The Kwekitui Library is situated in a very rural community in the Usambaara Mountains. It is a small library filled mainly with textbooks, children’s fiction, children’s non-fiction.
It is managed by Tanga Youth Development Association (TAYODEA) in partnership with the local village council. There is one librarian, Rogers, who is a young man very dedicated to the job.
The library was originally sponsored by Africa Community Technical Service (ACTS) and has since then been adopted by Under The Reading Tree (UTRT). The library was recently equipped with solar panels and is now up and running with electricity. They now can keep their doors open after sunset and can provide cell phone charging for a community that has no power (but a lot of cell phones!).
In July 2009 Rogers planted a garden outside the library full of banana trees, fir trees and grasses and named it after a very special library helper, Kathy Yeo. It is one way he would like to show how much he appreciates all the advice and expertise she has provided for our little village library up in the Usambaara Mountains. Funding permitting, he would like to build small bandas in the garden to provide an outside space for readers! Interested in helping fund this? Let Under The Reading Tree know…
To donate:
Online through Canada Helps.org and be sure to clearly mark your donation “Kwekitui Library”
Or for further instructions visit the UTRT website.
Posted by kyeo2 on August 6, 2009 at 8:22 pm
One solar panel has been installed. The primary school next door has grown from 300 to 700 students and the library is well used by the community, with former students walking an hour to get there.
Posted by kyeo2 on August 23, 2010 at 10:01 pm
We did storytimes when we were there and met the adult literacy class too. Did you know the African violet was discovered in the Usambaara mountains?
Posted by kigobe francis on January 7, 2011 at 6:27 pm
Ketty Parry plants a tree in kuekitui ,to me it is a measure of reader ship as it grows more readers are likely to yearn for its shed.
Posted by kyeo2 on September 3, 2011 at 12:45 am
The students read under the shade of the banana trees. Well done to the librarian, assistant and student assistants. “It takes a village to raise a child.”