BUSONGORA COMMUNITY LAUDS BOOK AID INTERNATIONAL (BAI)

Students reading at BRIC



The People of Busongora County with sincere hearts laud Book International (BAI) in conjunction with Uganda Community Libraries Association (Ug.CLA) and National Libraries of Uganda (NLU) for their great contribution to the transformation of Busongora Community Library.

Because of the books, the small grant and training we got through NLU and Ug.CLA, Busongora Community Library has been transformed into a public access centre attracting hundreds of readers, researchers and ICT students unlike before. 

Children learin how to read at BRIC

The holidaymakers occupy the library 12 hours every day and still request for more time to stay and read. This is due to more attractive books that are available in library and stocking of books that are on syllabus alongside interesting Novels and Literature.







Among the books we received from BAI are science books like Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Mathematics together with some revision questions on CDs. Other books received are Financial Accounting books, Engineering, geography and Carpentry and Joinery books.

Pupils in a science discussion at BRIC

The performance of all the students and pupils that use this library is automatically expected improve. This is observed from the seriousness and determination the students and pupils are exhibiting in their discussion groups and self reading/revision.

The results of pupils have already started improving, this is evidenced from end of second term exams, some pupils whom I managed to have a look at their terminal reports got positions like 2nd ,3rd ,4th,5th 6th and I am sure that even those I did not look at the reports got good results. All this, has been a result of establishing a community library in the area.

 

 

CAPACITY BUILDING OF LIBRARIANS BY NLU AND Ug.CLA WITH SUPPORT FROM BAI

Ug.CLA  Treasurer Opening the workshop

Uganda Community Libraries Association (Ug.CLA) in Conjunction with National Libraries of Uganda (NLU) and Book Aid International (BAI) conducts a training workshop at Alcom Hotel in Kansanga.

Former Grant Recipient sharing experience with members

The objectives of workshop was to equip Librarians from different Community Libraries in Uganda with basic librarianship skills, Community Libraries who received the grant of Transforming Community Libraries phase 1 to share their experience with the rest of libraries that were present and also give accountability on how they used their grant, to announce new grant recipients of  Transforming Community Libraries phase 2, to train Community Libraries on project implementation, Monitoring & Evaluation , Accountability and good report skills.

Among Basic Librarianship Skills were how to label, arrange books in shelves and manage a library, Qualities of a great library, Qualities of a great Librarian, activities that should take place the library and how to read with children, care for them and share with them in different ways like telling them stories, advising them and teaching them good behaviors; This is presented by Jenifer Nalwanga from NLU.

Mr. James from BAI , Nairobi training participants on good reporting

Librarians were also trained on how to implement this project of transforming libraries and early learning literacy by Mr. James from BAI- Nairobi. 

 He taught us good implementation, monitoring & evaluation and reporting skills. Mr. James challenged grant recipients who always like reporting about activities and out puts of the project and forget that donors are mostly interested in short-term out comes (Benefits) and Long term out comes (Impacts). So he taught the participants the difference between project outputs, out comes and impacts. There fore, he advised new recipients to consider all levels while reporting about this project and to consistently keep records of every thing that takes place at the library.

Coordinator for Local Languages at Ug.CLA training participants on accountability

On the issue of accountability; all new recipients were given ledger books for tracking daily incomes and expenditures at the libraries so that it is easy to give proper accountability at the end of the project.

BRIC Librarian after receiving the M.O.U

New grant recipients cutting a cake after signing M.O.U with Ug.CLA

The workshop ended with recipients of new grants for transforming community libraries receiving and signing the memorandums of understanding Uganda Community Libraries Association (Ug.CLA) and cutting a cake.

BRIC LIBRARIAN ATTEND UgCLA ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN MBALE



Executive Director for East African Village Libraries giving
opening remarks at the conference

UgCLA Annual Conference took on 13^th to 15^th .Jan .2013 at Olive leaf Hotel in Mbale district. This conference takes place every year, representatives from different libraries report on any development, innovations and activities that has taken place at the library throughout the year.


All representatives arrived at Olive Leaf Hotel around 12:00pm. We were warmly welcome UgCLA coordinator, Madam Musoke Brenda and were served lunch as we relax from the long journey we had travelled all night long.




Kathryn presenting oral literature about her book entitle
'one little Guitar '

The conference commenced at exactly 2:30pm with Oral literature by the Auther of "ONE LITTLE GUITAR" Kathryn Barrett –Gaines. She distributed that book to each library represented. In her words regretted the death of her husband late Kafero, the former Ugandan musician and expressed sincere gratitude to all supporter and funs of Kafero’s songs. She said that whenever her and her husband would stage a show they would see the whole place congested with their funs very happy and cheering to the top of their voices meaning that very many people loved Kafero songs not only in Uganda but also other countries in the world.

