Kabati YMCA Public Library in Naivasha, Kenya

From Books to Brilliance (FBTB) opened Naivasha's first children’s public library almost a year ago in partnership with the Kabati YMCA in Kenya. Custom made bookshelves, tables, and chairs, now fill two rooms at that YMCA. Thank you, GlobalGivers for your support.

Beautiful books and educational materials quickly drew children from several schools and surrounding neighborhoods to this new library. Kids had their own special place to read, study, play games, and do crafts. Parents and teachers volunteered to run a learning program on the weekends. Four hundred youth regularly showed up to participate.

Sadly, the last three months has been difficult for this small library and its young readers. During Kenya’s recent elections, the YMCA and local schools served as polling and tallying stations, forcing schools to close for weeks. When the presidential results were contested, rising tensions disrupted the library’s programs. Currently families face significant economic strain and a continuous drought. With parents struggling to feed their children, all adults are focused on providing food for affected families.

We hope the situation will improve so that we can get back to the normal library and mentorship programs, says YMCA’s Tom Gicheru. At FBTB we are committed to supporting their efforts at the Kabati YMCA library now and in the future. However, From Books to Brilliance will pause efforts to raise funds on this platform. We encourage you to contact us at frombookstobrilliance@gmail.com or by phone at 505-554-7107 for further information.

Links:

• FBTB website