Global Partnerships
Supporting Ugandans to further literacy equity in Uganda
Niteo Africa works alongside partner organizations in Uganda to establish libraries. We currently support 14 partners to run community, mobile, and school libraries across Uganda.
Our Partners
Elohim Development Association is a Ugandan non-governmental organisation which exists to serve vulnerable children, youth, and minorities in Bombo, Uganda. Founded by Duncan Ahigika and his sister, Joan Ahigika, Elohim is one of Niteo’s oldest partners! Elohim is addressing the needs of the Bombo community through vocational skills training and access to a public library to further access to books and lifewide learning.
Ms. Tegulwa Nageeba Hassan is the founder of Restoring and Empowering Communities. Based in Wakiso, Uganda, Nageeba opens her community library to students on weekends and school breaks. She runs leadership, peace-building, and book clubs in community and school settings.
“We value our partnership with Niteo for the books that make our programs a reality. Books open doors to a multitude of things…books heal, comfort, empower, encourage, and strengthen a children’s agency for peaceful coexistence.”
Hope North was founded by Okello Kelo Sam as a boarding school for children (many of whom were former child soldiers) during the peak of the civil war with the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) in northern Uganda. As the conflict has ended Hope North is focusing on vocational and agricultural skills training in order to equip the next generation of leaders. During the pandemic, Hope North gave away their library books to members of the community to read and in 2023 we are focusing on revitalizing the library (repairs and restocking books) so that the school and surrounding community can have access to books once again.
David Peter Omedo and Peter Okello are a dynamic duo promoting literacy and book access in their home communities in Jinja, Uganda.
David runs a library in his community of Danida. During the pandemic, they had to relocate their library, and he approached his mother, Florence, about the possibility of building a library on their property. Florence told her son an emphatic “No!” because she knew how many children were in their community and what a responsibility it would be to care for them. However, Florence considered it a bit longer and agreed to the library construction. When asked why, Florence said, “I wanted the children in my community to know how to read and open a book.”
Peter runs a community library in his community of Walakuba. The library was funded through the sale of handmade beads by the women in his community. These mothers, aunties, and grandmothers saw the impact of the library in Danida and came together to raise the funds. After creating the space and building the shelves, their request came to Niteo for books, and a library was formed!
Founded by Ms. Namigadde Joyce, Happy Times Childcare Initiatives was a response to the need Joyce witnessed in her community for a safe place to care for and educate children. Happy Times takes in orphaned and abandoned children and cares for them until they are able to find a family or reunite them with family. Classes rotate through the library for reading time each week where students are able to experience the joy of reading!
https://www.facebook.com/HAPPYTCHILDCAREINITIATIVES
Ask8 Centre for Skills Development is a community based organization in the district of Kumi, Uganda. Founded in 2020, Ask8’s vision is to have an empowered and inspired generation of young citizens through providing opportunities to young people through targeted initiatives in education mentoring, social enterprise and leadership development.
Ask8 was able to start their library through the support of Elohim Development Association. The first users of the library were two young women in May 2021!
Marles Children’s Foundation (MCF) has a mission “to educate Ugandan children, giving them the proper nutrition and tools to develop into productive adults, have a better future and continue the cycle for future generations while saving the traditions and culture of the Ugandan people.” Niteo books supply their school library which is accessible to the students of MCF and the community on weekends. Emerging partner as of November 2022.
https://www.marleschildrensfoundationug.org/
PeerLink Initiative Uganda (PELI-U) is a community rooted children, youth and women focused Non-Governmental Organization.PELI-U utilizes a whole community approach and works through its community library and empowerment center. The community library serves as a one stop point through which children, youth, women and community members access services in education, skills development and health. Emerging partner as of 2023.
https://www.peliu.org/
Plan for the Villages Organization is a community based organization which seeks to improve the social-economic wellbeing of at risk populations to ensure sustained livelihoods and peace. PLAVIO does this by working with communities to enhance self-sustainability, health, education, livelihoods and social-political wellbeing.
PLAVIO is in the process of establishing their community library. Stay tuned for updates!