The Universal Primary Education policy of the Ugandan government has increased enrolment from 2.8 million in 1997 to 6 million today. Such rapid and vast expansion has inevitably put a great strain on the education system, making it very hard for the government to match the increase in pupil numbers with an increase in resource provision. This has led to an overwhelming demand for books and information from students and teachers alike.
Book Aid International started working in Uganda in the 1990s and today we operate through two main distributing partners: National Library of Uganda and Kyambogo University (KYU).
National Library of Uganda distributes books to NGOs, Community Based Organizations, and public and community libraries. They have a supervisory, advisory and policy role over the national library network of over 30 libraries. With decentralisation, local authorities and councils are responsible for the day to day running of libraries. Each library has a committee made up of representatives from the local community including council members, teachers, civil servants and library users. The current focus is on supporting adult literacy, supporting the development of community libraries in rural areas (most of all in the Mpigi region) and working with disadvantaged groups to acquire and stock material for them in public libraries.
Kyambogo University are the national body responsible for accreditation and standards in teacher training and technical colleges throughout Uganda. We are working with them to meet the challenges of UPE and to improve the quality of teacher education by making information available to all those involved in education and life long learning. KYU provides the network necessary for our books to be targeted to schools, teacher training colleges, law and health institutions in the most remote areas of Uganda, to contribute towards more widespread literacy and the promotion of a reading culture. KYU Partner Report Form for 2006 states that,
'Library and Information Science materials are rare and very expensive in this part of the world. Book Aid International's contribution has greatly complemented the University's meagre financial resources in building Library stock. Teaching staff have greatly benefited from books received from Book Aid International. These are books they would have never seen in catalogues nor book reviews. Let alone affording them'.
Given the difficult political situation in the northern part of the country, Book Aid International also provide books to the refugees in partnership with the organization Windle Trust Uganda that coordinates a distribution committee comprising different agencies working with refugees to target books at schools and libraries in refugee affected areas. Windle Partner Report Form for 2006 states that
'Book Aid International books have developed a reading culture in the various refugee settlements, they have improved the performance of the refugees especially in the English language, they also improved the teaching and learning levels in several schools in the refugee settlements and they have encouraged the beneficiaries to use the local resource centres during their spare time'.
Book Aid International also work closely with the National Book Trust of Uganda (NABOTU) to support the creation of school libraries and to offer teachers the chance to learn reading promotion techniques for use inside and outside of the classroom. Their reading tents project visits 120 schools each year, providing book collections, training and a fun-filled reading event at which children can take part in face-painting, storytelling and drama activities.
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