Nurturing a Love of Learning
- 20 hours ago
- 2 min read
In March, we celebrated the opening of our Community Library with 300 guests, including government officials from the Department of Education, the Ward Councilor, local leaders, teachers, parents, and students from five schools.
Our guest of honor, Mrs. Rafiki Kilonzo, the Arusha Regional Librarian, congratulated TGFT on this milestone and emphasized the importance of providing students with access to textbooks and encouraging literacy among primary school students in our community.
We asked some of our students and staff about their reading habits. What they shared explains why the reading culture in Tanzania is so low.
One student learned to read at age 11, another at age 9.
Most students’ families don’t own any books at home, and most
students and staff may own 3 books.
Few students had never been to a library because their schools didn’t have one.
The closest library in our community is in Arusha City 17+ miles (11 km) which means students would travel 35 miles (22 km) roundtrip to the library which is a significant barrier to make the journey regularly.
We are welcoming both girls and boys from nearby primary and secondary schools.
All of these students don’t own textbooks.
Most students using our library come from within a 1.8 miles (3 km) radius or a 30-minute walk to The Girls Centre.
We have 25 primary school students in our After-school program.
So far 57 students are using the library in the afternoons, Saturdays and Sundays from 9am-5:30pm.
Meaningful impact doesn’t have to start big.
In 2012, we conducted our first after-school program under a tree, in a tent, or in a garage with just a handful of books.
Today, our Community Library holds 4,000+ textbooks, children’s books, and novels.
Across Tanzania, hope shows itself in many ways: in a girl excelling in school and discovering her role as a leader, mentor, and role model; in youth studying in a library; and in children learning to read.
We cannot predict the impact our free Community Library will have, but we have high hopes that it will become a destination for students who realize this library is their library. A place to read, think, browse, and dream.
The girls we support have dreams of becoming doctors, engineers, data analysts, lawyers, and so much more. We want to help them reach the boardroom, the operating room, the laboratory, Parliament, the national parks, and the world of business.
We are expanding their education and opportunities by addressing the pressing and interconnected challenges of poverty and gender inequality, while encouraging them to head to the library to fuel their imaginations.
Thank you for standing with The Girls Foundation of Tanzania.
With the support of our donors, students and their families, and staff who helped purchase bricks, desks, and textbooks, we are grateful for your contributions to establishing a Community Library that will impact generations to come, one book at a time.
The opening of our Community Library is only the beginning. We are continuing to raise funds to outfit the space with textbooks, desks, and chairs so every student who walks through the doors has what they need to learn and grow. Thank you for helping us build a place where curiosity, learning, and opportunity can thrive. |
Comments