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Promoting Literacy through Community Based Libraries

PeerLink Initiative Uganda (PELIU) is a community rooted children youth and women focused Non-Governmental organization that empowers communities through the Community Library and Empowerment Center Model. PELI-U has a Coordination Office in Kawempe Division, Kampala and a Field Office in Nyarushanje Subcounty, Rukungiri District.

Our Vision

A conducive and supportive environment for children, youth and women to thrive.

Our Mission

To establish and strengthen community based structures that respond to the basic needs of children, youth and women in education, health and socio-economic empowerment in Uganda.

Our core values

  1. Whole Community Approach
  2. Team work
  3. Commitment to serve
  4. Participation  of the people we work with

What We Do

PELI-U follows three pathways in order to achieve its vision and mission.

  1. PELI-U contributes to provision of quality education and works to ensure that schools and teachers Integrate ICT in teaching and learning and a culture of literacy is promoted in households, schools and communities.
    1. PELI-U works to ensure that Ugandan youth and women have improved standards of living and quality of life.
    1. Community members live healthier and more productive lives.

PeerLink Link Initiative Uganda (PELI-U) promotes literacy and contributes to efforts to revive a reading culture through the community library and empowerment center model. PELI-U set up the first community library Nyarushanje Community Library and Empowerment Center in 2013.  This community library is located in Nyarushanje Subcounty, Rukungiri District. Nyarushanje Community Library and Empowerment Center provides holistic services in the field of education, health and socio economic empowerment and entrepreneurship to Nyarushanje Subcounty community members in rural Uganda. Through Nyarushanje Community Library and Empowerment Center PELI-U provides reading space, reading materials, provides library scholarships to primary school going children, conducts school based and community-based reading outreaches, trains teachers and school administrators on importance of reading and setting up of reading spaces and facilitates household based reading activities. It also supports the setting up of community based libraries and trains community based volunteer library coordinators on how to manage community libraries. It trains primary school teachers in digital literacy and participatory learner centred methods of teaching, and provides access to cultural artefacts and indigenous information and access to Information communication technology (ICT) tools and equipment. PELI-U organizes Early Child Care and Development (ECCD) activities, provides youth and women with vocational, technical and business enterprise development skills and sexual reproductive health/HIV/AIDS education and information to youth. 

PELI-U Supports and Facilitates the setting up of Community-Based Libraries

Over years PELI-U has supported the setting up of 15 Community based libraries linked to Nyarushanje Community Library and Empowerment Center. The idea of starting more community rooted libraries originated from the desire to reach out to distant communities that could not easily access services offered by Nyarushanje Community Library and Empowerment Center. PELI-U team engaged community members in continuous dialogue sessions, sensitized them on the services offered through the library and out of the interactions community members got involved in setting up libraries in their respective communities. The community libraries are run by a team of Community Based Volunteer Library Coordinators and are housed in spaces donated by community members. Some of these libraries are housed in community based government building, households, (health centers, schools and religious institutions).  Through the community libraries community members access readers, newspapers, subject specific curriculum text books, participate in cultural gala, interact, play and engage in children reading activities. PeerLink Initiative Uganda (PELI-U) through Nyarushanje Community Library and Empowerment Center (NCLEC) mobilizes and procures reading materials, selects, prints and binds online readers which are later on delivered to community based libraries and households. PELI-U provides training to Community Based Volunteer Library Coordinators in library management, child safe guarding and protection policy and sexual reproductive health.

Currently PELI-U has supported the setting up of 16 functional community based libraries (12 in Nyarushanje Subcounty, Rukungiri District, 3 Kawempe Division, Kampala District and 1 in Kashenshero Town Council Mitooma District). These libraries include:

S/NNAME OF LIBRARYLOCATION
1.Nyarushanje Community Library and Empowerment CenterIbanda Parish, Nyarushanje Subcounty Rukungiri District
2.Kisiizi  Community LibraryKisiizi Parish, Nyarushanje Subcounty
3.Ruyonza Community LibraryRuyonza Parish, Nyarushanje Subcounty
4.Bwanga  Community Library  Bwanga Parish, Nyarushanje Subcounty
5.Nyabushenyi  Community Library  Nyabushenyi Parish, Nyarushanje Subcounty
6.  Ihunga   Community LibraryIhunga Parish, Nyarushanje Subcounty
7.  Burora  Community LibraryBurora Parish, Nyarushanje Subcounty
8.  Ndago Community LibraryNdago Parish, Nyarushanje Subcounty
9.  Bunono Community LibraryBunono Parish, Nyarushanje Subcounty
10.  Kabuga Community LibraryKabuga Village, Ibanda Parish, Nyarushanje Subcounty
11.Kayanga Community LibraryKayanga Village, Kisiizi Parish, Nyarushanje Subcounty
12.Kyaruhotora Community LibraryKyaruhotora Village, Burora Parish, Nyarushanje Subcounty
13.Kwata Community LibraryKomamboga Parish, Kawempe Division Kampala District
14.Komamboga Community LibraryKomamboga Parish, Kawempe Division
15.Kikulu Zone Community Library  Kikaaya Parish, Kawempe Division
16.Kashenshero Community LibraryKashenshero Town Council, Mitooma District

Upcoming Community Based Libraries

Building on the success of the existing community based libraries more communities have expressed interest in setting up libraries, provided space for the libraries and have volunteer community based library coordinators to operate the libraries. These libraries have no books so far.

