Mageta Island Library – Part 1
2023 Trip Blog #5
Written by Kathy Mutch
Dusty and tired I reflect on the day. We have arrive on beautiful Mageta Island. This small Island in Lake Victoria, with a population of 12,000 people has stolen the hearts of all the Canadian visitors. As we left the beach where our boat from the mainland dropped us and our supplies and walked to the library, we are surrounded by curious children and friendly waves from the adults.
The library project has been in the works for 4 years. In 2018 we visited all five schools, learning that there was no libraries and no reader books. I could not imagine life without books and began searching for a means to fund a small library. The Ontario Federation of Primary Teachers fund agreed to support our efforts and we began planning. Then COVID 19 struck and everything was slowed. Today as I step through the doors of the freshly paint building I am awed by the amount of work completed by Beyond Limitations Community Based Organization (BL) the Kenyan based organization with who we work. They have signed a MOU with government and Ukombozi, a local community group, fixed badly needed repairs, built desks and shelves, and added tables and chairs and ordered books, built computer kiosks, AND organized a big ribbon cutting celebration for the next day. We rolled up our sleeves – cleaning the shelves, windows, and desks. Books were unpacked, recorded, stamped and shelved included those that had been donated from Canada. We even had a chance to read to the few children who were brave enough to come in before opening day.
There is significant poverty, high HIV rates, limited water supplies, little electric power and struggles to pay even the meagre school fees, but there is spirt of community like none other. Jack Baird from Newfoundland, a province known for its friendliness, was surprised when he visited the beach early in the morning and the fishers asked if he’d lend a hand to bring in one of their boats. The fishers were returning from a long and difficult night of fishing. He quickly became part of the team hauling the heavy boat to shore.
We slept well dreaming of the big day of celebration planned for the next day.
