THE OLIVE BRANCH FOR CHILDREN
kickit mobile libraries
TOBFC’s KICKIT Mobile Libraries program transports books to remote Tanzanian communities each week on bicycles. The facilitators, chosen by their communities, attach trunks of books to the back of their bikes, bringing much needed textbooks and amazing storybooks for children to learn and read. The program provides access to reading material in remote communities and supports literacy and educational goals for young people.
Each facilitator spends two hours, twice per week, in each village served by their particular library. Our facilitators use either our Montessori Classroom structures or a local primary school classroom to ensure the participants have a safe place to read and study.
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Facilitators are responsible for the books, bikes and co-ordination of the two-hour sessions. TOBFC continuously updates our book collection, providing the newest Swahili language storybooks for participants to enjoy.
In 2016, TOBFC established the first five KICKIT Mobile Libraries to promote literacy and reading, serving a total of 11 communities, 600 direct beneficiaries and 1,000 indirect beneficiaries on a weekly basis. The children are always very excited when the bicycle arrives with the books in the various villages.
The popularity of the libraries convinced us to expand the program. As of 2024, the KICKIT Mobile Libraries program now serves 20 communities, providing 4,000 students with access to books twice per week. This model is another example of the innovative ways TOBFC provides much-needed services to remote communities.
Thank you to the Spirit of Generosity for supporting KICKIT!
At our 2024 fundraising gala, Mayor of Vaughan Stephen Del Duca
presented a cheque for C$10,000 from the Spirit of Generosity.
Deborah McCracken-Nangereke thanked Mayor Del Duca by
presenting him with a book from Tanzania for the City of Vaughan
Libraries collection. It was a marvelous full circle moment to
witness the City of Vaughan, where Deborah grew up, support
the operation of TOBFC’s KICKIT Mobile Libraries and to see a
Tanzanian storybook find its way to the Vaughan Library system.
2024 KICKIT Program Sponsor
