Libraries of Love adds five libraries in Uganda

This year the efforts of Trudy Marshall and her "library lunatics" added five new libraries, two in secondary schools and three in primary schools. Libraries of Love (LOL) now has 34 libraries and continues to grow. I asked Trudy about the ability to continue to grow with the spectre of maintenance of the existing libraries looming in the background.

 

Trudy acknowledged that this would require some change of focus. and that next year would see two secondary and only one primary library added. LOL's effort is to soon restock 11 existing libraries at about 500 books each. 

 

This year's libraries were in the Kampala area of Uganda. For those of us who are geographically-challenged, Uganda is just West of Kenya, which makes it West and not far from Somalia, one of the most war-torm and dangerous places in Africa.  There is a great video on YouTube about the 2014 project. 

 

These libraries are valuable resources to the children of Uganda, many of whom would otherwise remain illiterate or at best, only semi-literate. In dollars, each library is worth about $40,000. In terms of literacy, priceless.

 

The Library volunteers do more than just build and stock libraries. Thirty-six children were sponsored this year by LOL volunteers providing for their school tuition. Uganda does not have public education the way we in the U.S. think of it and the children are required to pay tuition which, although modest in our terms, is impossible for many. 

 

One might ask "how did all of this get started to bring us to a library project every year since 2005?" 

 

Trudy is the answer.  Here is the story, taken from the LOL page:

If you can arrange a mud hut in which I can stay, I’ll go to Uganda,” was the email I sent to Rev. Robert Johnson, my former pastor.

Robert emailed me back that he had arranged it and jokingly said the owner’s wife would probably even let me milk their cow. I have traveled extensively in various parts of the world, but that email was the beginning of a trip that would not only change my life, but the lives of many people here and in Uganda.

My goal as I prepared to go in 2001 was to stay in Ugandan homes, since I wanted to truly experience the African culture.   

Three Ugandans who were living in Austin very generously arranged places for me to stay and visit in Kampala, the capital city. The kindness of the families I spent time with, as well as many other Ugandans, still touches my heart. When people who have very little are generous and welcome you into their homes, it changes your outlook on life.