Near the shores of Lake Victoria in western Kenya, Nguku Primary School serves a rural community of more than 5,000 individuals. The school's story reflects an everyday reality in rural Kenya: overcrowded classrooms, a severe shortage of desks and textbooks, and a lack of clean water for sanitation and cooking. 

The Nguku Library Project is a community-led initiative aimed at increasing Nguku children's to access high-quality learning opportunities by establishing a dedicated library and e-learning space. This initiative will equip students with the necessary tools to excel and prepare for their national exams, which significantly impact their future trajectory.
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Led by J. Oginga, a native of Nguku and research assistant for Pennywise, the project works with the school’s board and a planning team to ensure the sustainability of the library and its services. By planting a fruit orchard on the school's and library's property, students will learn sustainable agriculture and address immediate food insecurity needs. Long-term, the orchard will provide an independent funding stream for the library's services and upkeep.

Many classrooms have dirt floors, no windows or doors, and seat 3–4 students per desk. While the government built additional classrooms nearly a decade ago, they remain overcrowded and poorly equipped. Grade 9 students currently have no classroom and learn in a local church compound. The small, 300-square-foot office serves as the sole workspace for teachers and stores all learning materials for over 400 students.
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The nearest library is more than 100 miles away in the region’s largest city, Kisumu, more than a three-hour trip that most families cannot afford to take. Despite these challenges, the school is noted for its outstanding academic performance in national examinations and ranks highly in the district.

A class session for lower primary students in the older classrooms

The vision

For over five years, the school and surrounding community have worked together toward a shared goal: creating a vibrant, inclusive library equipped with books, computers, and internet access. Once complete, the library will offer short digital skills courses and facilitate access to online government services, supporting both students and the wider Nguku community.

The new 1,000-square-foot space will include four full bookshelves, desks for up to 26 students, and 3-5 computers with internet access, along with a small office for library staff. A Management Committee will oversee financial sustainability strategies such as agroforestry, modest fees for digital training, and serving as a hub for e-government services.

The Pennywise Foundation invites you to support the Nguku Library Project and help connect this vibrant rural community to digitally enhanced learning tools and reading materials. Together, we can create meaningful opportunities for the next generation of students, educators, and lifelong learners in Homa Bay County, Kenya. 

We are matching all donations up to $5,000, with a goal to raise $22,000 by the end of 2025. Your contribution will directly support the constructing and furnishing of the library. We also welcome donations of books and computers. Donors will receive project updates and an invitation to the official launch celebration.

Be part of this transformation — help us build a library for the future.

​Donors who give $100 and above will be featured on a plaque at the library entrance.