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 March , 2021 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
EVERYTHING IS FIGUREOUTABLE
Great book by Marie Foleo
More Than Expected
We had expected 22,000 books in the first container but when it arrived at our warehouse in Kitui it held over 37,000 books. This is enough to create libraries in 200 schools. Kavinga Primary & Secondary School was so anxious to get books they came and picked theirs up. However, most schools cannot pick up their books so we need your help to pay for the delivery of the books. It costs about $35 per school.
IN THE NEWS
WTOC TV in Savannah GA just did this story about Libraries For Kids, Int'l. WTOC TV ______________________________________
1 MILLION CHILDREN
The 8 containers we are shipping will create libraries in 1,600 schools impacting the lives of 240,000 children. But this is just the start. There are over 6,700 rural schools in Kenya with little or no internet or electricity. On average there are 150 students per school so that calculates to over 1 million children that you can help get an education and have a better life.
DONATE
1 %
Less than 1 % of the donations we receive go to pay for administrative expenses. As we grow this will probably increase but we do everything we can to minimize administrative expenses. Our financial statements are available upon request.
SCHOOL OF THE MONTH
KATUNDU PRIMARY SCHOOL
Libraries For Kids, Int'l shipped books to Katundu and bought them textbooks. Here are pictures of them with their new books and an email from Headteacher Florence Mbuve Philip
From: Florence Mbuve Philip Sent: Monday, February 3, 2020 10:37 AM
To: Roy <books@libraries4kids.org> Cc: Francis Wanjiku Subject: Re: School History and Other Details
Hi Roy, The following is a brief history of the School. Name: Katundu Primary School, Voo zone, Mutomo subcounty, Kitui County, Kenya. The school started 2007 with 13 parents and 21 learners in class 1. Currently, 2020; a) Parents are 78 b) TSC teachers 7 (4 males, 3 females) c) B.O.M teachers 2 males d) County teachers (pre-school) 2 (1male, 1 female) The school is a mixed day and boarding school. Boarding facility is purely supported by the parents locally. We are on the process to register the school to be a government recognized, in terms of boarding. It's registered as a day school.
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE The school has been performing wonderfully since its first KCPE (annual exam) attempt, 2014. Below see the performance Year. Mean score 2014...... 265.220 2015...... 259.222 2016...... 297.252 2017...... 302.682 2018...... 311.750 2019...... 325.136 The school has been leading in the subcounty and well positioned in the county. CHALLENGES 1. Water (major challenge) 2. Library room 3. Textbooks 4. Dormitories 5. School security fence.
Any assistance geared towards maintaining the school good performance is highly welcomed and appreciated in advance. Yours faithfully Florence M. Philip The school Headteacher.
TESTIMONIAL
“Here at Katundu Primary School are doing well and hope this is the same with you. Our school is very grateful for Libraries For Kids Int’tl. Learners are enjoying reading your books. In fact, Libraries For Kids, Int’l has touched the lives of our learners so much in promoting in them a love for reading, writing, and also their fluency in speech. Despite covid 19 pademic Learners meet every Saturday for exchange of books program. Thank you so much. May the Almighty God bless you abundantly. We are hoping for more books.”
Florence Mbuve Philip Headteacher Katundu Primary School
Smile.Amazon For Kids
You can support Libraries For Kids, Int'l with your Amazon purchases. It's easy.
Set up an account at Smile.Amazon.com. It is the same as a regular Amazon account except that you have the option to designate a charity. Please designate Libraries For Kids, Intl. Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase to your charity. The donation comes from Amazon, not you. When you place an order, login to Smile.Amazon and proceed as you normally would with any other Amazon purchase. Thanks for your help. PS - For more information about Libraries For Kids, Int'l visit our website or contact Roy Austin at books@libraries4kids.org or phone him at 843-597- 4826.
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've each been given a bag of tools, a formless rock, and a book of rules. And each must make ere life is flown, a stumbling block or a stepping stone."
Walt Whitman
SPREAD THE WORD
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.
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 handout, but a hand up. Parents in rural Kenya pay tuition for their children to go to school. It is a huge 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 someday other countries, to help themselves.
I hope you will consider Libraries For Kids, Int'l.
Media Attention
WTOC TV
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
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. You can now set up a monthly donation HERE. You can also make a tribute gift in honor or memory of someone. There are a lot of new names on the honor roll this month and several people who have moved up to the next level.
So far we have received donations from 209 people or organizations located in:
Five Countries: Australia, France, Kenya, Northern Mariana Islands, USA 29 States: AK, AL, CA, CO, FL, GA, IA, IN, IL, KS, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, OH, OK, PA,
TN, TX, VA, WA, WI
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 123 Meerkats. Click here [to see them all. Some of](/about/honor-roll/) you are close to the Zebra level so please consider an additional donation.
Zebra (Punda Milia) - $100 or more
To date there are 67 Zebras. Click here to see them all
Impala (Pala) - $500 or more Delores Ackerman Anonymous Kirk Fox Jim & Karen Ralston Gary Shepard Ty Geisemann Rick & Cindy Jacobs Susan Kreick
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 Steve & Ruth Dexter
Rhinoceros (Kifaru): $5,000 or more
Sable Antelope (Mfano Mzuri): $7,500 or more
Cheetah (Duma): $10,000 or more
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 helped 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/
