A New Library at Masaka!

“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”--Frederick Douglass

In Uganda, illiteracy is a huge problem. Being unable to read or write anything other than one's name is a challenge that is faced by many children in Uganda. Due to this, many children grow up with low self-esteem, low confidence, fear, shame, and, most times, hopelessness.

A child that has grown up with the inability to read will tend to be shy and avoid situations that might lead them to be noticed in a group. This makes it hard for them to participate or engage fully in society and at school. With most of our students coming from families with parents with little or no schooling background, they are at higher risk of being illiterate or experiencing severe learning difficulties themselves. 

Because of that and through networking with Enjuba, a children’s education organization based in Kampala, Hope Alive! was able to acquire 1,500 books from the Africa Library Project! These books include novels, fact books, short stories, and reference books for different age groups. We invited the students to seal the books with packing tape to protect the quality. We now have an organized Masaka site library – praise God! 

Students covering book covers with clear packaging tape to extend their life

Students have started taking interest in reading, which wasn’t the case before. One of our Hope Alive! alumna is assisting in the library as the librarian. We hope with constant training and encouragement, our students and mentors will develop the culture of loving to read books.