Deborah’s Library Program was started to help community children living in dire situations who are unable to attend school because of extreme poverty. According to the program, many children spend their days at home or on the streets where they are exposed to dangerous activities and unhealthy behaviors. The library was created to give these children a safe place to learn, read, and grow.

The program first began as pop-up libraries in different communities where children gathered daily for reading and learning activities. As more children continued attending, the program expanded into a full-time community hub because the need for a permanent safe learning space became greater than expected.

The main aim of Deborah’s Library Program is to curb the number of children joining the streets of Kampala by keeping them engaged in education, mentorship, reading, meals, and positive activities. The library also helps children stay away from theft, addiction, and other harmful behaviors while giving them hope and opportunities for a better future.

Many parents and guardians in these communities were struggling with extreme poverty and could not afford school fees, books, meals, or proper care for their children. Some families were overwhelmed by unemployment and difficult living conditions, leaving many children idle and vulnerable to street life. Seeing these challenges encouraged the program to create a safe and supportive environment that could help both the children and their families by keeping children engaged in learning, mentorship, and positive activities.

Deborah’s Library Program is currently running from a temporary classroom in a primary school while waiting for final district approvals, with district visits expected before full movement into permanent spaces. During this period, the program has continued to support children through daily learning activities and has also expanded by opening a second library in a community where many children are at high risk of joining the streets of Kampala.

Of recent, the program has successfully enrolled children from the library into formal primary school. The number of children transitioning into school has increased from 15 to 20, showing clear progress in preparing learners who previously had no access to education. These children are now continuing their studies under formal school systems after being supported with foundational reading, writing, and learning skills at the library.

The program is also preparing to move into permanent locations while ensuring children are fully supported with learning materials such as desks, school supplies, bags, hygiene kits, and uniforms. These efforts help maintain a safe learning environment, reduce the risk of children joining the streets, and strengthen their transition into formal education and long-term development.

• Reading programs:

We run daily reading sessions where children from vulnerable communities are introduced to books, guided reading, and word recognition. This helps children who are not in school or at risk of joining the streets develop basic reading skills in a safe learning space.

• Literacy training:

We provide structured literacy support including writing practice, vocabulary building, and foundational learning. These sessions prepare children for formal schooling, and some children from the library have recently transitioned into primary school after gaining these skills.

• Community education:

We operate in high-need communities where many children are at risk of street life due to poverty and lack of school access. The program provides a safe learning environment where children can study, receive mentorship, and stay away from gangs and negative influences. We also support parents who struggle with financial hardship by keeping their children engaged in learning.

• Counseling and guidance (children & parents):

We offer counseling and guidance to both children and their parents. Children receive emotional support, life guidance, and mentorship to help them build confidence and make positive life choices. Parents are also supported through guidance sessions that help them care for and support their children despite difficult living conditions.

• Basic needs support (food, supplies, and bedding):

We provide children with essential support such as meals, food supplies, bedding, and basic hygiene needs. This helps ensure that children are not learning on empty stomachs or sleeping in unsafe conditions, and it supports their overall health and stability while they continue their education.

• Early childhood learning & school transition support:

We prepare children who have never been in school by teaching them basic learning skills before enrolling them into primary school. Recently, more children have successfully transitioned from the library into formal education, showing the impact of this preparation.

• Safe learning spaces & protection from street life:

We create structured and interactive learning environments using books, visual aids, and hands-on teaching. This helps keep children engaged in positive activities, reduces their risk of joining the streets of Kampala, and protects them from gangs and harmful peer pressure while giving them hope for the future.

We are currently running Deborah’s Library Program from a temporary space in a primary school while preparing to move into our permanent location this August or early September, as we await final district approvals. The program has also expanded by opening a second library in a high-risk community to reach more children vulnerable to joining the streets of Kampala.

So far, the program has raised $400 out of the total $2,442 needed, which is about 16.4%. We are still working to raise $2,042 to fully support the program’s needs, including scholastic materials such as primary and secondary textbooks ($1,000), furniture and renovations ($369), laptops ($600), school bags ($173), and 300 T-shirts for the children.

At the same time, the program continues to make real impact on the ground, with children transitioning from the library into primary school, and others receiving daily learning support, counseling, and guidance. We remain focused on keeping children engaged in education, protecting them from street life, and preparing them for formal schooling as we improve and equip our learning spaces.

We invite anyone willing to join us in this journey to support Deborah’s Library Program as we work to raise the remaining funds. Your support will help us create a safe, fully equipped, and well-resourced learning environment where every child has access to the materials, care, and opportunities they need to learn, grow, and build a better future.