Table Of ContentWelcome on the website of EDU’KENYA association
The franco-kenyan association has a solidarity goal.
Our project is to build a mobile Library turning around schools and proposing:
- books in English and swahili, story books, picture books, novels, comics,
encyclopaedias and documentaries …
- sport equipment, balls, rackets, skipping ropes….
In Kenya, primary school is mandatory since 2002.
But teachers are missing and classes are in excessive number.
The classes are open, with no lockers so it is difficult to stock material.
Building a mobile Library is giving access to thousand and thousand children to
leisure books and sport equipment. It is what EDU’KENYA is fighting for.
Our needs are simple
A gift of 5€ is good to buy a
A gift of 5€ is good to buy a
And 5€ + 5€ + 5€ + 5 € + 5€ + 5 € …. = a mobile-library
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ACCUEIL/Our activities/where
Busia in Kenya
Situated in Eastern Africa, Kenya is particularly known for its safaris, its beaches on
the Indian Ocean, its tea, rose and vegetable plantations.
The three big cities, Mombasa to the East, the capital Nairobi in the center and
Kisumu on Lake Victoria to the west, are situated along the equator that crosses
1500 kilometers of the country.
The town in the area of Busia near Kisumu and close to the Uganda border, was
selected for the EDU’KENYA project.
Busia
Rural zone
Domestic animals: pig,
Latitude 0° longitude
donkey, goat, dog, hen,
45°
cow
Green hills and red
April and December hearth
Windy and dusty
200 primary schools
25° to 35°
5 schools chosen for the
pilot project
Mango trees, avocado - Busia Township
tree, banana tree, - Joy Valley Budalangua
pineapple trees - Double insight
- New Hope Budalangi
- Bulanda
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ACCUEIL/Our activities/when
2011
February:
For the third round of the project pilot, Astrid CL, the President of Edu’Kenya
accompanied by Gabrielle Cottin, a volunteer, went to Busia from the 19-26.
Their objectives were:
- Set up regular monthly visits of the library
- Optimize the organization
- Offer a larger selection of books, documentaries, specialized books with
photographs
- Talk about this project with different stakeholders (school Principals and
teachers)
January:
Edu’Kenya wishes you happy New Year
2010
December
Sale of local crafts coming from Massai and Luo markets and bought in Kisumu
October :
4th trip to Busia. Project launch and our library’s first visits to 5 pilot schools.
May-September :
400 books are periodically sent to Kenya thanks to French friends who travel there
with the books in their bags and transmit them to our local friends Kenyan.
April :
Trip to London to discover the books given by the 2 English publishers. Three boxes
of fifty kilos are sent to Nairobi.
In Paris, France, first public presentation of the association to a network of friends
and family. Sale of Kenyan crafts with profits allocated to EDU-KENYA.
June :
Action : “book covering”, resulting in plastic covers for 250 albums.
January :
3rd trip to Busia. Meeting with the region’s local school officials. Instructive exchange
on the needs and interests of a travelling library that would give children access to
books and sports. Selection of 5 schools for the pilot project:
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The schools were selected either because they were particularly isolated or because
they were significantly lacking in financial means. The final choice was for 2 public
schools, a nursery school and a school for handicapped children.
Two teachers from each school were selected to be the contact person and receive
the material - one for books and the other for sports equipment - the day the library
came to their school.
2009
February :
2nd trip to Busia. Meeting with the teachers and Principles of the schools that had
already been visited
EDU’KENYA decides to focus orient itself towards the idea of a travelling library that
would loan books and soccer balls.
August :
Creation of the blog to facilitate the link - French- English, Kenyan and promote the
association.
July :
The first week long trip for 2 volunteers in a chosen orphanage. Objective: sports
initiative for all the children and gift of sports equipment
June : Creation of EDU’KENYA in France.
2008
May
First trip to Busia. Visit to schools and orphanages to assess needs and define the
project.
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ACCUEIL/Our activities/why
A long story…
The school teacher, and know journalist Astrid Charlery Labouche, President of
EDU’KENYA wanted to be involved in a project.
In 1998 she discovered Kenya. Her enthusiasm for the country grew into a real
attachment for it thanks to the many trips there for pleasure and then, as a journalist
for work.
