Dr. Auma Obama, half-sister and older sibling to U.S. President Barack Obama is running a crowdfunding campaign aimed at equipping school libraries with books in Kenya. The crowdfunding campaign is aimed at raising at least Ksh 30 million within the next three months that will go towards building 100 libraries.
Dr. Obama is undertaking this initiative in partnership with Story Moja. The campaign has so far raised Ksh.3.06 million (11% of the targeted amount) in just 16 days into the campaign period. The crowdfund is asking well-wishers to help put a book in a child’s hand by contributing at least Ksh.10 per word that will go online and used in co-authoring the nation’s first collectively written book.
The campaign has been dubbed ‘Start a Library’. It is calling upon the general public to not only give financial support but also take part in co-authoring the children’s books. This move will see more people join famous writers as co-authors.
The action by Dr. Obama and Story Moja could not have at a better time. According to a recent report tabled by Uwezo Report, there are over 20,000 primary schools in Kenya that do not have libraries. This figure makes up about 98% of all primary schools in the country. The lack of books has translated to 7 out of 10 pupils in Class 3 not being able to read Class 3 level English Story. At the same time, only 2 out of 10 pupils in Class 3 can correctly read in English.
If you would like to take part in the co-authoring of the pupils books, you can head out to www.yetu.org/startalibrary/. The windows for submitting your writing is open until the end of this year, with the final printed book being expected sometime in the middle of 2016. You are requested to write material that will make the Kenyan children be glad to read the stories in the forthcoming book. The campaign is also running on social media under #StoryForChela.