This motivated her to re write all the songs late kafero had produced in Luganda language and translated them into English so that even those people who don’t understand Luganda can be able to understand the meanings of those songs because his songs very educative.

The next presenter was from Lit World in Nairobi by Mr. Jeffery and Miss. Prisca. They explain what Lit World is and what they do in general. They explained that Lit World means Literature World in full, they advocate for a literate world where their goal is to see everybody  living in the world knows how read and write in any language she/ he understands



They said that in order to achieve that goal, they had to target children most and then adults. Because children learn faster than adults and that what you were taught in your child hood is more important than what you were taught at an old age. They help young children from poor families ranging from  4- 13 years of age with schoolbooks, teaches them how to write and read aloud in public or big audience. This builds their confidence, courage, belonging, friendship, curiosity and hope for the future. They do all this through creating lit clubs, read aloud clubs and family read together clubs (parents read with the children).

They argued all libraries to form children and adults classes at their library to improve the literacy levels in our communities and the world at large.



On the second day of the conference, the 10 libraries that won the grant last year for Transforming Community Libraries, phase 1 , reported on how  they have spent their grant and developments made at their libraries due to grant given to them. Among the libraries that reported were Busolwe Public Library, Christian Community Foundation Bududa, Gayaza Family learning Resource Centre and Good Shepherd Community Library Hoima. In addition, other libraries were not represented and so they did not report.

The proposal form for Transforming community libraries, phase 2 were distributed among the library representatives and were guided on how to make good proposals and proper items to put in the budget.

Another presentation was
about “Libraries for Languages” and was presented by libraries that have done work on producing and using local language materials like Busolwe Community Library and books already produced in local languages were exhibited and explained how they came up with those local Language materials.

 Regional Clusters were then formed to develop plans for regional workshops and individual library for producing local language materials.

As a librarian, I learnt that producing books in local languages or translating them would give opportunity for community members that are not able to read English words to begin visiting libraries. In addition, forming reading clubs for from different categories of readers will improve the reading culture in the community thus; literacy levels will be improved in the end

 

UgCA Staff and Library representatives pouse for a group photo after the conference

ACTIVITIES TAKING PLACE AT BRIC

Busongora Rural Information Center Community Library (BRIC) is not only sharing and disseminating information but also training computer skills to students and community members.

This holiday has attracted a number of ICT students especially women and they are actively and attentively acquiring ICT skills.

As the Facilitator at BRIC, i urgue parents to send their children to BRIC library for revision,ICT skills, Capacity building, knowledge sharing and socializing as well.

 

BOOK WEEK EVENT AT BRIC LIBRARY

The BRIC Community Library for the first time hosted a National Book Week, which took place from 15^th to 20^th .October. The purpose of the event was to create understanding and promote the role and relevance of libraries to the community. Around ten schools (both primary and Secondary schools) were invited. Other participants included teachers, political leaders, community elders and the media.

Over seventy pupils and students from Mother Care P/S, Calvary Christian Foundation P/S, Rock P/S, Base camp P/S, Kasese High School and Kasese Secondary School participated in this event. The event was very colorful, students and pupils read different books and shared so many educative ideas like how they can improve the reading culture among Ugandans and Africans at large, and the different issues that are continuously leading to increased number of school dropouts in the Rwenzori Region.

They stressed factors that both government and some parents have failed to address that lead to the young generation to go astray from the expected path citing drug abuse as the biggest challenge. The pupils/students decried the low cost of some spirits (alcohol) especially the one sold in small tot packs for as low as 500sh, saying most of the children can afford it.

Corruption/embezzlement of public funds and the difficulty in accessing school fees loans from banks were also mentioned among the challenges frustrating development and education at large. The students blamed government for this increased flow of drugs/alcohol for failure to put in place strict laws to curb this danger. In their discussions, the students equally blamed parents for the limited support towards education programs and their children’s welfare. They mentioned that most parents do not give adequate scholastic materials and lunch/pocket money, forcing them students/pupils to look for alternative sources, which usually turn out to be dangerous.

Similarly, some parents fear to talk about certain things like sex and menstruation with their children. Therefore, the children end up stomaching the challenge/trauma on their own without guidance, which also consequently affects their performance in class and their self-esteem. Related to this, the students/pupils decried the failure of some parents to be exemplary; arguing that some parents are alcoholics, drug addicts, prostitutes and thieves who have no moral authority to caution or guide their children.

They appealed to parents to be more responsible when it comes to matters of their children’s education and welfare and to the Government to take children’s concerns more serious.  “If the government does not help the young generation, how will the next Uganda be,” remarked a primary four pupil from Mother Care Primary School.

