"Readers Are Leaders" 1st Community Library in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Though Ekiti State of Nigeria is specifically known as “Fountain of Knowledge” where education is viewed as a tool for self and communal development, it has not brought much impact to the people of Ekiti as a whole. According to a report released by the Ekiti State Government in 2009, indigenes between the ages of 11 and 60 years old require empowerment via education and training for rapid socio-economic development of the state.
The Adassa Adumori Foundation, Inc (USA) and Nigeria chapters help children living in remote Nigeria to overcome poverty by providing educational tools which empower, motivate, instruct and ultimately catapult them to “living their best lives.”
In Emure Ekiti, our target community, the children are not only smart but eager to learn. Yet this has been hindered by the lack of educational and instructional books. As a result of this impediment, children often drop out of schools before their 9th grade. My first visit to my community, after 23 years of absence brought tears to my eyes. There were sheds called schools; schools with no basic facilities; empty libraries, yet eyes filled with hope.
In light of these, we seek to address two areas identified by the State Commissioner of Education & Technology during our technical session at the Governor’s office on January 19, 2009 at Ekiti State. These problems are as followed: Lack of Finances: Many children in this community live with their grandparents because their parents are not involved either due to untimely deaths or severe poverty. A 15 year old girl told me she is hopeful that she will one day be an engineer but for now, she did not know how it would happen as her mother is frail and unable to fend for her. The Second Problem identified is the Lack of Quality Education in Emure Ekiti. My team and I met with several school children who study science without the practical aspect. We saw schools with empty science labs and children learning the English Language without books to read. Children want to read but there is absolutely noting to read. Teachers seek assistance in instructional tools but they manage empty classes.
How We Are Addressing These Problems:
January 2009, with the help of individuals and small business men & women from Tennessee, USA, we were able to award three Scholarships to three deserving kids. Because of these scholarships, our young recipients now have a chance to not only stay in school but are able to progress to secondary levels and ultimately university. In this community, it costs $40 per semester to keep a child in school. Our goal is to award at least 20 more scholarships in January 2010. Currently, under the supervision of the King, the Educational Committee which we have set up are identifying children in need within the community. Sadly to say, this encompasses >95% of the children in the community.
To address the problem of “Lack of Quality Education,” we are embarking on an initiative called “Readers Are Leaders” a book festival which will be launched January 2010 in Emure Ekiti. This initiative will be combined with our “Get Real Leadership Camp for Youths” which is in the works and slated for launch in January 2010. Our last trip to the community revealed the dire need for programs which empower the Youths through quality education. To this effect, we are opening the very first community Library in Ekiti State. This Library will not only house books which the students as well as their parents and teachers will have access to; it will also be a meeting point for students chosen by the Community’s Education Committee to attend the “5 Day Get Real Leadership Camp.” It is our sincere hope that this leadership camp will expose attendees to valuable life skills and mentorship program. This proposed library will provide Computer capabilities and great opportunities for educational advancement for the children as well as the teachers within this community. Emure Ekiti has a recorded population of over 100,000 indigenes with more than 25% being children. Because some of our volunteers are educators, they continue to travel to Africa on a yearly basis to teach and empower African teachers on how to use the educational tools which the library will carry. In addition, many of the kids in this community have not seen computers nor used TVs before. The availability of such instructional tools at the community library will enhance their knowledge and make them competitive with their peers in other parts of the world. The library will include a weekly movie night, as well as children story reading circles. At Adassa Adumori Foundation we believe that all children deserve the basic needs which include quality education. We can provide this, if granted assistance.

The response we have received from our fellow counterparts in the US has been tremendous. Several Libraries and individuals have donated books; we are still in need of funds to purchase some technology—e.g. laptops, a printer, TV and VCR for the Library. In addition, without a grant, we will be unable to transport all the donated books etc we have received already from the US to Nigeria.