Dear Biking for Books Supporters,
Below is an e-mail from Toto about Kale Children's Library. He was forced to move the books to Malaika, which is an orphanage in Nakuru that has better security. Thank to all of you who donated money and goods to Kale. Your donations live on in the hearts of the orphans at Maliaka.
Hi Kimi!I hope tthat you are well and that you haven't been stung by bees. How are your students at DM doing? I also see that you are adjusting well to the people of the North. Deep down they will touch your heart in ways that you never knew.It's like an Ethiopian telling a kenyan that the authoritarian regime in Abyssinia is painful;they don't get it but i guess having lived your life there it must be heartening. I would like to update you on what is going on at Kale's.
>On the 7th January 2013 the members of Kale
>Children’s library met and decided that it was time that we moved from our
>present location in Nairobi to Nakuru. This was brought about by the following
>reasons :
>
> Insecurity and
>pilfering of books. In the last 3 years and 6 months, thugs have broken into
>the library once and books have been pilfered a number of times by our
>community members. We have recovered a number of books but the thieves are
>becoming resilient and adopting ways of beating the systems that we put in
>place.
>
>Lack of a conducive environment. When we began in 2009 the
>library stood on its own but we now have a saloon shop on our right and a
>Mandazi fryer on our left. They are both noisy and the smell emitted from the
>fryer carries smoke into the library. We have also experienced electricity
>tampering which has given as a bill 15 times our usual consumption. A
>construction vehicle also collapsed our steps and changed the landscape of the
>area. Anytime it rains rain trickles in.
>
>Lack of funding: As per our tenant agreement our rent
>increases by 5per cent every year. For the past three years we have been charging
>Ksh 10/ for children and 20/ for adults. We provide reading materials, computer
>lessons, Art lessons and Chess for ksh 10/ yet some parents find it exorbitant.
>We have done biking for books with kim Deprenger i.e. Nairobi to Isiolo 2011,
>Nairobi to Mfangano Island 2012, Nairobi to Mombasa 2009 with Pinky and Ambi
>Singh to raise funds and awareness. But
>at the end of the day we have been unable to pay salaries. Well, I knew that we
>would not be on the Fortune 500 of the Forbes List but then again Social
>Entrepreneurs rarely are.
>
>All in all we leave with our heads held high. We will donate
>the books and shelves to Malaika Children’s Home. I know them
>well as I have visited them about 12 times in the past three years and a half
>as a volunteer. I will help set up the library and volunteer my services when I
>can. It pains me to leave but we have no choice and decisions have to be made
>no matter how painful. I will still use Steve's laptop to teach a few kids after work.Am doing a few odd jobs here and there as my swimming lessons are yet to improve.
>
>
>I thank you for standing by us during our triumphs and
>trials. I did not seek out heroes but looked from within and realized that we all
>owe mankind. All mistakes are mine.
>
Below is an e-mail from Toto about Kale Children's Library. He was forced to move the books to Malaika, which is an orphanage in Nakuru that has better security. Thank to all of you who donated money and goods to Kale. Your donations live on in the hearts of the orphans at Maliaka.
Hi Kimi!I hope tthat you are well and that you haven't been stung by bees. How are your students at DM doing? I also see that you are adjusting well to the people of the North. Deep down they will touch your heart in ways that you never knew.It's like an Ethiopian telling a kenyan that the authoritarian regime in Abyssinia is painful;they don't get it but i guess having lived your life there it must be heartening. I would like to update you on what is going on at Kale's.
>On the 7th January 2013 the members of Kale
>Children’s library met and decided that it was time that we moved from our
>present location in Nairobi to Nakuru. This was brought about by the following
>reasons :
>
> Insecurity and
>pilfering of books. In the last 3 years and 6 months, thugs have broken into
>the library once and books have been pilfered a number of times by our
>community members. We have recovered a number of books but the thieves are
>becoming resilient and adopting ways of beating the systems that we put in
>place.
>
>Lack of a conducive environment. When we began in 2009 the
>library stood on its own but we now have a saloon shop on our right and a
>Mandazi fryer on our left. They are both noisy and the smell emitted from the
>fryer carries smoke into the library. We have also experienced electricity
>tampering which has given as a bill 15 times our usual consumption. A
>construction vehicle also collapsed our steps and changed the landscape of the
>area. Anytime it rains rain trickles in.
>
>Lack of funding: As per our tenant agreement our rent
>increases by 5per cent every year. For the past three years we have been charging
>Ksh 10/ for children and 20/ for adults. We provide reading materials, computer
>lessons, Art lessons and Chess for ksh 10/ yet some parents find it exorbitant.
>We have done biking for books with kim Deprenger i.e. Nairobi to Isiolo 2011,
>Nairobi to Mfangano Island 2012, Nairobi to Mombasa 2009 with Pinky and Ambi
>Singh to raise funds and awareness. But
>at the end of the day we have been unable to pay salaries. Well, I knew that we
>would not be on the Fortune 500 of the Forbes List but then again Social
>Entrepreneurs rarely are.
>
>All in all we leave with our heads held high. We will donate
>the books and shelves to Malaika Children’s Home. I know them
>well as I have visited them about 12 times in the past three years and a half
>as a volunteer. I will help set up the library and volunteer my services when I
>can. It pains me to leave but we have no choice and decisions have to be made
>no matter how painful. I will still use Steve's laptop to teach a few kids after work.Am doing a few odd jobs here and there as my swimming lessons are yet to improve.
>
>
>I thank you for standing by us during our triumphs and
>trials. I did not seek out heroes but looked from within and realized that we all
>owe mankind. All mistakes are mine.
>
