Counties, business leaders contribute towards first online co-authored book

Today, Counties and Business leaders came together at the Nairobi Serena Hotel to fund raise towards the Initiative to help drive a reading revolution in Kenya by starting 100 libraries in public primary school.

Through Squad Digital, The Yetu Start a Library initiative is using technology in a creative way by calling on Kenyans to go online and co-author the first ever collectively written book by a nation, with an aim raising Kshs 30 million in 90 days to build 100 libraries, apart from the usual libraries, the initiative looks at starting Digital Libraries as well.

Under the #StoryForChela campaign, the campaign is set on a mission to bridge the literacy gap among Kenyan children by rallying corporate organizations, development partners and the Kenyan public to raise Kshs. 30 million to build 100 model libraries in primary schools across the country.

Research shows that children who read at least 26 storybooks per year perform better in school. However, in Kenya, only 2% of all primary schools have libraries. And where we have physical infrastructure, relevant and up to date reading materials are lacking.

The result has been a drop in literacy levels among children in Kenya with only 3 out of 10 Class 3 children who can read a Class 2 Level English story while only 2 out of 10 children in the same class can read an English word according to the 2014 Uwezo Report.

It is for this reason that today Start a Library Partners gathered at Serena Hotel to fundraise and participate in positively impacting 10 million children in Kenya who do not have access to story books.

Campaign ambassador and patron, Dr. Auma Obama said, “Kenyan children deserve a literary future that will give them an edge globally. Thank you for your contribution towards this campaign and enabling us to raise funds to build libraries while providing books for our children. ”

“This campaign calls on every Kenyan to can be a part of this by supporting #StoryForChela, and raising the funds needed to build more libraries. We are inviting the public to contribute stories towards a book we are looking to collectively write as a country, for the first time”, she said.

Storymoja Africa founder, Muthoni Garland said, “Each child deserves the opportunity to read thus dream being the best they can be. We thank CEOs for coming out to support us today as we look at securing a greater reading culture for the next generation of Kenyans”

The Yetu Start a Library initiative is backed by USAID, the Aga Khan Foundation and various other partners to facilitate communal giving and problem solving.

In the same event The County of Makueni pledged close to Kshs. 2.5 million in support of the initiative. Other counties that participated in the initiative also include Kitui County and Mombasa County.

Every Kenyan can participate in this campaign by logging onto this link to co-author a #storyforchela for as little as 10 shillings a word and be part of the first ever book written by a nation.