15 December 2006
Texas Volunteers Create Libraries in Ugandan Schools
Partnership for a Better Life
Claire Kwagala beamed a broad smile to the volunteers from the United States and to school and community officials gathered to dedicate the new library at her elementary school in Kampala, Uganda.
"How lucky we are. We are very grateful," she told the gathering. "This library is a very big gift that will directly benefit us and our other brothers and sisters in the coming generations."
Claire’s school, Namirembe Primary School, is one of two Ugandan schools that have received modern libraries, complete with computers and educational software, thanks to Libraries of Love, a nonprofit group based in Texas.
Founded by Trudy Marshall, an elementary school librarian in the community of Round Rock, the all-volunteer group collects and prepares books for library checkout, ships them to Uganda and travels to the schools to convert empty rooms into modern libraries. Volunteers remain on site to instruct teachers and students in organizing and effectively using their new library.
Marshall credits the volunteer group’s success to support from their school district, individuals, churches, civic organizations and Austin-area companies, especially computer-maker Dell Inc. The idea of creating school libraries came to Marshall when she visited an elementary school in Uganda. She asked the children what they wanted from America, and the answer was books.
The libraries serve the community as well as the schools.
"I would like to assure Libraries of Love of our commitment to utilize the donation to improve the academic and social well-being of our pupils first, members of staff and the entire community of Namatala,” head teacher Judith Nabugyere told volunteers at the dedication of the second Library of Love. That library was opened in June at Namatala Primary School in the town of Mbale, Uganda.
Libraries of Love provided more than 14,600 new and gently used books to the school, which has some 3,200 students. Of these, more than 8,400 were hardcover children’s books, both fiction and nonfiction. The remaining books were provided to teachers to use in class and to students so each one could choose a book to keep.
The group is collecting books for more projects for primary and secondary schools in Uganda. It also plans to collect Braille books for blind children in an orphanage.
"It’s about more than just books," Marshall said of Libraries of Love.
"It’s about students and teachers developing a love of literature, as well as expanding their knowledge in all areas. The Libraries of Love team truly believes that lifelong readers become lifelong learners."
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
