Children walk for miles to get to school, others study in a classroom with no electricity. Another shares a single textbook with dozens of classmates. In many rural communities across Africa, the desire to learn is strong, but access to books remains limited.
Libraries For Kids International was founded on a simple belief: books create opportunity.
What began in 2019 after a visit to a rural school in Kenya has grown into a multi-country initiative dedicated to expanding educational opportunities for children living in underserved communities throughout Africa. During that visit, the head teacher shared a dream of having a library where their students could read, learn, explore and imagine a future beyond the boundaries of their circumstances. That conversation became the foundation of Libraries For Kids International.
Today, Libraries For Kids International works with publicly funded rural schools that have limited resources and little access to quality reading materials. Through partnerships with educators, communities, donors, volunteers and local leaders, we strengthen school libraries and provide both reference and leisure books to students who would otherwise have few opportunities to access them.
Our work extends beyond delivering books. We help create the opportunity where curiosity is encouraged, literacy grows, educators are supported and children discover new possibilities through reading.
As we continue expanding across Africa, our commitment remains the same: ensuring that geography, infrastructure or economic circumstances do not determine whether a child has access to books and educational opportunity.
Every book placed on a shelf represents more than a resource. It represents hope, possibility and a chance for a child to imagine a different future.
Who We Serve
Libraries For Kids International serves publicly funded rural schools throughout Africa that face significant resource challenges.
Many of these schools operate with limited educational materials, limited technology access, and few opportunities for students to explore reading beyond the classroom curriculum. By providing quality reference and leisure books, we help schools create sustainable library resources that support students, educators and their families.
Mission
Libraries For Kids International exists to provide reference and leisure books to publicly funded rural schools with limited resources in Africa, expanding educational opportunities for their students.
Vision
To increase access to books and literacy opportunities for students in publicly funded rural schools throughout Africa.
Our Core Beliefs
Every Child Deserves Opportunity
We believe every child deserves access to educational resources that inspire learning, imagination and personal growth, regardless of where they live or the challenges they face.
Books Change Lives
We believe access to books opens doors to knowledge, literacy, confidence and opportunity that can positively impact generations.
Education Creates Lasting Change
We believe education is one of the most powerful tools for helping individuals, families and communities build stronger futures.
Every Person Has Value
We believe every individual deserves to be treated with dignity, fairness and respect. We welcome and serve people without discrimination of any kind.
Resources are a Responsibility
We believe donors, partners and communities place their trust in us. We are committed to stewarding every resource with transparency, accountability and integrity.
Partnerships Create Greater Impact
We believe lasting change happens when communities, educators, governments, organizations, volunteers and supporters work together toward a common goal.
Innovation Helps Us Reach More Children
We believe in adapting, learning and embracing new ideas that help us expand educational opportunities and increase our impact across Africa.
Our Values
- Integrity
- We uphold the highest ethical standards to maintain trust and credibility in all we do.
- Compassion
- We respond with empathy to the challenges faced by the communities we serve.
- Stewardship
- We responsibly manage the resources entrusted to us to maximize impact.
- Respect
- We honor the dignity of every individual and treat all people fairly and equally.
- Innovation
- We embrace change and continuously improve how we serve students and schools.
