Photos have been removed from this issue because of a law in Kenya requiring strict documentation for photos and videos featuring school children.
Changing The World One Mind at a Time
Greetings! Here is the December issue of the Libraries For Kids, Int'l monthly e-newsletter. Thanks for your interest and support. Kuwa salama na vzuri (Swahili for "be safe and well") Roy Austin, Founder/Chair
PS - the 8 containers of books we are shipping will create libraries in 1,200 schools impacting the lives of 180,000 children.
EVERYTHING IS FIGUREOUTABLE
$35/school
Please Donate $35
When the containers arrive it will cost about $35/school to deliver the books. More information below.
Each container will create libraries in 150 schools.
Ripples On The Pond
When you throw a stone in the water waves ripple out from the point of impact and gradually get smaller. But for Libraries For Kids, Int'l the waves keep getting bigger. We are finding that not only are students being impacted but also teachers report they too are using the books to gain knowledge and can now give students reading assignments. And that's not all. Parents are being inspired as noted in this email from our Operations Coordinator, Wanjiku Francis.
From: Wanjiku Francis Sent: Thursday, January 7, 2021 9:21 AM To: Roy Austin <books@libraries4kids.org> Subject: Libraries for Kids Int'l Inspiring Communities Hello Roy, I'm so excited this afternoon as I write this email to you. I just spoke to the Parents-Teacher Association Chair from Kivunga Primary School in Kitui County, bordering Machakos County. They have a new teacher who transferred from AIC Ngilu Secondary School, a school we sent books to late 2019. The teacher told them about us and they were very interested in our program.
However, instead of just waiting for LFK to send books to them or money, the teacher and parents have started mobilising the community and friends, to chip in, and equip the school with a decent library! The conditions in this community are not extreme and they have limited network connectivity but well connected to electricity (although they can go for months once there is an issue with the transformers or such).
The PTA chair is tech-savvy and he asked for help on ideas on how to bring in more members of the community to help them equip the library. We discussed some ideas and they are planning on implementing them. for instance, they will start with contacting old students of the school, local leaders and aspiring electorates, and other prominent members of the community, to help equip the school with a library.
Your dream started with touching the lives of just one child and giving them a chance for a better future! It is extending to many others, Roy! Even before we actually send books to some of the schools, LFK Int'l is already inspiring change in the minds of many. I promised to send them about 150 books to the school when the container arrives as we distribute to schools in Kitui county and they were very appreciative. Most of the books we have supplied so far and we shall send to the schools are not easy to find in the country. I am yet to see a bookshop with encyclopedias.
I also continue to receive requests from headteachers so far from Wajir, Marsabit, Garissa, Kajiado, and Taita Taveta, asking we list them to receive even if it would be 50 books. Word has gone around that the material you shipped to these schools is really helpful and helping teachers cultivate a reading culture among the learners. Mr Mohammad at Shidley says that the teachers can now give students an assignment to research on the meaning of words and create vocabularies for their essays which was a big challenge before. New words used to come from the teacher. Regards,
Wanjiku Francis Operations Coordinator, Libraries For Kids, Int’l Freelancer Web Designer and Writer
NEXT CHALLENGE - Distributing Books to Schools The first container is due to arrive on February 20, 2021. When it arrives at our storage location in Kitui, Kenya it will be unpacked, repacked for shipment to the schools, and then delivered to the schools mostly by motorcycle.
Due to the terrain and road conditions, books will be delivered by motorcycle with 3 boxes of books stacked on the back.
$35 per school
It will cost about $35 per school to deliver the books.
This means renting motorcycles and hiring drivers. Where possible, drivers will be parents of students in that school to insure the books will be delivered.
Each container will supply 150 schools.
HELP: Please donate so we can get the books to the schools once they arrive in Kenya. Please contribute $35 to get books to a school.
We've come so far and cleared so many hurdles. Please help us clear this next hurdle and get the books delivered to the schools.
"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
Winston Churchill
SCHOOL OF THE MONTH
Mbagha Primary School
Madam Annette Chari, headteacher Mbagha Primary School in Taita Taveta county couldn’t hide her smile when she picked three boxes of books from LFK. She writes "Hallo my learners range from age 4 to 15 yrs , in total they are 175 including pre-primary. It was started in 1989. some of the challenges are: poverty since most parents lack good source of income, security since the school is not fenced, poor play ground due to the topography and terrain of the area."
Libraries For Kids, Int'l bought textbooks Please, spread the word by forwarding this email to your friends and contacts or posting excerpts from this newsletter or our website (copy/paste) on your social media accounts.
New Textbooks
Together we can make a huge difference in the lives of thousands of children.
Lavington Jioni Rotary Club
We are excited to report that we have partnered with the Lavington Jioni Rotary Club in Nairobi, Kenya. They will be assisting us with delivering the container books to schools.
https://www.facebook.com/rotarycluboflavingtonjioni/
What does your donation accomplish?
