Library at Majengo, Nairobi

From KLAMediaWiki

On 7th December 2007 Esther Obachi and Mikael Böök from the WSF library webteam went to Visit the SIDAREC offices at Machakos "Airport" as it is commonly known. The director, Ms Lucy Mathai took us arround her office and explained to us the projects she is undertaking. One of them is the establishment of libraries and information centers in slum areas. We requested to be shown one of the libraries. She took us to the SIDAREC Community Library. The library is about a 1/2 KM away from her office. It is deep in the heart of the Majengo slum in Nairobi. The library is well stocked, fully computerized together with internet connectivity and managed by a professional librarian. Lucy explained the hardships she went through in acquiering the housing for the library and the other projects that are based at the the vicinity. She encouraged us that it is not impossible to acquiere land for the community. It just takes courage, persistance and community mobilization. She is an expert in all of them. The Library users enjoy using the internet facility. The books are basically foreign and she is looking for a way of acquiring the local content which is a crucial component. Every year, 3 Masters students from Oslo University come to help in the cataloguing of the books. This is a great challenge to the local librarians.