Annual Review 2012 - Book Aid International

Books mean a better education
Books from Book Aid International are inspiring
young children to read, providing teenagers with the
information they need to pass secondary school exams,
and enabling a new generation of young adults to
graduate from university.
Children’s Corners in East Africa
In primary schools in Kenya and Tanzania, children have
very limited access to books. Most do not have any books
at home and many children share one book with six or
more others at school. Libraries are often the only place
for a child to pick up a book and have space and light
to read. With the right training, librarians can encourage
reading from an early age and can support children’s
education.
In 2009, we began working with Kenya National Library
Service (KNLS) and the Tanzania Library Services Board
(TLSB) to create colourful, child-friendly spaces in public
libraries so that children could develop a love of reading.
We began with just three libraries in Tanzania and three
in Kenya and by the end of 2012, we have equipped a
total of 24 libraries – 12 in each country – with Children’s
Corners and trained staff.
Each library has been helped to buy suitable furniture and
shelving for children, games and a collection of books
in Swahili. We also sent approximately 1,700 books to
each library from our warehouse in London. Since the
project began, thousands more children have joined as
library members and are borrowing books, and trained
librarians are enthusiastic and confident about working
with children.
Following the success of the Children’s Corners project in
Kenya and Tanzania, we have already secured funding to
work with the National Library of Uganda to extend the
project into 12 public libraries in 2013-2014. We plan
to increase the numbers of Children’s Corners in each of
these countries and extend them to more in the future.
“
Before I was doing very badly in class
and then I learnt that the children who
were doing well were members of the
library. So I asked my father to take me
to the library and now my performance
has improved and I am a frequent user.
”
Mary Nyaoga, Children’s Corner user, Kisii, Kenya
A few words from
Comfort Komba,
Head of Projects,
Programmes and
Fundraising at
Tanzania Library
Services Board (TLSB)
“
Tanzania Library Services Board (TLSB) has been
working with Book Aid International since the 1960s
and we estimate that they donate around 70% of
all the books we receive each year. These books
cover subjects at school, college and university
education levels – and more – and are distributed to
our network of libraries throughout Tanzania. They
are heavily used by students at all levels and by the
general public.
The recent hugely successful project, set up in
partnership with Book Aid International, saw the
establishment of Children’s Corners in 12 of our
regional libraries. These are particularly benefiting
poorer children.
As a result of this project, children can now visit
any TLSB library for free on a Saturday and, most
importantly, this project has created an environment
in libraries across Tanzania that encourages children
to develop good reading habits.
”
The Children’s Corner project in Kenya and Tanzania was
made possible thanks to Stavros Niarchos Foundation and
the Vitol Foundation.
Supporting secondary schools
In 2012 we provided over 175,000 books to more than
2,000 schools in sub-Saharan Africa, schools that are often
otherwise dependent on old, worn and out-dated titles
that are of little use when it comes to learning to read or
passing exams.
In Zambia, three main partners – Zambia Library Service,
Forum for African Women Educationalists of Zambia,
(FAWEZA) and The Lions Club of Mukuba – distributed
nearly 18,000 Book Aid International books to secondary
schools.
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