's it!!! Talk soon!

Anne

Things are moving again...

Little Hands Big Steps babies graduated yesterday! They each received a certificate, a super T  shirt, and 2 books! I now have the old bags to wash, repairs to make to the books, and replacements to find if repair not possible! THEN we can start LHBS round two at Kawangware!!

Kawangware also received 5 new shelves courtesy of a donation from the Altmann family; for Mum and Dad combined birthdays! We have been able to give some new stock to fill the new shelves' Kawangware will now have a Young Adults collection for the first time, also new picture books, first readers and more Adults fiction MANY thanks Altmann family!!! Will be sending you photos when the books go onto the shelves!

Sipili Library meanwhile is sooo nearly ready! Painting is done inside (sorry! photo didnt work!), water tank and gutters are in now for rain harvesting, just waiting for our solar power.. Joseph is champing at the bit wanting to move shelves and books down to new building... SOON!!! We are also working on a water project with Coca Cola Africa to help the environment here, and to help the local girls.

Gacharageini. Well, we start painting on monday... at last! There will be two walls we cannot paint right now as the plaster is not dry, but we will paint all the rest. We hope to receive our extra funding via BookAid International to put electrical wiring in, and our super carpet! Still hope to open 14th August!! 














I think I should explain about the photos of the building! The top half of the building is owned by the local Catholic church: it is their church hall, and they never finished building it. The bottom half (BEAUTIFULLY built by our builder Zack!) is the library! The photo below is the back of the building, and the photo to the left shows the corner to the front.

 

That is it for this week!!! I am doing storytelling training with the trainees at Gacharageini on Monday, then helping with painting as of Wednesday. Patrick is as always pushing builders, helping motivate and rushing around finding materials!


Talk next week!!






Anne

 

Watching plaster dry so we can watch paint dry afterwards!

Very quiet at the minute! At Gacharageini the trainees are still making their way through the adults non fiction, and discovering the delights (yawn!) of classification! The building is plastered, and we are waiting for it to dry before we can paint... with the weather being so wet (either rain or solid mist) this is getting to be a worry... lastest estimate is 4 months!!!! We need to apply some HEAT...



Sipili: well gutters went on on Thursday, and painting is under way. Just solar power to install.. New library sign is organised too.

Little Hands Big Steps: Kawangware children 'graduate' on saturday next week! So will have photos for you then!

Talk next week!

Anne