Re-Opening The Smallest Library In Africa

Started in 2014 as an open air makeshift of a library, the Smallest Library In Africa is a community library based in informal settlement of Mugure , Ruaraka constituency In Nairobi county.The aim of the library is to promote literacy among school going children at both primary and secondary levels by providing conducive learning space and extra reading materials.

With only , 1$ (100ksh) the library was initiated by Cyril Peter Otieno, a 21 year old who was born and bred in Mugure community making it to be the first ever community library to ever existed

The library is founded by the reality of household set up in Mugure which offers little learning space for children and majority being exposed to respiratory diseases due to the use of kerosene lamps at their households. Also, both public and private schools lack sufficient reading materials hence not meeting student's learning wants.

In 2017, It transitioned to three room rental space providing learning space to over 200 members and apart from learning the library as initiated mentor-ship sessions where adolescent and teens are taught life-skills , indoors activities for chess and scrabbles , drawing educative movie sessions , debates and story telling sessions, and providing scholarship to needy children .

In a community where poor school performance , early teenage pregnancies, drug abuse and crime are the systems that holds poverty; our library has continued to provide a safe space for children and youths to learn and write their own stories and aspirations

On 9^th July 2019, The smallest Library received a 30 days eviction notice to vacate its premises for failure of paying 3 months’ rent of 385$ (38500ksh). The library was closed and the space is being furnished for other uses.

We are currently back in an open air space-under a tent- and we are therefore fundraising to raise funds necessary for buying and building a new library space in the same community.

Our fundraising goal is to raise at least $5000 (500,00KSH) that will enable us to set up the library in a new structure and start up a sustainable project for long term sustainability of the library.

We are requesting your donation which will strongly help us strengthen this course and we will be grateful for every donation sent. You can also share our stories with friends and relatives.