May activity!!

Nothing much has happened this month, but every step - even a shuffle!- in the right direction is good news!

e proposals have been sent. However, we now have a young lady who is visiting in Gilgil who is a professional proposal writer- Lorna. Lorna is working on a proposal for us, and also some letters of enquiry: Proposals will go to Richard Branson, and ‘letters of enquiry’ to Oprah and to Global Fund for Children (letters of enquiry are sent, then, if there is interest we will be requested to make a full proposal.

· Funding expires end of July...

· Kawangware paperwork is completed and signed! New staff have been interviewed, and Lucy started working there last week! Maurice is still there from the original staff as a paid volunteer. The library has been PACKED over April- May, due to school holidays. DEC (who run the library) moved tables outside the building so all people wanting to use the library could be accommodated!

Henry from Kawangware centre receiving his certificate.

· Booklists. Anne has created a ‘Fantasy Booklist’; a list of recommended fantasy themed books for older children... these have a small review. We hope to get children and staff from each of our centres to create their own themed lists! We would like to get this list – and others to follow- printed and available for our library users.

· STILL looking for a donor to produce our KLT leaflet...

· Safaricom Foundation has given us a letter to say that they intend to give us a pick up truck! Anne is now working on the required paperwork, which will go to Safaricom this week! We may yet have our vehicle before the end of May... watch this space!!!

· We have started a girlchild club at Mathare North. Ann Chege talked to a group of 20 girls (aged 10 – 22) about hygiene. Ann has also talked to the girls about early marriages. The girls have called themselves Mathare Super Angels!

We are keen to start our club in Sipili in Laikipia West. A lady Kenyan

psychologist is keen to help us with this group, but we are having trouble finding a convenient Saturday! We still have no funding for transport, food, etc, but hope to combine the first visit with our monthly visit to the library.

· Duty exemption from KRA.. the is still being organised. Not hopeful though.

· STILL trying to find someone to set us up as a charity in the UK.. This is rather urgent as we want to apply to Comic Relief for funding, and have to be a registered charity in the UK before we can apply. We even have a letter of support form DFAID waiting to attach to our application!

· A consignment of books is being organised from the UK by Pauline Cunningham. These have left the UK and are on their way to Kenya!

· Maili Saba is still not open. Waiting for rest of furniture, catalogue drawers and carpet, which is dependent on funding from MYSA. Very discouraging for both staff and the local community, whose enthusiasm has been sadly dampened.

Douglas from Maili Saba receiving his certificate

· Little Hands, Big Steps, our family reading project is starting at Mathare North in June! This is a trial project! If it works we will introduce to our other centres. 5 families/ carers of under 5 year olds have been chosen by MN staff. They will each receive a bag of 5 books every week, returning their bag weekly to receive a new one, for a 10 week period, with instructions on how to use them with their youngest children. Introducing books at this age is not only a great boost to their later education, but is a joy and a means to increase parent/ child bonding.AFK in the USA have helped with this project, supplying book-bags, and facilitating a donation form Norwich Rotary club in the USA with which we have purchased some of the Africa themed books included in our book-bags

Steve reading with his son Schofield

· Staff at all centres received their basic library training certificates at the April libraries meeting! Storytelling course certificates will follow!

· Possible new centre in Marang’a area.

Anne and Patrick have had meetings with several organisations re making further centres. The most positive one is in Marang’a area up country. This is with our great friend and colleague Zack Gichane, who is responsible for our liaison with Sara Lee Kenya (they give us free office space, as well as supporting Mathare North library financially). We visited the area (predominantly tea growing), and spoke to some community members. There is in existing building- see previous blog!

· We plan to computerise Maile Saba and Kawangware centres, using Bookmark, which was donated to KLT some years ago by the Australian High Commission. This will give a computerised catalogue (accessible by staff and children) and a computerised issue system.

· Kids in Mathare North have been writing stories and accounts of how the post election violence affected them. The best of these will be sent to Beverley Naidoo (our patron, and famous children’s author) who wants to read them.

