Education and fun at children’s library

By PHARES MUTEMBEI

Almost every school day, eight-year-old Martha Ndinda goes to the Kenya National Library at Buruburu in Nairobi to do her homework. When Saturday comes, she makes her way there to read storybooks.

For many of us when the world library comes up, rarely do we associate children with it. A library in Buruburu is, however, proving that children too can appreciate the advantages that come with such an establishment.

The library in Buruburu, run by the Kenya National Library Services, is solely for the use of children and you would hardly find college students or adults here, unless accompanying children.

"I come here almost everyday because it is so quiet. From school, I come do my homework here and then go home, but during the weekend, I read fun books. There are so many books in here about everything," says Ndinda, a Standard Three pupil at King’s School in Umoja estate.

Ndinda is just one out of the big number of school children from city estates who use the library at Buruburu to help them in studies.

"I love the Sungura Mjanja storybooks because they make me laugh a lot. We are supposed to be very quiet when we are in the library but I laugh aloud because hare and the tortoise are so funny!" Ndinda told Generation Next when we visited the library.

The library is home to thousands of children books, magazines and other learning material. The library assistants are always busy helping the children find the books they want to read.

The younger children also have a section where they sit on comfortable mats and small desks and read and listen to stories. To make learning even more fun, they are helped to use the computer and Internet.

"I come here every Saturday to read storybooks and to look for any information I want. I have read a lot of Geography books because I want to know where and how earthquakes happen," says Brian Kipng’eno, ten.

"There are music books, books on arts, science, Christianity and health. My mother brings me here on Saturday when she is going to work. I spend some hours here reading until she picks me up in the afternoon," adds Brian of Rockfields Junior School in Embakasi, Nairobi.

Each child has a library card, which they buy at Sh20 per year. Mark Katambo, seven, from Epren Academy, comes to the library to look at picture books. "The books here have many pictures on wild animals. I love to look at animals like lions, dinosaurs, elephants and rats. Rats have very funny teeth!" said Mark, who likes to draw animals."