Nairobi: Kabirirsang Community Library in Nandi County is the centre where elders impact their children against drug abuse, early marriages with emphasis on maintaining accepted community norms and culture. Located in Nandi Hills, the library was started in 2019 out of local materials with aim of shaping the children for better future.
According to Kenya News Agency, during holidays, the elders discourage their children against dropping out of school and ways of keeping themselves safe while they are still small until when they are grownups, says Gideon Kitur, the Community Library chairman. 'Knowledge of the mother tongue is also emphasized on the event. There is a big difference between millennials and the Gen Zs in terms of knowledge of their mother's tongue; children are taught their local language by the same elders so that they are well equipped in matters concerning their culture,' maintains Kitur.
Further, one of the main purposes of the library is to provide literacy through books. However, the library faces countable challenges as highlighted by Kitur and according to him, the library lacks enough space. He says the library hosts 20-60 students from primary and secondary schools in the surrounding area, and now with the high numbers of students, the library fails to satisfy these students because it is not spacious enough.
The chairman suggests the expansion of the library to a modern library that will cater for all including the residents who want to attend the facility. Moreover, insufficient funds are a challenge to the library. Most of the workers are volunteers, including the watchman and the librarian. 'Without money they cannot pay workers who work in the library,' he says.
The books available in the library are limited and some are outdated-the new edition of books that are required for learning purposes are not available. The library needs enough funds to buy more books and also create a space to store them. Not all hope is lost. 'We have plans for a better library,' as mentioned by Kitur. The library plans to construct a modern library and create an ICT center that will educate on computer literacy.
He emphasized that they need collaboration from the Nandi government so that it expands to meet the plans mentioned above. Generous donors will also aid them to achieve this plan. Moreover, it is important to appreciate the elders of the community who impact positively on the children who attended the centre. With the necessary amendments, Kabirirsang' Community Library will fulfil their vision, 'to be the best community library in Kenya,' Kitur revealed.