I love this photo of Muterian Ntanim, who is the head of of games rangers at Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust. As a child Muterian never had a chance to go to secondary school and always regretted not finishing his education. With several of his own children at Iltilal, he is also the provider for a large portion of his family, including his niece, who’s school fees he pays. When she applied to secondary school, he decided he wanted to study along with her and now they are both in Form 3. Muterian picked out this book we have donated to Iltilal Primary school, saying it will help him greatly in his Form 3 studies. When I took this photo he had already spent nearly 6 hours reading through chapters that corresponded to his studies.
This is one of the most rewarding aspects of our library program – when its benefits extend beyond the classroom and into the community. Everyone benefits from one person reading a little more, and this is why we not only allow, but also encourage students to borrow books for their parents and family members.