Our Projects
A Book in Every Home
The lack of books in Kuria houses has always struck us. In 2012, we were shocked to find that it is mirrored in local school libraries. Some were reduced to a cupboard, with only a few old textbooks, others had more space but little else. The best were those in a couple of schools built in 1960s but most of the books were now old and dusty and probably not of a kind to interest our students.
We decided to launch a campaign, ‘A book in every home’, to highlight the lack of reading material. We felt that it was holding our students back. Some years ago, we supplied text books on loan to our students. This was - and is - a priority given the poor to non-existent provision in schools. Mathias arranges that these are passed on from year to year at his Get-Together Party.
But education is not only found in textbooks. Novels give access to forms of knowledge and human understanding that expand the imaginative possibilities for their readers. We also believe that wide reading is crucial for good standards of literacy, especially for those, like our students, where English is a third language.
This neglect of reading for pleasure is not unique to Kuria. It could be said to be general in Kenya where books are primarily used for gleaning facts and passing exams. School syllabi are regimented and directed to the needs of the curriculum.
We decided that whenever we visited Kuria we would take suitcases of novels to distribute. In 2014, we distributed these among the schools we visited and kept some back to form a collection to be accessed by our students. Now, we have around 300 novels – African novels, English classics, both old and new, a selection of more recent best sellers, together with a few early reading books.
As a first step, Mathias put up shelves in his small office in Kehancha and, with help from our university students, loaned books to our students during their vacations. Then, when we were in Kuria in 2016, it became apparent that there was considerable enthusiasm for a library among the population more generally. We thus began to think of establishing a District Reading Library.
A Library for Kuria
Unfortunately, the old provision of public libraries through the British Council has long since declined. To develop such a Library is of course a considerable ambition and one for which we will need help from other charities and NGOs. If we achieve this, it will be a first in Kenya!
We are now in liaising with another donor to develop a more permanent solution in Kehancha, the main town in Kuria. Financing such a venture alone is beyond our current means, requiring expensive office space since it must have electricity (still rare in Kuria), security and ideally a librarian to manage the collection and loans.
Library Chaketu
A first step was made in 2018 during the visit by Suzette and Sally in November/December. The Guest of Honour at the Trust’s Get-Together Party was Dr. Gesero, a University lecturer in Literature, living near Kehancha. He spoke movingly about the need for and uses of literacy. Using his own resources he had just set up a splendid library in Manga Plaza in Kehancha which he had named 'Chaketu'.
Dr. Gesero had studied for his doctorate in USA and collected
an excellent personal library. This he had donated to this new
library and supplied it also with a range of newspapers and
magazines. We were happy to donate our collection of novels to
this library and hope that we can do more in the future to supply
books and to encourage a reading public in Kuria.
The lack of books in Kuria houses has always struck us. In 2012, we were shocked to find that it is mirrored in local school libraries. Some were reduced to a cupboard, with only a few old textbooks, others had more space but little else. The best were those in a couple of schools built in 1960s but most of the books were now old and dusty and probably not of a kind to interest our students.
We decided to launch a campaign, ‘A book in every home’, to highlight the lack of reading material. We felt that it was holding our students back. Some years ago, we supplied text books on loan to our students. This was - and is - a priority given the poor to non-existent provision in schools. Mathias arranges that these are passed on from year to year at his Get-Together Party.
But education is not only found in textbooks. Novels give access to forms of knowledge and human understanding that expand the imaginative possibilities for their readers. We also believe that wide reading is crucial for good standards of literacy, especially for those, like our students, where English is a third language.
This neglect of reading for pleasure is not unique to Kuria. It could be said to be general in Kenya where books are primarily used for gleaning facts and passing exams. School syllabi are regimented and directed to the needs of the curriculum.
We decided that whenever we visited Kuria we would take suitcases of novels to distribute. In 2014, we distributed these among the schools we visited and kept some back to form a collection to be accessed by our students. Now, we have around 300 novels – African novels, English classics, both old and new, a selection of more recent best sellers, together with a few early reading books.
As a first step, Mathias put up shelves in his small office in Kehancha and, with help from our university students, loaned books to our students during their vacations. Then, when we were in Kuria in 2016, it became apparent that there was considerable enthusiasm for a library among the population more generally. We thus began to think of establishing a District Reading Library.
A Library for Kuria
Unfortunately, the old provision of public libraries through the British Council has long since declined. To develop such a Library is of course a considerable ambition and one for which we will need help from other charities and NGOs. If we achieve this, it will be a first in Kenya!
We are now in liaising with another donor to develop a more permanent solution in Kehancha, the main town in Kuria. Financing such a venture alone is beyond our current means, requiring expensive office space since it must have electricity (still rare in Kuria), security and ideally a librarian to manage the collection and loans.
Library Chaketu
A first step was made in 2018 during the visit by Suzette and Sally in November/December. The Guest of Honour at the Trust’s Get-Together Party was Dr. Gesero, a University lecturer in Literature, living near Kehancha. He spoke movingly about the need for and uses of literacy. Using his own resources he had just set up a splendid library in Manga Plaza in Kehancha which he had named 'Chaketu'.
Dr. Gesero had studied for his doctorate in USA and collected
an excellent personal library. This he had donated to this new
library and supplied it also with a range of newspapers and
magazines. We were happy to donate our collection of novels to
this library and hope that we can do more in the future to supply
books and to encourage a reading public in Kuria.