Gather around friends...😋

Hello Friends!

We truly hope that you are finding ways to keep well in these challenging times. The past weeks have been somewhat of a silent rollercoaster for us here at Book Bunk - lots of planning and un-planning, altering and adjusting.
We have lots to share!

Kaloleni Library Restoration

We started work on this branch on 3rd March 2020. Ten days later, COVID19-related restrictions were announced and like all of you, we were faced to change our approach to things. We chose to find ways to safely keep the construction work going - at a time when so many livelihoods have been jeopardised, we are thankful to have been able to provide jobs for 28 Kaloleni-based skilled and unskilled workers. We are thrilled to share that work on the Kaloleni branch of the McMillan Memorial Library is now complete!

What now? Phase Two!
We are now working on a few final touches; the book collection, security and access control, WiFi provision, installing rainwater harvesting system and more. We seek a 5000-litre underground tank to complete this installation and welcome donations towards this. To support this library in this way, please write to Sahar McTough via sahar@bookbunk.org

We hope to some day extend this restoration to the adjacent (and iconic!) Kaloleni Social Hall and welcome any conversations exploring possibilities with this. Please get in touch with Sahar if you would like to discuss this!

Once again, thank you to the African Publishing Innovation Fund and the National Bank of Kenya for funding this dream; to the team at Lynk for being our steadfast contractor in challenging times; to Text Book Centre for the colourful shelves; and to the residents of Kaloleni whose hands repaired, replaced or restored every inch of this library!

The library remains closed to the public in adherence to COVID19 government directives.

In less joyful news :(

We've been reeling at the wave of police brutality currently being reported around the world. We're no stranger to this here in Kenya. Wanjiru, our co-founder, tackles this in her much-anticipated debut novel which is currently making its way into bookstores countrywide. Read an excerpt from The Havoc of Choice here and follow Bunk Books for the release announcements coming any day now!

We remain grateful to all the people that are working to address and end police brutality in Kenya and beyond. If you, like us, are wondering how to lend you voice to this cause, this list might be a good place to start:

Until next week...