· We got the new camcorder in March- and are now in receipt of a digital camera, donated by Carol Craven from Martha’s Vineyard in the USA! Susan Phillips visited the USA recently and brought the camera back with her. This will be so useful for good quality photos for the website.

· Anne gave a talk to 11 year olds at Rosslyn Academy. As a result we now have a power-point presentation suitable to show children! It was very interesting to see what these – mainly- ex patriate children knew about the lot of children of their own age in Kenya. The children also donated seven boxes of books!!

· Githurai we are told is still coming on, waiting for its next batch of funding. Anne and Patrick had a meeting with the Dutch donor (money given to MYSA). Not hopeful.

· Kasarani is still putting out proposals for funding of their proposed centre.

· Ngong Town is also still trying to find funding for their children’s library. The largest part of the costings here is for their sustainability scheme.. they want to raise chickens

· Sipili we are still trying to find a donor to build us a new building, as Lariak Primary school has asked us to move out as they have decided that they need the two classrooms we are currently using. We have the land donated, and are looking for approximately 1.6 million Kenyan shillings to build a building exactly the same size as the one we are leaving. The money includes fencing, a toilet block, a security guard house and solar power. We are also looking for a sustainability plan here... we still think the purchase of a tractor and plough would be appropriate here, as we can hire it out and use the profit to sustain the library, staff etc.

· Susan had managed to find someone to publish the wonderful ‘Trading Fives’ book she and ISK produced with groups of children from ISK and Mathare North last year. She is hoping to sell them through ISK and raise some money so the Mathare North kids can have a copy of their own each.

· We are also trying to find first aid kits and fire extinguishers for each of the centres. AFK in the USA have promised us First Aid Kits when they come over in August. THANK YOU!!!

· STILL NEED A NEW TRUSTEE and chair, as Smita is no longer available...ALSO a new treasurer, both willing to be signatories on the KLT account.. SUGGESTIONS PLEASE??

SOOO SAD!!!! But staying positive!!!

My poor little RAV 4 has gone up for sale... I feel like I am selling a child! She is gettin old, and in need of much repair- which is expensive. Dont know what I will do without a car.. taxis and matatus I suppose, until Safaricom make good on their offer of a vehicle ... ever trusting!!!


Patrick and I went to see a possible new library in Muranga district. What a beautiful area!! Hills, rivers, and a LOT of tea!! Many schools with no access to resources, information or reading materials. We have been offered space temporarily in the catholic church hall, until money can be raised to complete the huge spave beneath the building to make a wonderful library- with the most amazing, inspiring views!! The temporary space just needs painting and a few walls knocking through, plus furniture (which can be transferred to new library when it is ready).. Watch this (blog) spot!!!

Mathare Angels... and other Angels!
Girls group 'Mathare Angels' is progressing well!! At their last session they discussed early pregnancy, and ways to avoid it.. very interesting as to how they see themselves. Comments on how the media portrays provocotive materials, and how girls dress being two issues. Still desperate to get funding to start this in Sipili.Our lady psychologist Karindi is making space in her diary for a first visit on a saturday in June.. She is SOOO psyched!!!!

Duty exemption... gulp!
Well, accounts went in finally this week. Neil Jones and associates have worked SOOO hard on these, so I hope we are successful!

More proposals sent off.. no replies, so still no funding...

Little Hands, Big Steps.
Researching on research (?!) showing benefits of using books with under5 year olds... including babies. This to back up our Little Hands, Big Steps project. Hope to start our project by the end of May. Quite exciting!!

That's it for today!!! Any ideas welcome!!!

April news

Hello again!!

Well, panic is setting in as funding is within sight of running out again! Anne has been madly writing proposals- and has even had a reply from a few- both negative unfortunately (Shell Kenya, and KCB Bank).



Some positive stuff tho!!


