Kibabii University and Rongo University in partnership with the African Library Project have distributed 22,000 volumes of books to 28 schools and small community libraries across Bungoma County.
The books were released on Thursday by Kibabii University Vice Chancellor, Prof Ipara Odeo. He said the consignment consisted of books in various fields, relevant to the secondary and primary schools as well as the community.
“These are different sets of books that will serve primary schools, secondary schools and community libraries in Bungoma and its environs,” he said, and called on the book handlers to use the books for the intended purpose.
Odeo said the project’s aim to encourage a reading culture in schools and the community.
The University at the same time hosted school librarians taking them through basic training aimed at impacting knowledge on setting up and running libraries with high readership right from school and the community.
“We want everybody to benefit from this project and as such, we are going to make it an annual activity in our University,” Odeo noted.
Odeo said the project is one way of contributing to the sustainable development goals with regard to education and distribution of knowledge. “The project also aims to promote literacy levels as well as encouraging the reading culture that is currently facing a decline especially among the young generation,” he said.
Odeo said,“This project also aims addressing idleness by keeping our learners busy and changing lives,” he noted.
He said that the positive contribution of reading is a healthy mind and a clear mental state.
By Roseland Lumwamu
