Fisherman at Sunset by Vincent Ouma

I love this painting by Vincent Ouma, it's about three and a half feet wide and a foot and a half feet tall. This brings me right back to Lake Victoria and the shores in Kisumu. I'm putting one of my photographs of Lake Victoria as well.




If you'd like more information about this piece or artist, let me know! eva@mariaslibraries.org.

Erick Ayoti: Tunnel Music

"Tunnel Music" is Erick's representation of his grandfather playing traditional Luo music. This painting was Erick's first painting using acrylic on canvas. Although he has been showing and selling his paintings in Kisumu, Kenya for many years, this exhibition marks the first time this work has been viewed by the public. It is a great honor that Erick allowed me to take this work to America to be included in this exhibition.

If you would like more information about the artist or this piece, please email me at eva@mariaslibraries.org.

Introducing. . . Life on the Shores of Lake Victoria

Those of you on our newsletter will have seen that Maria's Libraries organized a gallery exhibition featuring paintings from Kisumu, Kenya at the Museum of African Culture in Portland, Maine. More details about the overall show will be forthcoming. This blog, however, is to introduce the series of blogs that will showcase this work. I will be posting paintings from the show twice a week for the duration of the show. Enjoy!

Hi there Library Friends-

It's Katie here, the new library volunteer most recently from Madison, WI.  I'm actually in Busia because my husband Miles is working for IPA.  While I'm here I have the freedom to spend part of my time manning the desk at the library, teaching the computer class to the Mamas, and scheming up other things to do in the library.  I'm also working part-time for IPA.

Last week Esther and I painted the children's side yellow!  We tore down the posters, scrubbed down the walls (Esther) and then I used my summer-in-college-spent-painting skills to rejuvinate the walls on that side.  It turned out beautifully, and then we hired an artistic fundi (handyman) to come in and paint images of animals on the wall as well.  We are thrilled with the results.  Now, of course, Esther and I have our sights set on doing something to the adult side as well, we shall see!

Tomorrow will be another computer class with the Mamas.  They are such eager learners, even coming in extra mornings just to practice typing skills.  We're trying to determine which computer skills are most useful and practical for them to aim to acquire.  This is a work in progress.

I hope you enjoy the pictures of the Library Makeover and the computer class!

-Katie

Rose and Scholastica diligently practice typing

 Maria and the rabbit consult about his choice in books

Esther having a teaching moment with the rabbit

 Standing in front of their favorite animals

Fish and Lizard!

Esther and me with the kids: "Welcome children!  Karibu Watoto!"

Bye Bye Busia

Hey everyone!

Today is my last day working at the library here in Busia, so I thought I'd share some of my final observations and reflections with you.

I hope you have enjoyed the Daily Visitors posts, I had a lot of fun making them. The readers were excited to tell me more about what they thought about the library and had no problem being photographed! This past Monday, Katie and I conducted the last computer class I attended, which Katie will continue with after I leave. The mothers have been making great progress, all arriving on time and being very dedicated students. The mamas have also become much more engaged during our meetings, being more open about what they know and what they still want to learn. I remember most of the mamas did not speak the first time I met them back in July, and now they cannot stop asking me questions and laughing at some of my weird “Dutch” ways.

During our transition meeting this past Tuesday, Maria and Esther expressed their excitement about the computer classes and they hope this will link the mamas to the library even more. They both appreciated my efforts here over the past 3 months and insisted I come back soon! Yesterday, Maria, Esther, Jimmy, Mary and I took a trip to Kisumu and enjoyed some beers and fish by Lake Victoria, as a final kwaheri (goodbye) to me.

It has been great interning for Maria's Libraries, and I really appreciate the opportunity Ariel and Eva have given me. It has been a great learning experience both professionally and personally and I would recommend it to every newly graduated BA student out there! I definitely intend on coming back when the new library is constructed :).

I hope you have enjoyed reading my blogpost, and that you will keep supporting Maria's Libraries in the future!

Cheers,

Harmke

Daily Visitors

Ruth Musavi

"The library has improved a lot, people know the library now and they come here to get books. It's good!"

Daily Visitors

Innocent 

Sneaked into the adult reading section to read one of the textbooks.

Daily Visitors

Paul Okumu Echakara

"This is one of the most vital libraries in Busia district, I want to say that it is a learning tool that encourages learning spirit to small pupils at the primary level and it has also helped students who are doing corresponding studies, to do their research and learning in a condusive environment."

Daily Visitors

Mohammed, Isaac, Breton and Robert

from Busia Township Primary School

Daily Visitors

Edwin Balongo

"Knowledge is power, without a place to read people cannot learn. 

I think the government should assist the library more, because it is key to our community."

Daily visitors series

Hi everyone!

In my last week in Busia I took pictures of regular visitors of the library and asked them to describe what the library means to them in one sentence. You can find the series below! I hope it will give everyone a glimpse into the day-to-day life of the library :)

Cheers,
Harmke

Daily visitors

Marcos Evua

"The library is a place that's quiet enough to study, 

nothing distracts you from what you need to be doing!"

Daily visitors

Sacha, Desteri, Meshack and Phillis 

With their favorite books

Daily visitors

Hillary Omwando

"The library is such a nice place, it has helped me so much, 

not me alone, but the people around here."

Daily visitors

Peter Midega

"We've been yearning to have something like this for a long time, since we haven't developed a culture of reading in Kenya, this library will encourage that!"