LITTLE HANDS, BIG STEPS..
This is our family reading project! We received a donation of $205 USD from American Friends of Kenya (via funding from Norwich Rotary foundation) to purchase African books. Anne and Patrick went to Westland Sundries here in Kenya and were able to purchase 29 picture books for under 5 year olds for our Little Hands project- at 20% discount! We still need more books for this project, as we plan to offer 5 books in each of - intitially -10 bookbags for Mathare North, and possibly Kawangware.We need board books, and other picture books to encourage our youngest members to use books. We aim to ask 'family' members to sit and use books with their under 5's for at least 5 minutes every daypreferable sitting in warmth and safety on a knee, talking, showing colour and shapes.. not necessarity reading at all! This develops language, and a positive 'feel' for books from a very young age. AFK are also supplying the bookbags, which our hard working trusty Trustee Susan will collect on her visit to the US at the end of April.

Girls United!
Mathare North has started our first Girl child club! Anne Chege - who used to work for SHOFCO in Kibera - has just completed their second meeting. At the first meeting they talked about what issues affected the girls living in Mathare North area 4. These included periods, hygiene, boys and sex, HIV Aids,child labour, and early pregnancy. 20 girls between the ages of 10 and 22 years old came. We plan to have inspirational Kenyan women to come to talk to the girls about what is possible being female! We have a Kenyna psychologist, a lady engineer, a lady lawyer lined up just to mention a few!

New Centres
Still no progress from Ngong Town, Kasarani, or Githurai. Maili Saba should be opening just as soon as the rest of thier furniture arrive (carpet, catalogue drawers, shelves, staff desk, notice boards...)

Safaricom and our pick up!
We are still awaiting the donation of our vehicle from Safaricom! They say by the end of this month...

Duty Exemption???
We are still pursuing duty exemption for KLT. Neil our accountant should have accounts ready for KRA this coming week... then we all cross our fingers!!! Tight!

Tink that it guys!! Talk again soon!!! Send us any comments about the new website too, OK??

February blah!

Hey everyone! Hope all well out there in the Big World! A few things happening here. Have a read! ESPECIALLY watch out for re launch of new website due by 1st March!!! Meanwhile...

Sipili, Laikipia West.

January 2009. We have been able to donate a collection of African materials to Sipili in February, after requests from community members. These should go into stock in February, in addition to the final numbers of Encyclopaedia Britannica! We are still trying to find sustainability for this centre. Joseph is still working 6 days a week for no pay. Two people in the UK are trying to find us a tractor with a plough. If we are able to get a tractor donated we can hire it out with our own driver, and with the profit sustain the library.

A mzee has been coming to the library to tell stories and teach songs to the children every Saturday! Also the drama group is still meeting every Saturday. We are still hoping to start a girl child group here as soon as we get funding (see ‘possible future KLT projects’).

A new library committee is nearly in place. There are still some details to sort out, but we are hopeful these will be resolved soon. The new committee is keen to pursue the building of a purpose built library on the ground the community previously donated.

Membership: 644.

Use in January: children who used the library 220 . Adults who used the library 172 .

Stock:- Adults 2552 Children’s 2851

Kawangware, Nairobi

January 2009 has seen some major changes. WFF were unable to find sustainability for the centre after Safaricom funding finished in January, so it has now been taken over by Dagoretti Empowerment Centre, who also manage the building where the library is now housed. DEC have agreed to pay the rent, power and staff for an initial period of 4 years! WFF will still have a representative in the new library committee who will administer the library, and 3 of their staff will still run the library. KLT will continue to support this centre as always!

Bookclub. The bookclub has already had its first meeting for the year with Braeburn primary school! The group looked at

Stock

Membership total:

Use: children who used the library January . Adults who used the library January .

Mathare North (a MYSA centre)

January 2009. We now have a working TV areal (donated by KLT) so are able to watch KTN educational programmes at the library (including ‘Art Attack’). The TV and DVD player donated some time ago by a lady form Peponi House school are being well used to run music for the Rap and Hip Hop groups to dance to.

