Let the kids read! Agati Library
$3,500 Primary Goal: ACHIEVED
$5,000 Stretch Goal: IN PROGRESS
A Rwandan proverb says that “for a tree to grow strong and healthy, it needs to be nourished from the first day of its life, when it is still an agati.”
Agati, a Kinyarwanda word, means “small growing tree,” and it is in this context that we created Agati Library.
We are six friends who grew up playing and learning together in Musanze, Rwanda, and now that we are in our early twenties, we are all attending university. While we have been afforded the privilege of pursuing higher education, we know many who have not due to the common hardships of life in Musanze.
In our appreciation of having access to education from a young age, and our understanding of literacy’s unparalleled value, we decided to establish a library. We wanted to create a safe place where children in our community could learn and cultivate their potential through reading. We worked hard, saved money, and opened Agati Library in April of 2018. In the past year we have acquired more than 3,500 books, and we have provided a learning sanctuary for hundreds of kids.
Now, however, as full-time students, we are finding it difficult to fund the library, so we are seeking outside support. Currently, we receive profits from our artist founders who sell their work, for which we are grateful, but expenses still exceed our donations.
We will use funds to supplement the library with a community art gallery, where members can use canvasses and supplies that we provide, and then sell their creations to earn money both for themselves and for the library.
Donations will go towards:
1) Rent and utility bills
2) Art supplies
3) New books
Our initial fundraising goal is $3,500 to carry us through 2019, and our stretch goal is $5,000 to fully implement the art gallery which we hope will create financial sustainability.
Agati Library is small and growing, just like its namesake tree. We greatly appreciate your generosity in helping us provide a learning environment for the current and future children in our community.
Thank you,
The Agati Family: Rigobert, Prosper, Denyse, Sabine, Aime, Patience (& Connor!)
