The library was starting to come together by the third day! More bookshelves, tables, and a desk were ordered, and the crew continued organizing picture books, children’s fiction, teen fiction, and adult books. Children dropped by and started browsing for books. Local villagers also began dropping by to check out the progress happening in the library.
Work continued on the second day with the finishing of the children’s nonfiction and starting on the picture books. More bookshelves needed to be ordered to accommodate all the books. We also purchased bins to house the nonfiction books by topic. The volunteers were amazing and caught on to the work quickly.
Our volunteers arrived in Uganda! After several years of planning online, we finally worked together in person. On Day 1 of work, we unpacked boxes of books and sorted through them so that we could finish processing them. Local volunteers helped us sort through the nonfiction books and label them accordingly.
We shipped over 40 boxes of books several months before we arrived. The books traveled by boat to Kenya and then by truck to Uganda. The children’s nonfiction books needed to be arranged by topic, making it easier for children to browse for materials. After sorting the books by topic, volunteers labeled the front of the books, making it easier for the librarian to put the books away.
The children of Uganda have been making good use of their down time this December. This group of children has been practicing reading with some books that our organization left in the village a couple of years ago.
And these boys have kept busy by making charcoal so that they can earn Christmas money.
Over 120 children in the village celebrated Christmas by attending the annual Christmas party sponsored in part by our organization and our partner, Centre for Children and Library Foundation. There was a drama, singing, music, and food.
Thank you for all of your support over this past year. We could not do our work without your help. Have a restful holiday season!
It’s been a busy end to the summer, with painting being completed on the interior and exterior of the library in Uganda. The process involves hauling water from the community well, mixing the paint powder with water to make the paint, applying the paint on the wall, and then adding a protective glaze over the dried paint.
The end product is beautiful!
The work allowed locals to continue to earn a living during the pandemic, at a time when work can sometimes be hard to find.
Help us raise funds for our Guatemala library project by donating $30 or more and receive either a mask or a coin purse!
These items were sewn by Lesly and her brother Jhonny in Guatemala using traditional woven fabrics. Lesly is a teacher in Guatemala. During the pandemic, many teachers have not received regular paychecks. The sale of these items is helping Lesly and Jhonny earn a living during a difficult time.
Donate at Paypal.me/LibrariesForTheWorld and leave a note telling us whether you’d like a mask or a coin purse.
Or send a check to:
Libraries for the World, PO Box 1331, Round Rock, TX 78680
Most of the village of Abwanget in Uganda does not have electricity. In order to have lighting, computers, a printer, and a computer projector, we need to install solar power. Work has begun on the installation of solar power, though more work still needs to be completed.
In addition, railing has been installed along the front porch, which will help keep young children safe as well as help those who need assistance with walking up the ramp along the side.
Thank you for continuing to support us on this journey to bring books and literacy to this community!
Workers have been busy completing plasterwork on the interior and exterior of the library building in Uganda. The workers are including intricate details to beautify the space.
Once the plastering was complete, the painting crew descended on the space! First primer, then a creamy yellow paint.
Thank you, supporters, for helping fund this space, allowing construction workers to continue to earn a living during the pandemic.
Refresh your mask collection this month by making a donation. Everyone making a donation of $20 or more will receive a mask from Uganda! These were sewn by Shamilah, a seamstress in Uganda who specializes in clothing but also teaches girls in her village to sew, a valuable money-making skill. Shamilah uses her income to support her family and send her children to school. Your donation not only helps Shamilah but also helps us continue our work of creating libraries and improving literacy around the world. Thank you for your support!
Work has continued steadily on the library in Uganda. Doors and windows have been installed, along with glass. Doors and windows are sold without glass; that is installed afterwards, funding allowing. Interior work is now underway on the ceiling. Several little friends have been helping with fetching water for construction. 🙂
Libraries for the World 