Books for Kenya

Few people in Kenya own a book. One small paperback book can cost an entire week's wages. Print material is cherished, shared and read multiple times. Expanding Opportunities distributes new and used books, medical supplies and educational materials to schools, libraries, hospitals, clinics and churches as often as possible.

Primary School Text Book Distribution

In 2005, the Rotary Club of Cypress, California shipped three pallets of new and used primary textbooks to Kenya for Expanding Opportunities to distribute. The books were a mixture of primary subjects ranging from reading to science and math. This school is a fair distance from a major city, off a long dusty dirt road. One of our board members attended this small primary school. The children were thrilled to have the books and dove into the images.	Muto Umwe Primary School is a comparatively short drive from Murai Primary School. Both were recipients of the Books for Kenya shipment in 1998. Muto Umwe School had created a small library which they marked the "American Library". Teachers and students truly enjoy the books. The images, examples and stories enrich and supplement their curriculum.
Expanding Opportunities tries to reach schools that might otherwise not have access to supplementary materials. Kiserian Primary School is in the heart of the Njemp tribe on the eastern shore of Lake Baringo. After the rains in 2003, the river had changed course and therefore the road was impasable in places. A missionary family living there in Kiserian graciously transported two of us and the books to Kiserian Primary School. Even before seeing the books inside the students were joyous.	A bit closer to home, we do not neglect our boys' primary school. The Mangu Primary School gratefully received the books to supplement their curriculum.
In addition to donating to schools, Expanding Opportunities also selects individual children to bless with a book or two of their own. Here this preschooler clutches his new treasure.	Of course we do not neglect our own home either. The bookshelves are filling with a variety of reading material. Our boys and the neighborhood children come to read. Even the older children in the area enjoy reading the stories and seeing the full color images. As some of the stories are cultural, they also spark many wonderful opportunities to share cultures and the stories taught to children in both countries.