Mathare North drama group performed for the representatives from the Ministry for Youth Affairs. The children also questioned the visitors about what they would do for the children who live in Mathare North area 4.

A local Mzee is also teaching the children informally about the history of Kenya as a Nation within Africa. Is it so good to have local community participation.

Membership: 5,667 TOTAL

Children who used the library in January: 785

Adults who used the library in January: 359

Stock: children’s :- 2,467 Adults: 1, 649 TOTAL: 4,116

Eastleigh (a MYSA centre)

November 2008.

Africa collection has been purchased through the donation of money from a school in Eastleigh in the UK!! When Maili Saba has finished with Eastleigh’s typewriter we can get these catalogued and onto the shelves!

Adults fiction categories and new children’s sections. The adult’s fiction is now fully categorised. It now has Romances, Horror, War, Thrillers, Science Fiction and Fantasy, and general Adults fiction. We have also created a teenage section, but are awaiting more shelving before this can be made available to the users of the library. It will be located between the adults and children’s rooms. We also now have a first readers section

Class Visits to the library. This month we had only two class visits to the library. This was because, after we refurbished the library and re opened it was in the middle of national school exams.

Activities.

Book reading club: After being closed for several weeks the children are now back into their routines. This group help to keep the library organised and tidy, as well as participate in book reading activities.

Drama Group: The Drama group is currently working on a drama entitled:- Men abuse on the Women

Art, Drawing and Painting: Most of the children from here have now joined MYSA Haba Na Haba group, and are working from their premises

Computer groups. 50 children were trained on basic computer skills

Challenges:

We need more shelves! More stock! Books need to be repaired, and children taught how to handle books,

Membership total: 6070

Use in November: 480- most being children

Stock: 4952

Maili Saba (a MYSA centre)

January 2009. The staff here have been working hard to get all the stock processed, in the hope of opening in February! We are still waiting for carpeting and the rest of the shelving and the catalogue drawers before we can open!! Should be early March I think!!!

Githurai (a MYSA centre)

January 2009. The ceiling and floor still need to be completed here, before the carpet and shelving can go into this wonderful new building! Then the books can go in, THEN staff training can begin THEN we can start counting down to opening at last!!!

Possible New Centres

Ngong Town. We have been approached by a lady who owns a small building in Ngong town, and she is keen to put it to use! KLT has been to see the site, and the potential for a children’s library is very great. Because the building is on a piece of land with some space it may be able to set up a chicken farm as a sustainability project close to the library. We also may be able to create a gardening club, digging a small shamba which library members learn how to cultivate, and maybe even sell their produce or just take it home.

Gilgil. We are hoping to start the library in Gilgil this year. The Sonata Trust hopes to start building their community centre at the end of this year. We are hoping to find a temporary site for the library, where books can be processed and staff training started, so all stock can be ready when the new library is built. The residents of Gilgil are trying to organise this.

Kasarani/ Zimmerman, Nairobi. ICEI are very keen to get their project started. They have been attending our monthly meetings for some time now. They and KLT have been sending out proposals for funding (both for setting up the library, and for setting up their sustainability project), but no luck as yet.

Nakuru

Donations January 2009

Kenya Popat Family Several boxes of books

Kenya Rosslyn Academy Many boxes of Books

UK Bakewell Rotary Club £500 to purchase camcorder (plus case, wires etc!)

USA Paterson Family Foundation cheque cleared!

Office News January 2009

KLT office now has a guillotine (courtesy of funds raised at the fundraiser in December2008), in addition to the computer (donated by the Pandit family in December last year), printer and laminator! We have already made replacement shelf guiding for Mathare North!

New Subject Index. This has been updated as we have been classifying Maili Saba! It is now available on the computer, and can be printed out for all centres.

KLT General update

Leaflet/ Brochure. This is designed. We are just waiting for a donor to pay for us to get it printed!