With all said and done, the book week event was a very interactive moment for the students, pupils, teachers and all the other participants. A number of things were also learnt from the event;

1.     Young people learn a lot from

adults, and from their parents, therefore parents must strive to be

exemplary for the young generation to be better persons in

future.

2.     A good reading culture

can only germinate if his

present generation, attains

it and cultivates it in

their children who will also

 pass it on to the next

generation

3.     Greed and selfishness, usually called corruption needs to end with this generation, if Uganda is to develop and benefit the coming generations.     Conclusively everyone expressed gratitude to BRIC for hosting such a marvelous event where they had an opportunity of airing out issues affecting them in both education and social life.

EIFL STAFF VISIT THE RIC-NET LIBRARY PROJECTS

Supported by Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL), RIC-NET through Busongora Information Center (BRIC) in Kasese is implementing a library project. The project which aims at Strengthening community libraries’ capacities to access, repackage and share timely, reliable and relevant Agriculture information with rural Farmers is run by Plant doctors, Community Information Facilitators, Librarians and RIC-NET ICT staff.

It is this project that Monika and Sandra of EIFL, visited on 24.08.12. The purpose of the visit was to learn about the progress of the project and its relevance to the community.

Wholesomely this project looks at two things; transforming the community library at BRIC from the traditional book store to a more dynamic and digital social center, where the community can access more than books but also internet and other multimedia services. And at supporting farmers to access and share information related to plant pests and disease management. This intervention is aimed at boosting agricultural productivity, improving household incomes and consequent eradication of poverty and hunger in the Rwenzori region.

Under this project sixteen (16) trained plant doctors (largely farmers) are charged with  sourcing for agricultural related information from the library internet, books, and their smart phones and passing it on to the communities during plant clinic days, conducted on market days or farmer to farmer  farm visits (extension work). 

In attempts to realize this, several activities have been conducted; procurement of books and the establishment of an agricultural section in the library, procurement of equipment; computers, smart phones, modems to mention but a few. And the training of the project staff on the use of the different ICT tools and established online platforms; web portal, http://library.ricnet.co.ug and blog http://busongoranews.blogspot.com.

Apart from the Library at BRIC, the team also visited, RIC-NET secretariat, the RIC-NET E-society centers at Kabarole and Kasese Districts’ headquarters and Kabarole Public Library as one of the RIC-NET partners in the region. At the Public Library the team met  Mr. Martin the Librarian, while at the E-society centers, the team met with the E-society center attendants, and the Kasese Deputy Chairperson Local Council five Hon. Muhindo Tadeo. 


 Hon. Tadeo expressed gratitude to EIFL for choosing to support information sharing in the district and strengthening the knowledge and capacity of farmers to manage crop pests and diseases; which he said was a major threat to crop productivity and household incomes in the region.

He revealed that the District was grateful to RIC-NET for the information sharing (E-society Center) and Plant clinic initiatives in the region, asserting that the increased access to information and knowledge by the community/farmers is going to accelerate community development.
 

In addition to this, the team also interacted with the some of the plant doctors (Asthaluzi and Wilberforce) at BRIC, the BRIC Chairperson Mr. Isingoma Patrick, the  Librarian Ms. Kobusingye Lovence and some of the Library users at the Center. Other staff that participated in this activity were; the RIC-NET Information Officer-Alice, ICT Officer- Yosia, Community Out-reach Officer- Charles and the Program manger- Joselyne.

In a nutshell the visiting team was excited about the progress of the project and also learnt several things like, how it’s implemented, who implements it, the opinion of the beneficiaries, and milestones registered so far.

 

 

Are You Struggling With Research Or Where to Research From?

Here is your answer;

BRIC Community Library is a well equipped Place for all kinds of Researchers.

We have books like;

Goat, Sheep, and Pig Production and Management

Chicken production

Livestock and Fisheries in Uganda

Fish farming as a Business

A guide to Pig production

Farming Matters

Some of the Agriculture Books At BRIC Community Library

Introduction to Agronomy

Soil Fertility Management

Bee keeping

Bee products

Preservation of Fish and Meat

Rainwater Harvesting for Domestic use                                                

The Rules of the Community Mobilization

Firstaid                                                                                                           

Home Doctor

Children’s Rights

 Land Regulation Act

Police Act

Workers Compensation Act

Dictionaries



Other  Agricuture Book At BRIC Community  Library



Domestic Violence

Basic Computing Applications

Project Proposal Writing Book

Complete Guide to Drawing

Developing Future Leaders

Managing Everyday Risks

Religion Books

Improving Food Security

Cotton Growing

Climate Change and Cities

The Labour Market Conditions in Uganda

Government Reports