Projects

Mpigi Community Library

Our first 'seed' library project is in the community of Mpigi, located two hours drive southwest of Kampala, the capital of Uganda. With a surrounding population of ten thousand people, the town is the economic and political centre of Mpigi district.

Official funding for Mpigi began in April, and we've been able to support the following activities:

A reading awareness workshop as held in Mpigi on April 13th 2007, presented by representatives from the National Library of Uganda. A cross-section of 30 students, teachers, government officials, health care workers, farmers and other community leaders had the opportunity to learn about how a library can benefit the community. A box of donated books was also left by the NLU.

A library organizing committee was formed from workshop participants. Guided by Michael Masembe, an active community leader in Mpigi, this group of 10-12 volunteers will make decisions related to the operation and maintenance of the project, including building location, hiring and training of a librarian, books to be purchased, and specific programs offered.

Library space has been rented as of November 2007, with a small collection of books and a small office housed in two rooms.

Mpigi's new library coordinator, Jeffrey, has been trained at the National Library of Uganda, and UTRT is providing salaries for both Jeffrey and his assistant librarian, Francis.

While we look forward to building a more permanent home for the library, we believe it's important to establish strong community support before rushing to find land and build a structure. Current programs will run at an estimated annual budget of $6,500.

Caezaria Public Library, Uganda

Founded in 1999 by Francis Kigobe, this rural community library is located in Buikwe village, 40 kilometers east of Kampala. A coffee farmer who went to a primary school with a library while growing up, Francis decided that the people of Buikwe would benefit from a library of their own. With his own money he bought a piece of land, built a 25’ x 80’ brick building, and purchased bookshelves, desks and chairs. His neighbors thought he was crazy, urging him to spend his money on building a disco, a shop, or rooms he could rent out. With the help of the National Library of Uganda, Francis slowly built up an impressive collection of donated books and began encouraging children and teachers to come and read. While he has not profited personally from his venture, the schools in his community have benefited significantly. At least a dozen children visit the library on a daily basis, with nearby teachers often bringing entire classes to read and research for the day. Paul and Nate talked to one young teacher who had used the library while in secondary school, and he attributed his success in graduating and going on to get his teacher’s certificate on the opportunities provided by Francis’ library.

Under the Reading Tree is currently providing $200/month, which covers librarian's salary as well as a small amount for book purchases and library maintenance.

INFORALL/Kagoma Community Library, Uganda

A Ugandan-registered nongovernmental organization based in Kampala, INFORALL was founded in 2004 by Andrew Bayunga. Motivated by the conviction that ‘Information is not a luxury,’ Andrew decided that somebody needed to fill the void and provide space where people can read, learn, discuss ideas, and ultimately find creative ways to address the economic and social challenges Ugandans face every day. A Makerere University graduate in Library and Information Science, Andrew works as a filing clerk for a Kampala law and human rights organization. Any extra money he earns going towards the rent of INFORALL’s tiny 8’ x 8’ office and library, already overflowing with books he’s solicited from various organizations based in the city.

Under the Reading Tree is currently providing $300/month to go toward librarian salary and training, the rental of an additional room and the purchase of more books. Andrew has also agreed to act as a consulting partner in monitoring and implementing present and future projects in Uganda.

Kwekitui Community Library, Tanzania

Located in a mountain village, Kwekitui Library was established two years ago through the efforts of Sarah Switzer, a Trinity Western University student who visited the village's primary school and noticed how few books were available for students. With the help of African Community Technical Service, she formed a partnership with Tanga Youth Development Association (TAYODEA) to build the library and purchase an initial collection of books.

With an average of over 100 readers per day, the library has made great strides toward improved literacy in the village. Students from the nearby primary school have seen a marked improvement in their grades, and adults (including elders) are regular visitors as well.
To paint a picture of just how valuable this library is for the area, high school students from a village down the road will walk almost two hours to study and read.

Until now, TAYODEA has been purchasing new books with only minimal funding provided through Sarah's personal fundraising efforts. Rogers, Kwekitui's dedicated and hard-working librarian, has been without a salary, receiving only a small stipend each month to cover basic living costs. At TAYODEA and Sarah's request, UTRT has agreed to adopt Kwekitui and support its already successful programs with regular funding of $300/month.