Vehicle. We are still waiting for a definitive reply from Safaricom whether they will give us a suitable vehicle!

Accounts. Neil Jones Accountants have sorted out KLT accounts for us for free. This has included organising Pin numbers, PAYE for tax, and applying for duty exemption on behalf of KLT. THANK YOU!!! It is good to know that all our administration needs are in good hands!!

Website design. Ian MacKay and Susan Philips have been working closely on this for the last several weeks, and there is light at the end of the tunnel!! The site should go live in the next week or two!! It is looking SO good!

KLT DVD. Clare is still keen to do this, but we still have no funding for editing and production costs. Still hoping someone will take this on! We have sent proposals out to several organisations.

Staff Training

Anne held a staff training session on ‘Storytelling using books written in English’ on February 11^th. Staff from Maili Saba, Eastleigh and Kasarani attended.

Mary is continuing to train all our staff in the use of sign language at our monthly meetings. She was concerned that what she is teaching is actually being used by the staff.

Possible Future KLT Projects.

Girlchild Safe places. Whilst we were setting up the library in Sipili, Anne lived there for 3 months, and became aware of the plight of girls. Most girls here have no ambitions beyond becoming mothers and raising a family- as their mothers did before them. They are still often married off as young as 12 years of age, to men over the age of 45. Here female circumcision is still common, even though it is illegal under Kenyan law. Many girls have no time at all for school, being kept at home to look after younger brothers and sisters, clean, tend the shamba, look after goats or sheep, cook meals etc etc.. They know no other way. Girls also are kept away from school during their monthly periods, as they do not have access to sanitary towels. This also impedes their education.

When the library opened a great number of girls started coming in to read the books. They had never had access to books before, other than school curriculum books (for those lucky enough to go to school). It was a joy to see them talking to each other about what they were reading, asking questions, and feeling free to talk.

We do not want to tell communities that their traditions are wrong, but merely offer choices and access to information.

We want to create a girls club at the library in Sipili, where girls can come to meet, to talk to each other about ANYTHING: a safe space where they can talk about marriage, boys, sex, clothes, goats, hygiene, hair care, families, periods, babies etc. To do this we need to employ a coordinator based in the library who will organise meetings for the girls, and who is willing to sit and listen. In addition we want to bring inspirational guest speakers from Nairobi to talk to the girls once a month: a lady lawyer, a lady doctor, a lady chief, a shop owner, etc etc. Some of these speakers have already agreed to come. We had over 70 girls turn up to an informal meeting about this in December 2008, so we know there is interest. .We also want the girls to create dramas, music etc to show their concerns and needs to other groups. It may be possible to show DVD’s etc from a laptop computer to small groups. DVD’s on certain issues are available to borrow from AMREF and from Red Cross. If this works it may be possible to create girlchild clubs in each of our centres. We have sent a proposal to several organisations.

Family Reading Groups. Family reading is a new concept here, as is reading for pleasure generally. We would like to set up family reading groups, initially in Kawangware and Mathare North centres. This would involve talking to parents, and giving them a book-bag of books to use with their children every night. The books will be returned and replaced every week. This can also include information about reading and using books with babies.

More Book clubs. We are trying to find an international school to pair with each of the KidsLibs centres. Mathare North is currently paired with ISK, Kawangware with Braeburn. We are trying to find a partner for Eastleigh and for Sipili.

Ministry of Youth. Anne and Patrick went to visit the Ministry of Youth, and later took 4 members from the Ministry to visit Mathare North centre. They are interested in KLT creating libraries attached to their Youth Empowerment Centres. We are currently working on a proposal for this. As our centres are run by youth members, and all activities are organised by youth, we feel we have a big role to play in giving the youth of Kenya a chance to shine and show what they are capable of.

The Directorate of Adult and Continuing Education. We are still waiting for them to get back to us. We are VERY keen to start adult education sessions in all of our centres –OUTSIDEOF LIBRARY OPENING HOURS!!- and hope the department will be able to assist in making this possible.