Educational Projects

Dr. Amos Odenyo Library

Got Regea’s first library was officially opened on March 30, 2012. It is located in the center of the community - near St. Peter’s Church, the Health Dispensary, Got Regea Primary School, and B.A. Ohanga Secondary School. The library is currently open to the local schools Tuesday through Friday, and open to the general public on Saturdays.

The origins of the library began in 2007. Dr. Amos Odenyo’s last wish (made to his family about one hour before his passing) was that his family remembers his birthplace of Got Regea. Specifically, he requested that his wife and children continue supporting the development of the community. After he was laid to rest, his family reviewed the development objectives proposed by the community, and selected “building a library” as an appropriate endeavor.

Construction of the library began in late 2010. Approximately 3,000 pounds of used books were obtained from Baltimore (www.thebookthing.org) and shipped to Kenya in late 2011. The books are diverse, and consist of all genres (fiction, non-fiction, academic, reference guides, etc.) that one may find in urban libraries. However, the library seeks to expand its collection of academic and scientific books (chemistry, biology, physics, etc.) in order to expose students to technical skills and careers in today’s modern job market. The library also seeks donations of used computers, a movie projector, and educational DVDS.

The library is named “Dr. Amos Odenyo Library” to reflect his love of reading. As a young man in Kisii High School, he often awoke at 4am to get a head-start on his reading assignments. He met his future wife in the Mikkelson Library at Augustana College in South Dakota. During his forty-year career in academia, he collected and read a large number of social science books (some which have been added to the library in Kenya). Reading was a life-long habit, and it contributed to him becoming the first person from Got Regea to obtain a Doctorate degree (in 1970). It is our hope that through this library in Got Regea, a new generation will be exposed to a similar love of reading, a quest for knowledge, and the ability to uplift themselves and their community.

Click icon for article "New Kenyan Library Dedicated to U of MN alumnus" (May 2012)

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN REGEA

There are only two schools in the village of Got Regea. The first school is Regea Primary School, and the second is B.A. Ohanga Secondary School (they share the same school grounds). While these schools have had recent success stories, the fact remains that like most rural schools in Kenya, they struggle just to maintain even the most basic of resources. For example, sections of the Primary School (built in 1946), are on the verge of collapse. The students often study under leaky roofs which are supported by cracked walls. Students frequently sit in broken chairs or on the mud floor. Educational supplies (pens, paper, rulers, etc.) are often unavailable or unaffordable. Due to the AIDS epidemic, approximately half of the students are either orphans or living with one parent. The adjacent B.A. Ohanga Secondary School has approximately 130 students but is served by only two government teachers. Although an electricity pole has recently been brought to Got Regea, parents cannot even afford to extend the line to the school. Students from both schools compete to share unhygienic pit latrines. Yet, the students come eager to learn, and in 2009 two students from the secondary school qualified for entrance to university.

Take a moment to review the videos and pictures below, and see for yourself the faces of the students of Got Regea. Hear their voices. Feel their hope and their dreams for a better tomorrow. A little help from you will go a long way toward their future.