Libraries For Kids, Int'l offers not a hand out, but a hand up. Parents in rural Kenya pay tuition for their children to go to school. It is huge a sacrifice when your income is derived from a subsistence farm or your herd of sheep, goats, or cattle. But it is a testament to their hunger for knowledge.
The Kenyan government gives each rural school $5.50 per student per year. For a school with a student population of 100 that is $550.00 per year to pay for the schools expenses (teacher salaries, textbooks, supplies, etc.) As a result, textbooks and libraries are lacking.
How can people lift themselves up and solve their problems without knowledge?
Your donations are helping children in Kenya, and hopefully beyond someday, to help themselves.
I hope you will consider Libraries For Kids, Int'l.
Media Attention
Please share these stories with your friends and on your social media platforms. Thanks
For more news about Libraries For Kids, Int'l visit our website
NEWS - Community Based Organization
Libraries For Kids, Int'l is now a registered Community Based Organization in Kenya. We have applied to be a registered charity in Kenya. These steps will enable us to expand operations in Kenya and operate more efficiently.
KENYA TEACHER TESTIMONIAL
Hallo, let me again take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the organizers for library for kids, the books we received and the ones we bought have proved to be very helpful to our learners, this will greatly improve our learners performances, God bless all our doners for that generosity Annette Chari, Headteacher Mbagha Primary School
SPEAKING
We love telling the Libraries For Kids, Int'l story. If your organization needs a speaker please contact us at books@libraries4kids.org or phone us at 843-597-4826. Whether in person or via Zoom, we look forward to sharing our story.
Donor Honor Roll
Our Donor Honor Roll is based on cumulative contributions. No matter what level you are on, you are important. But your continuing support is also vital. We hope you will continue to contribute and gradually move to a higher level on the honor roll. A little each month and you will soon be at the next level.
There are a lot of new names on the honor roll this month and several people who have moved up to the next level.
Click Here to see the full donor Honor Roll
Here are the different honor roll levels and who is on each level. The Swahili word is in parenthesis.
Meerkat (Meerkat)
Donated books and/or money.
So far there are 112 Meerkats.
Click here to see them all. Some of you are close to the Zebra level so please consider an additional donation.
Zebra (punda milia) - $100 or more
To date there are 53 Zebras. Click here to see them all
Impala (pala) - $500 or more
Delores Ackerman
Kirk Fox Jim & Karen Ralston Gary Shepard Ty Geisemann
Giraffe (twiga) - $1,000 or more
Den & Jan Austin Charleston CFO Council Mickaylla McDonald JR & Betty Rutherford Janice Allinder-Anestes Ty & Suzanne Giesemann
ORYX (choroa)- $2,500 or more
Marilyn Moore
Rhinoceros (kifaru): $5,000
Sable Antelope (Mfano mzuri): $7,500 or more
Cheetah (Duma): $10,000
Rick & Becky Harris
Leopard (Chui) - $25,000 or more
Dr. David Stallings
Lion (Simba) - $50,000 or more
Roy & Sharron Austin
Elephant (Tembo) - $100,000 or more
Maasai Club - $250,000 or more
The Maasai are among the foremost African ethnic groups and are known internationally because of their links to the national parks and reserves. They respect the land and are adapting to the changing world around them.
Sharron Austin Society - $500,000 or more
Sharron was an inspiration to Libraries For Kids, Int’l Founder Roy Austin. Her life philosophy was “Life is not the way it is supposed to be. It is the way it is. How you cope with it is what makes the difference.” Her smile, positive attitude, and ability to overcome numerous challenges in her life are an inspiration to all. She died on March 29, 2020. She is sorely missed but her spirit lives on. She was an enthusiastic supporter and donor to Libraries For Kids, Int’l.
MEET OUR PARTNERS
We are blessed to have several partners who have donated their time and services. Paul Soviero, Owner, Next Move HHI is helping us find bookcases for our storage location. http://www.nexmovehhi.com/index.php
James Worix, owner of Worix Media is helping us with IT and media editing services.
Paul Uhls BNC Graphics 19 Seventh Ave, Bluffton, South Carolina 29910 https://bncgraphics.com/
Supplied business cards and rack cards
Dan Russin
Store Manager Morningstar Storage 1110 Fording Island Rd Bluffton, SC 29910
Donated a 10ft x 10ft space for us to store books.
Allison Debs Lewis Territory Account Manager Staples Advantage www.staplesadvantage.com
Staples has donated shipping boxes.
Alan Flowers and Roman Surroundings are helping us spread the word about Libraries For Kids, Int'l. 70 Pennington Dr. Studio 16D Bluffton, SC 29910 The Stations call-in # 843-800-1492; Office # 843- 505-8513 https://www.talkoneradio.com/
