A new initiative is utilizing technology in a creative way by rallying Kenyans to go online and co-author the first ever collectively written book by a nation.
Dubbed “Start a Library”, the initiative is using digital crowd sourcing to develop a book while raising money that will go towards building 100 libraries for primary schools in Kenya.
The initiative was started to address the huge literacy gap among Kenyan children using technology. According to the latest Uwezo report, there are more than 20,000 Kenyan primary schools without libraries translating to 98% of all primary schools. The impact of this has been that only 3 out of 10 Class 3 children can read a Class 2 level English Story while only 2 out of 10 children in the same class can read an English word.
It is for this reason, StoryMoja under the patronage of Dr. Auma Obama and Squad Digital launched this campaign – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inSmR_Du4Y4 with an aim raising 30 million Kenyan shillings in 90 days to build 100 libraries.
For as little as 10 KES per word, anyone can participate and help to put a book in a child’s hands. It works like the composition/insha assignment and in this book a story has been started by several authors now encouraging Kenyans to get online to complete the story. At the end of campaign, all contributors will be acknowledged in the book as co-authors when the book is published in June 2016.
“By enhancing children’s ability to access storybooks, the kind that wets their appetite for reading, we hope that the libraries will empower over 10 million Kenyan children to increase their vocabulary, nurture creativity, improve critical thinking and reach their full potential”, said Storymoja Founder Muthoni Garland.
To write be part of writing this story and making history, visit . This book writing process is open until end of December and the final printed book will be available in mid-2016. This book will make history and every child in Kenya will be glad to read the stories in the book. Kenyans are set to write a book that will change our children’s future.