Gitugi Tea Factory Community Library Renovated and Restocked   |    Promoting sustainability in the smallholder tea sector   |    Diar Awards Win!   |   


Books for Communities Programme

Status: Ongoing

Period: January 2016 to current

Partners: Zensho & Taylors of Harrogate

Factories: Gitugi, Kangaita and Rukuriri

The project aims to provide access to educational materials to be used by school-going students to supplement their learning activities, especially during the weekends and free time. The project also aims to promote a reading culture for both pleasure and information, provide materials relevant to the general community– non-school going members- on economic, social and political issues to improve their knowledge base and literacy, ensure availability of relevant information materials-textbooks, general monographs and journals to be used for general readership to promote reading culture and control idleness amongst the unemployed youth and provide relevant materials on important aspects of socio-economic and political development that can be used for education of the community.

Impact and Progress

  1. Three community libraries were set up within communities in Gitugi, Kangaita and Rukuriri Tea Factories.
  2. All libraries are equipped with books and desktops for research purposes
  3. Currently, the Foundation through Sainsbury Funding has begun the project to re-stock Gitugi Community Library with books. The project will benefit the community at large because they will have access to books and improve their knowledge hence improving the living standards, decision making and future economic empowerment.