2026: Our First Year
3 targets, 1 mission - give children in Uganda access to books so they can read and dream
Our focus is on two things: getting books into school libraries, and making sure they are used. To guide our work and hold ourselves accountable, we have set three targets for 2026.
Provide >1,000 children with access to books 📚
Students in Uganda’s primary schools have no, or very limited access to storybooks either at home or at school. We plan to change that by placing high-quality, age-appropriate fiction books in school libraries. With on average 300-400 children in a Ugandan primary school, that means opening 4 school libraries.It’s a big goal! We could start with one library in our first year, but why? Increasing access at a larger scale means we can make Reading for Pleasure, and all the benefits it brings, part of hundreds more lives.
Record >2,000 book borrows during the year 📖
Access alone is not enough. We want books to be read, loved, and returned for others to use. By tracking book borrows we measure real engagement and understand how often children are choosing to read. Recording over 2,000 borrows will mean our libraries are active, relevant, supporting learning and sparking curiosity.Establish 3 school partnerships, including 1 “Shared Shelves” 🤝
Strong partnerships will be essential to the success of our project. Only by working closely with teachers will we be able to ensure the library matches their student’s needs and is effectively managed once open.We also plan to launch our first ‘Shared Shelves’ partnership, the chance for a school outside Uganda to sponsor a school library. This will not only give more children access to books; students, teachers, and families from both schools will learn new perspectives and possibilities. We will create global citizens by increasing global awareness, social responsibility and compassion. Shared Shelves is a chance to show students everywhere how reading can connect them to a wider world.
These targets reflect our belief that lasting change comes not just from distributing books, but from building habits, relationships and shared ownership around reading. We can’t wait to turn these goals into reality over the next 12 months.
We’ve already visited our first two partner schools (more to come on that soon), and the potential for impact is huge. The enthusiasm of the teachers is contagious. They’re ready, and so are we! We’re more motivated than ever to get books on shelves, and children in libraries.
Get Involved
However you show your support, we are hugely grateful - we can’t get this done alone! You can donate or spread the word: forward this blog to a friend, or follow and share our LinkedIn profile.
Maybe you’ll read this and think, “Yes, every child deserves access to a library.” We hope you do.
Because when a child opens a book for the first time, it doesn’t just teach them to read. It tells them anything is possible. #readitpossible
