In April we wrote about the opportunity to build a new library at Uyoba School in Mfuwe, Zambia, out of earth bags. Today we are excited to share that the library is just about to reach completion!

After a few months of work, the team － led by Jenny Waterhouse of Raise a Smile － is eager to open the doors to the new library, which will now be called the Sendamira Library, named after the 800-year-old baobab tree that stands near the building.

From assembling and building cost-effective, eco-friendly earth bags to plastering a dome toilet and putting on a roof, the library was truly a labor of love. It will also be equipped with solar panels to help with the building’s modest power needs.

“Building the library required hard, physical labor,” Jenny said. “Most of the people building were librarians. When children weren’t in school because of Covid, we employed 26 teachers. Men and women, old and young, we all pitched in to build it.”

Even the local village children helped, Jenny said. The library is a nice place for the children to be, and they appreciated getting a free lunch every day. The all-hands-on-deck approach of the library community will make the space that much more meaningful and special to all who use it!

The Sendamira Library will be used first and foremost to teach children in the area how to read in English so they can succeed at school as they reach 5th grade, when school is taught entirely in English instead of their native language, Cinyanja. Thanks to a generous donation, the library will also have 10 small computers that contain an essential learning program. This donation will be life-changing for these rural children, Jenny said, and will offer incredible opportunities for them.

In addition to teaching, the new library is home to the Uyoba Girls Club, and when school is out, it’s a hub for fun activities, arts and crafts, games and language development. Toys, games, dress up clothes, and legos are also favorites of the kids. With very little at home, these holiday clubs make a huge difference for the children!

While funds for the project are mostly covered, Raise a Smile still needs to provide salaries to employ four teachers at the library. A sponsorship of $475 per month would cover all four of those salaries. We’re confident our generous donors can help us bring this dream to life for the long run. Will you donate or sponsor a teacher now?

Africa Hope Fund is thrilled to support Raise a Smile and Uyoba School, and we are so proud of everyone for this huge accomplishment! Content to be added