To win the Mashujaa wa Kusoma award by Worldreader and the Kenya National Library Service (KNLS), 11-year-old Racheal Nafula, a student from Kibera School for Girls (KSG) SHOFCO, read 1,178 books in three months.
Worldreader, which has reached more than 22 million readers globally, and KNLS held a grand celebration of Mashujaa wa Kusoma, a national reading initiative designed to ignite a love for books in children and foster a culture of lifelong learning. The awards ceremony, which spotlights exceptional young readers and communities that have embraced reading as a path to empowerment, took place at the Maktaba Kuu Building in Nairobi.
The Mashujaa wa Kusoma initiative, officially launched on July 12, 2024, has brought together children aged 3-12 from across the country, including participants from Nairobi, Kisumu, Kiambu, and Mombasa counties. The campaign encouraged children to read 25 books within three months, with the best performers recognized as reading heroes. Other winners include Quintine Owino who read 1,087 books, Delssa Owino (1,080), Ian Olive (1,077) and Wesley Joel Mareri (732).
“Our libraries are gateways to knowledge. Mashujaa wa Kusoma reflects our commitment to making books accessible to all, whether through physical branches or digital platforms like the BookSmart app,” said Dr. Charles Nzivo, CEO of KNLS. The parent-child book clubs introduced through KNLS, county libraries and community initiatives also created spaces for family engagement, demonstrating the role of libraries as key community centres for literacy development.
Worldreader’s BookSmart app, a digital library with thousands of free books, provided children access to age-appropriate content on mobile phones. From adventure stories to African folklore, children discovered the joy of reading while developing their comprehension skills.
“Ensuring equitable access to digital tools of learning is the first step to empowering our children. Our partnership with KNLS has allowed us to bridge literacy gaps and engage families in fun and meaningful reading experiences,” said Olivia Kimani, Director of Partnerships & Services at Worldreader Kenya.
Through the joint efforts of KNLS, Worldreader, and community partners, the initiative has demonstrated that reading can thrive even in resource-limited areas when parents, teachers, and communities unite around a shared vision.
With the success of this campaign, Worldreader and KNLS are planning to scale the initiative to reach even more communities across the 47 counties. The campaign will culminate annually in national award ceremonies every Mashujaa Day to honour young readers and inspire others to embrace reading.