S/NNAME OF LIBRARYLOCATION
1.Bunyarigi Community Library  Bunyarigi Ward, Ishaka Municipality, Bushenyi District
2.Rukungiri Community Library  Rukungiri District Head Quarters
3.Rukiga Community Library  Rukiga District Head Quarters
4.Rubanda Community Library  Rubanda District Head Quarters
5.Bikurungu Community Library  Bikurungu Town Council, Rukungiri District
6.  Hebron School LibraryHebron  Nursery & Primary School, Nalugala, Entebbe
7.  Kalisizo Community Laboratory and LibraryKalisizo Ward, Kyotera District
8.  HAI-Tech Empowerment Hub and LibraryMatugga, Wakiso District
9.  Rukoni Community LibraryRukoni Parish, Kibaatsi Subcounty Ntungamo District
10.  Kabaare Communoity LibraryKabaare Parish, Masha Subcounty Isingiro District.
11.Ngategize Leadership AcademyNyabushabi Parish, Kyanamira Subcounty, Kabale District
12.    Omolokony Community LibraryOmolokony, Kumi Municipality, Kumi Distric
13.Rubaya Community Library   

Achievements

  1. 24,887 people reached through multiple reading activities.
  2. 16 functional community based libraries.
  3. 431 youth and women trained in vocational and technical skills.
  4. 2,824 online readers selected, printed, bound and distributed to children in 706 households.
  5. Increased parental/care taker participation in children’s reading activities at household level.
  6. Increased access to reading materials at school, community and household level.
  7. Growing interest in reading by children who are increasingly utilising the community libraries.
  8. 69 teachers (34 primary school and 35secondary school) teachers trained in digital literacy, subject content creation and participatory learner centred methods of teaching and learning.
  9. Improved academic performance by some alumni library users who have joined tertiary education institutions.

Challenges

  1. Lack of a rich supply of books in the community libraries especially readers for children, play materials, curriculum books and books written in the local language /mother tongue.
  2. The libraries lack book shelves, reading tables, chairs, strong secure and lockable doors and roofs.
  3. Lack of trained librarians.
  4. Lack of funds to hire and sustain trained librarians.
  5. Some Community based libraries are in poor infrastructure /facilities. Therefore need some improvement in terms of cementing, painting, reroofing to make them more attractive, child friendly and ensuring safety of books.
  6. Lack of enough Information Communication Technology (ICT) equipment’s and tools.

Planned Literacy promotion interventions for the coming years.

  1. Mobilize resources and construct Nyarushanje Community Library and Empowerment Center to serve as a main Library coordinating and supporting all other community based libraries in other communities, Subcounties, districts and regions of Uganda.
  • Continue to lobby and advocate for supportive reading environment in schools, households and communities.
  • Support and facilitate organization of reading improvement activities such as read and dance, read and play, read and skill up, spelling and book review competitions
  • Mobilize resources to offer 100 scholarships to primary school children and work with 100 households to strengthen household based reading activities.
  • Support formation of reading and writing clubs in schools.
  • Guide and support communities interested in setting up community based libraries.
  • Research and publication in education and literacy promotion.

Support us/ Get involved

  1. Contribute funds towards the construction of Nyarushanje Community Library and Empowerment Center.
  2. Contribute towards the strengthening of the 16 community based libraries.
  3. Adopt a community based library and contribute towards its improvement.
  4. Contribute towards the Library Scholarship and support a primary school child with school fees and requirements.

Contact us:

PeerLink Initiative Uganda (PELI-U)

 P.O. BOX 34625, Kampala, Uganda

URL: www.peliu.org

Email: peerlinkinitiative2017@gmail.com

Facebook:      https://web.facebook.com/peerlinkinitiative/

Tel: +256-782-728243 / +256-392003194

Field Office: Ngarama Village, Ibanda Parish, Nyarushanje Subcounty, Rubabo County  Rukungiri District

Coordination Office: Kisaasi – Kyanja Road, The Village, Kanisa Zone, Kikaaya Parish, Kawempe Division, Kampala District

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