Why Build a Community Library?

Students attending primary schools in the Ontulili community have continuously performed very poorly in national examinations[i].  The majority are not learning basic reading skills even through 8th grade graduation.  As a result few transition into secondary schools.  These students come from a low socio-economic background where parents who are grappling daily with a lack of basic necessities are unable to offer supplemental resources to support their schooling.

As a result, OLRC is working hand in hand with the Ontulili community to address this challenge.  The goal is to support the provision of quality education and promote literacy and life-long learning.

We have embarked on establishing a community library, the “Ontulili Literacy & Resource Center”.  Our vision is to build the library, equip it with and offer access to quality appropriate resources, develop programs that promote reading and general learning, and mobilize residents’ participation in the educational goals of the community.

Stakeholders

  • The Ontulili community led by local leaders.
  • The Anthony Wayne Rotary club and Rotary District 6540 both of Indiana, USA.
  • Ontulili Literacy & Resource Center Inc. USA (ontulilireads.org/)
  • You – I am reaching out to you for your support of this worthy project. Please consider donating to our project.  We have set up the Building Blocks to Literacy Campaign (http://bit.ly/ZcecdA) to acquire the concrete blocks that will be used on site to build the Center.  Buy a $300 block in the name of an individual, a family, friend, organization, company, in memory of a loved one, or a group of your choosing.  A Legacy Plaque will be created with your named designation, to reside in the Center as a forever reminder of you and your designees as founders of the Ontulili Literacy and Resource Center.

Budget

  • Land – already donated by the community.
  • Building[ii] – estimated at $40,000 (Kshs. 5million) – this is the purpose of our fundraising campaign.
  • Equipment – books, computers etc – Thanks to the Anthony Wayne Rotary Club, Fort Wayne and Rotary District 6540 both of Indiana, USA for their cash donation of $47,000.

GoalGraph12.2014

[i] A few years of KCPE results, just to give you an idea

Kangaita Kiranga Ndemu Nkandone Ontulili Mean
2005 190 199.48 197.85 195.78
2006 174 219.4 197.8 197.07
2007 201.41 190.72 218.92 200.37 202.86
2008 202.05 168.81 244.38 212.29 206.88
2009 211.77 194 262 180 195.5 208.65
2010 194.76 169.9 241.35 203 182.31 198.26
2011 164.08 179.38 249.09 168.19 215.66 195.28
2012 197.04 170 228.22 237.77 186.82 207.93
Mean 191.89 178.8 232.86 197.24 198.58

 

[ii] Proposed Library Plan

ProposedLibPlan12.2014