The Madaraka Nyerere Library and Community Resource Center (LCRC) was envisioned by community leaders in the Mara region as a "kituo cha maarifa" ("center for learning") for the villages in the Rural Musoma area and a place for educational innovation. Construction of the LCRC was completed in 2016 and the facility is now filled with thousands of books that were carefully curated to benefit all ages and interests. Thanks to the support of our generous donors and expertise of our local partners, the LCRC boasts the largest collection of books written by African authors in Swahili of any private community library in the country!

 

In 2019, we invested in the infrastructure needed to provide a dedicated internet connection so students and teachers are able to access free educational materials that are available on the web. We are also leveraging open-source software that is designed for managing digital libraries and sharing digital content in remote areas of the world. This software will allow us to bring digital resources to schools that do not have access to power and internet. 

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Now that the LCRC is poised to be a regional hub for innovative education programs that benefit all of the villages in the surrounding area, we shift our focus to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the project. Over the next five years, we will be focused on the long-term sustainability of the project. We will be working closely with our local partners to recruit a membership base that is sufficient to create a self-sustaining source of funding. Our goal is that the facility will generate enough revenue that the project does not rely on external financial support by the end of 2024.

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To learn more about the history of the LCRC, our sustainability plan, and vision for the future, download a free copy of our LCRC Project Overview.