David is serving his community in Jinja as a NITEO librarian. He runs a library for hundreds of children in his community. Yes, you read that correctly, hundreds of children!
Uganda is a very young nation, with approximately 46% of the nation 14 years and younger.* So there are many children accessing the library in David’s community!
Last year, David needed to find a new home for his library and he approached his mother, Florence, with a bold request: would she donate some of her land for a new library?
Florence shares her response in this video.
As you just watched, her initial response was a resounding no!
She knew how many children lived in their community and what the responsibility of running a library would mean for her and her family. But after thinking about it, she shared:
“I accepted. I accepted because of the benefit…of the library to the children. Many of them are not going to school…at least I wanted them to know how to open the books. I wanted them to be together.”
With the land secured, David used a NITEO microgrant to purchase the supplies of lumber and tin to build the space. Members of his community worked together with David by donating their time and labour to help build the space. Even the children helped out! A pile of bricks were donated, and children helped to collect them in a wheelbarrow and to transport them to the library.
During our recent partner visit, we were able to see the new library and were greeted by many excited children. One of the older children read her favourite story to the group – a book about bones in the skeleton!
A child reads her favourite story to the group!
This library is a work of the community and is building bridges for bright and hopeful futures for the children who will access it today and in the days to come.
*https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.0014.TO.ZS?locations=UG