Thanks to a convergence of the local needs along with many friendly encounters and
her educational and organizational skills enabled her to build this original but simple
project in a small town called Busia.
Set up a traveling library on site is a micro project meeting a maxi
need.
Within the Busia region, each school has between 350 and 2000 pupils from 3 to 17
years old representing nearly 20 000 children.?
With a region that is spread out, and schools isolated and far apart, the idea for a
travelling library was the only solution: the books and supplies would be brought to
the children.
The local school systems do not have the means to invest in cultural center. In spite
of this, some initiatives have emerged:
- In the center of Busia a BASIC library led by 2 volunteers propose books
especially for adults. Perhaps there’s a possibility for a partnership
- In the North of Kenya, there is an impressive individual initiative too, a library,
traveling by camel back! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn4Zlt8Lx-k
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ACCUEIL/Our activities/how
What to choose?
Books
Two English publishers have accepted to help us. Hachette Children sent us 500
books to London and 150 albums and paperback novels to Orion.
Purchase at a very low price of 200 used books from second hand shops in London
Since In addition to English, Swahili is the national language in Kenya, 50 books of
East African legends and fairy tales in Swahili were bought.
Anglophones and anglophiles also participated by giving books in English.
Sports Equipment
In addition to gifts made by SYMPATHISERS and while waiting to find partners from
sports equipment companies, the association has invested in the purchase of soccer
balls, rackets, jump ropes.
Shipping
This is a true challenge, but solidarity and inventiveness enables the material to
arrive slowly but surely arrive in Kenya first and then to Busia
- Transportation via a specialized transport company to Africa (Kesom)
- Use of travelers / SYMPATHISANTS of the Association who carry the books in
their baggage towards Nairobi.
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- The volunteers also become pack horses during their trips to Busia.
The librarybus
The next project is to buy a small truck that would become the library bus. While
waiting for the financing and for the truck to be operational, a local taxi, loaded with
trunks full of books and balls helps us go from school to school.
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Actualities
A message in a bottle
Urgent ! The association is looking for a working lap top computer to show pictures to
the teachers of the 5 schools and for use by EDU KENYA.
The blog
Discover our blog : www.edukenya.blogspot.com
Dates to remember
Jun 2011
A meeting in Busia to act the last turn h
February 2011
Two French volunteers Astrid and Gabrielle plan to go to Busia for the third time last
week of February. In fact in January for the first time, Pius, Sabina and Freddy by
themselves were in charge of the visits to the 5 schools. We wish them much luck.
December 2010
In Paris, sale of Kenyan crafts with profits for the Association. During their trips to
Kenya, the volunteers buy local crafts made for the most part by the Luo one of the
local tribes – jewellery, objects made out of horn, decorations made out of recycled
metal. These products are resold during an open house EDU KENYA, with profits
going to purchase books and invest in an vehicle for the library bus.
October 2010
Pilot project
First visit to the 5 schools in the Busia area. This was done by taxi until funds could
be found to acquire a library bus.
Two French volunteers spent 10 days in Busia going from one school to the other.
They travelled by taxi and were accompanied by two Kenyan partners, they arrive
early as of 7 am, set up the books in a room lent by the school.
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All day long, each class spends either 1 hour in the ‘library’.
.
The EDU’KENYA’s team also leaves sports equipment at the disposal of the contact
teacher who is in charge of sports activities or shares sports activities – ball games,
jump rope or running, pétanque with the pupils.
At 6 pm, the EduKenya team packs up all the books and equipment ready to use the
next day in another school.
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Accueil / who are we? / Contact
EDU’KENYA - 34 BD du Temple - 75011 Paris - France
Tél. : 0033 (0) 9 75 22 73 81(cid:1)
Courriel : [email protected]
To know more about Kenya-French relationship
France in Kenya (cid:1)
Ambassade de France à Nairobi(cid:1)http://www.ambafrance-
ke.org(cid:1)Organisations de Solidarité Internationales OSI
Kenya in France(cid:1)
Ambassade du Kenya à Paris(cid:1) 3 rue Freycinet(cid:1)75016 Paris(cid:1)Tél. 01 56 62 25 25
http://www.kenyaembassyparis.org/
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Description:Situated in Eastern Africa, Kenya is particularly known for its safaris, Creation of the blog to facilitate the link - French- English, Kenyan and promote the.
