This year we made a school library in a rural area of Rwanda.
The Kamwumba school in the Nyange sector of Rwanda is very close to where the protected mountain gorillas live in the Volcanoes National Park. This school is dedicated to teaching more than 1600 students.
Valerie Akuredusenge, one of our partners has been running health and environment programs at the school through her NGO, Conservation Heritage – Turambe. She asked the headmaster if she would be interested in a library and she said “YES!”
We made the space with another partner, Agati library in Musanze.
We made a school library!
Jolise Mukamazera is a Fantastic Teacher at Kamwumba and now one of the Librarians!
A library is incredibly important in a rural school for many reasons, including:
Access to Knowledge
In many rural areas, students don’t have textbooks or learning materials at home.
A library becomes the only place where they can access books, reference materials, and learning resources.
Supports Teachers
Teachers can use library resources to prepare lessons and access materials they wouldn’t otherwise have.
It can be a resource center for curriculum support.
Improves Literacy and Language Skills
Regular access to books helps students improve reading, writing, and comprehension skills.
This is especially critical where English or French (depending on the country) is the language of instruction, but not spoken at home.
Community Hub
Libraries can serve the whole village—not just students. Adults can use it for literacy programs, farming resources, health information, or vocational training.
Rwanda’s Mobile Libraries
The majority of Rwandan children are unable to access a library, so now in the Northwest part of the country the library goes to them. Project Life partnered with Agati Library to support their Mobile Library Program. Agati is able to pack up a vehicle with books and bring them outside their community library town. They travel further into the Virunga volcano region every weekend making stops at different schools where children are waiting for them to read. Project Life went along on a few of these mobile library events to see first hand what it is like. Library volunteers bring boxes of local children’s books. They play games, paint, read aloud and mentor the children’s enjoyment of storytelling. By encouraging the children to read to themselves and to read aloud to the group, these children are expanding their curiosity and confidence. Project Life believes readers are constantly learning new things with each turn of the page… the benefits can last a lifetime.
