Driving meaningful change

KEY has delivered 45 libraries to 44,233 students with a 5:6 ratio of girls to boys, at an average cost of $135 per child.

KEY libraries enhance educational curriculum and language and technological proficiency, foster engagement, and promote democracy, national culture and pride to otherwise underserved children. Access to libraries yields considerable tangible and intangible academic results — from motivation, optimism, self-worth, open-mindedness, empathy, goal setting to critical thinking and analytical reasoning — and helps children develop greater self-confidence. Without these foundations, children’s gateways to learning are more difficult.

In 2016, KEY spearheaded the drafting of Kenya’s first National Policy and Guidelines Document for school libraries.
 

HOW WE DO IT

THE STATE OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES IN KENYA

Libraries are non-existent in 98% of primary schools and most high schools in Kenya.

Lack of access to libraries creates disproportionately wide knowledge gaps and barriers to language and digital competence among children from low-income families. Without these foundations, it is harder to prepare school-age children in an efficient and effective way to become competent, successful citizens who are internationally competitive and have the opportunity to discover their dreams and reach their full potential.

KEY provides school libraries to otherwise underserved children.

Why we matter