A group of young professionals has teamed up to promote the reading culture among children and youth in slum areas in Mombasa.
Sparkling Minds Association (SMA) has collaborated with the Mombasa County Library to provide books to children and youth in slums among them Moroto and Mburukenge in Tudor and Buxton areas of Mvita Sub-county.
“We will be reading with the children. The reading culture has died in Kenya and we want to bring it back,” said SMA operations director Caren Owuor.
According to Owuor, the aim of the association, launched in 2023 is to change the mindset of the young people so as to embrace the reading culture and make a difference in their lives.
“We believe the youth are the backbone of our country and if we can start the change from the youth and children, we believe that we are going to go far. The Book Club was an idea of the members to go out and reach out to the slum dwellers,” Owuor said.
The Book Club will be conducted after every fortnight at a slum specifically identified due to the number of children and youth in the area.
“We have decided to come to the ground, read with the children, know their needs and see how we can fill in the gaps,” Owuor said.
During the reading sessions, Owuor said, the team will be identifying their different talents as they engage in fun games so as not to make the reading sessions boring for the children.
The Book Club is for all the children and youth, including those who have never been to school and those who have dropped out of school.
With the reading culture installed, SMA envisions, there will be a change in attitude and behaviour.
This, in turn, will also help curb issues of crime and criminal gangs, Owuor noted.
“Instead, the youth will be forming not a gang of Muguka but a gang of youth who want to open a business and make life better for themselves legally,” Owuor said.
SMA will then eventually spread its wings to neighbouring Kilifi and Kwale counties.
Backed up
The program has the blessings of the Ministry of Education and the local administrative support.
The Education ministry will be looking to find out the impact it will have then incorporate it into schools in future.
Caroline Gachako, the Mombasa County Library librarian, said they help by providing the books to the children in the slums, where most cannot afford to buy their own.
“Apart from the reading, the children are also involved in other creative games so as to make reading more fun and attract them to the library,” Gachako said.
She said the SMA borrows the books for about a month and returns them in exchange for other books.
[Sparkling Minds Association (SMA) Operations Director Caren Owuor. Photo/Ahmed Omar/February, 20, 24].
“Currently, in the Mombasa County Library, we have about 30,000 books that cut across all subjects and genres for all groups of people,” Gachako said.
She urged parents to encourage their children to use the public library saying it is a safe space for them.
Mombasa deputy county commissioner Ronald Mwiwawi said Mombasa as a whole is struggling in matters of education generally.
“I’m so encouraged with this initiative that seeks to grow interest in reading in children. I would only appeal to the founders to not only target slum areas but other areas as well,” Mwiwawi said.
Ernest Wachira, a parent from Moroto slums, said they do not have money to buy books for their children and the SMA Book Club comes in handy for them.
