Keisha Kasaku (r) and her elder sister Surina Kasaku display a book at Kathonzweni Primary School in Makueni County on February 14, 2026. They have set up a fully-fledged library at the school through crowdfunding using a website they have created. Photo Courtesy 
By Andrew Mbuva
Until recently, learners at Kathonzweni Primary School in Makueni County spent their breaks basking in the sun. Today, they flock to a vibrant new library that has transformed the way they spend their free time.
“This library is not just a building filled with books,” says Allan Mwendwa, the school captain with a dream of becoming a surgeon. “It is a very big gateway to our dreams.”
The library, completed just last month, has already begun nurturing a reading culture among the pupils.
“Thanks to the books here, I am now conversant with parts of the human body. This knowledge is crucial for someone who wants to become a surgeon,” Mwendwa adds enthusiastically.
School head Rosina Muia noted a remarkable shift in student engagement with books. “Many of our learners have held a storybook for the first time since the library opened. They read not only to improve their academic performance but also for leisure, to enhance their mastery of English, and to spark curiosity,” she told the Nation.
Like many rural schools, Kathonzweni had gone decades without a library. This changed thanks to the initiative of two Nairobi-based sisters, Keisha and Surina Kasaku, who have placed the public school among institutions offering learners access to quality library services.
The sisters, aged 11 and 13, spearheaded the “Books and Beyond” project, raising funds and collecting books through a website they designed themselves. With contributions from their classmates at Premier Academy, Nairobi, they refurbished a classroom at Kathonzweni Primary and furnished it with a state-of-the-art library.
On Valentine’s Day, the community celebrated the official handover of the library in a colorful ceremony attended by Makueni Assembly Clerk Kelvin Mutuku, Kathonzweni Sub-county Director of Education Ruth Mwita, Kathonzweni MCA Kennedy Maneno, and the sisters’ parents, Athanas Makundi and Priyadharshini Dias.
A highlight of the event was a moving speech by Surina, a Grade 8 student, who drew inspiration from the story of William Kamkwamba, a young Malawian boy who harnessed wind power by building a windmill after teaching himself basic electrical engineering from books he borrowed from a local library.
The sisters’ message was clear: books are gateways to bright futures. “When you open a book, you open bright futures,” Surina said.
Keisha added, “We realized not many children have access to books beyond the ones provided in class. Through Books and Beyond, we want to give them the same joy we feel when reading, the chance to learn, excel in exams, and pursue their dreams.”
The sisters’ philanthropy began in Nairobi, where they donated toys and books to underprivileged children. Their parents encouraged the practice, even when it meant parting with cherished possessions. Extending their outreach to Kathonzweni, where their father studied, they realized giving books to individual learners was not sustainable. The solution was to establish libraries that would benefit entire schools.
“We will not relent until every learner in rural schools has access to books,” Surina declared, announcing plans for a second library at Vitale Primary School. Ms. Mwita and Mr. Mutuku pledged government support to expand library access across the region.
Thanks to the vision and generosity of two young sisters, a small school in Makueni has become a beacon of hope, creativity, and learning—proving that even the smallest ideas can ignite transformative change.
