The Madaraka Nyerere Library and Community Resource Center (LCRC) was envisioned by community leaders in the Mara region as a "kituo cha maarifa" ("center for learning") for the villages in the Rural Musoma area and a place for educational innovation. Construction of the LCRC was completed in 2016 and the facility is now filled with thousands of books that were carefully curated to benefit all ages and interests. Thanks to the support of our generous donors and expertise of our local partners, the LCRC boasts one of the largest collection of books written by African authors in Swahili of any community library in the country!

 

In 2019, we invested in the infrastructure needed to provide a dedicated internet connection so students and teachers are able to access free educational materials that are available on the web. We are also leveraging open-source software that is designed for managing digital libraries and sharing digital content in remote areas of the world. This software will allow us to bring digital resources to schools that do not have access to power and internet. 

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In addition to being a place for students and teachers to access educational resources, the LCRC also offers reading programs for more than 100 children through two programs. The Pre-Primary Reading Program is a half day program for children between the ages of 3 and 5 that introduces children to the foundations they will need in primary school. Since its inception, the program has helped prepare more than 200 children for primary school! The Early Reading Program is a partnership with Nyegina Primary School and focuses on improving reading skills for children in early primary school that need a little extra reading practice. The program was introduced in 2019 and supported about 50 students per year since.