Kawangware is one of the seven poorest areas to be found in Nairobi, Kenya. The Kawangware community lives in a different world - especially in this era of information technology. Lack of general information and education contributes to persistent poverty. There is a high birth rate and the area is home to many thousands of children.

Most adult residents do know how to read and write, but they lack access to information and training that would allow them to work towards a better future. The library and information centre is helping every age group in this community access important information through reading, watching videos or DVDs, and hearing from visiting experts.

The Kawangware library has faced some stiff challenges, but survived. Most recently, our original community partners, Work for Food (WFF), were unable to find sustainability for the centre after Safaricom funding finished in January 2009. Thankfully, Dagoretti Empowerment Centre (DEC) DEC stepped in to help.

The centre offers local children an alternative to roaming the streets during their hours and days out of school. While some buildings in Kawangware do have electricity, most do not. Families usually make their homes in a single shared room for parents and children to live, eat, sleep.  The houses don't provide space for study or reading; their library becomes a home to obtain knowledge. The library offers a special place for events such as talks on health, child abuse and children's rights, employment skills, story telling and other topics.

Staffing and Stock

The centre stocks books donated from around the world by generous supporters of Kidslibs Trust. Many came from the UK (Loughborough Rotary Club, Bakewell Rotary Club, Dorset School Library Service, Cumbria Library Service, Jersey Library Service, and a school in Leeds), and transported to Kenya by the British High Commission, Toyota East Africa and DHL.

We have also received a large collection of medical books from AMREF, and at opening 12 boxes of books from Braeburn Preparatory school. Thank you everyone!!! Our stock on opening was just over 3000 items.  The Safaricom Foundation is sponsoring the centre for its first two years. This includes rent for the room, and staffing for the period, as well as the initial refurbishment of the room.  MANY THANKS SAFARICOM FOUNDATION!!

Opening of the Centre

At 10 O'Clock on the 26th of January 2008 we opened the centre! The event was quite low key for several reasons - firstly because of the election-related unrest we did not want to attract too big a crowd, and secondly because Safaricom, our main sponsor, could not come due to security concerns.

We did however have several schools performing poems, dancing or plays, several speakers, and every school managed to come inside the library to see it! The students all wanted to enroll immediately!! We had visitors from Braeburn Preparatory School who also donated 12 boxes of book as part of their bookweek! Donna Kranik from Rosslyn Academy school, the area chief, and other local representatives, all came to celebrate with us.

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By the Numbers

As of May 2009:

We have 47 primary schools, 42 secondary schools, and 30 colleges using the library.