Funding
Revenue
Kitengesa Community Library has depended so far on the following sources:
1. Kitengesa Comprehensive Secondary School
The school provided the land for the initial library building and contributes to the living expenses of one of the librarians (Dan Ahimbisibwe).
2.
United Nations One Per Cent for Development Fund
In 2002 this fund gave a grant of $2932 for the erection of the first library building, and it gave further grants of $3650 in 2004 and $1200 in 2005 for installing and expanding the solar electricity system. It has also been the channel for funds that Pat Duffy and the UN Language Programme have raised—over $7500 in 2009.
3. The University of British Columbia
UBC’s student exchange organization You Lead (subsequently restructured as Go Global) provided CAN$10,000 for the new library building. The money was paid in two installments in 2008 and 2009.
4. Friends of Kitengesa Community Library
Kate Parry, with the help of Patricia Woodard, has organized prose and poetry readings as benefits for the library at the college where they both work (Hunter College, City University of New York). These benefits have been held about once every eighteen months since 2001 and generally raise between $2000 and $3000. In addition, an anonymous donor contributes $1000-$1500 a year to cover salaries, and other donors contribute from time to time, especially to sponsor Library Scholars.
5. Revenue raised in Uganda
The library raises a small amount in Uganda shillings from membership fees (at 2000 shillings for every local member outside Kitengesa Comprehensive Secondary School and 3000 shillings for every member who comes from a different sub-county). It also receives occasional local donations. The library charges people’s mobile phones for a fee of 500 shillings. Since Afri-Pads moved into the library’s old building, it has been paying a rent to the library of 100,000 shillings a month. Once we have finished the community hall and purchased chairs and a tent to go with it, we hope to make further revenue from renting the place out for functions such as weddings.
Expenditure
Funds raised are spent on the following:
1. The library building
Construction costs for the old library building were:
• Building $2932
• Installation of solar electricity $3650
• Addition of two more solar panels $1200
Those for the new building to date have been:
• Purchase of land 7,000,000 Ug. Shillings = c. $4375
• Building foundations to wall plate 14,239,800 Ug. Shillings = c. $8472
• Building wall plate to roof 12,914,500 Ug. Shillings = c. $8072
• Installation of solar electricity 12,048,000 Ug. Shillings = c. $5568
• Finishing library and computer rooms 15,469,100 Ug. Shillings = c. $8142
• Constructing a toilet 1,804,400 Ug. Shillings = c. $902
• Finishing hall floor and walls 4,107,200 Ug. Shillings = c. $2050
• Metalwork for hall doors and windows 6,000,000 Ug. Shillings = c. $3000
Please note that the dollar figures are approximate because of fluctuations in the exchange rate.
2. Salaries
The library’s present salary bill, covering Dan Ahimbisibwe (head librarian), Gorreth Nakyato (assistant), and night watchmen, comes to 230,000 Ug. Shillings a month, or about $115 at present exchange rates. We have recently appointed a computer supervisor whom generous friends are supporting for 2010-11 at 80,000 Ug. Shillings a month. With this addition, the salaries come to about $1860 over a year.
3.
Fees for library scholars
The school fees have risen in 2010 to 75,000 Ug. Shillings, or $40 a term at present exchange rates. The total amount for seven scholars for one year is thus about $840.
4. Newspapers
The library subscribes to two daily newspapers in English and one in Luganda. All the subscriptions together come to 1,227,200 Ug. Shillings per year, or about $646.
5. Books
Any remaining donor funds are spent on books. It is library policy to purchase these in Uganda, as far as possible. In this way we support local publishing as well as ensuring that the books we buy are perceived to be relevant to local interests. Last year we could only spend 500,000 Ug. Shillings (about $263) on books because of our building expenses; and most of that had to be spent on replacing the books that had worn out over ten years. In future, though, we hope to be able to spend upwards of 1,000,000 Ug. Shillings every year.
6. Supplies
The money raised from membership fees is used to purchase materials for repairing books, photocopying, taking photographs of library occasions, and similar small expenses.
7. Refreshments
Since the institution of Children’s Day the money raised from charging phones has been used to buy drinks and snacks for the children who come.
8. Other administrative costs
Anything else has been covered by Kate Parry or other friends of the library, but now the revenue from renting the old building will be put towards these costs
Management of funds
Funds raised in the United States are kept in a dollars account on behalf of the library by Friends of African Village Libraries (www.favl.org). FAVL transfers funds to the Kitengesa Community Library’s dollars account in Uganda in response to an annual budget submitted by Kate Parry. Emmanuel Mawanda administers the salaries through Kitengesa Comprehensive Secondary School’s Uganda shillings account. He also accounts for the funds raised locally. Daniel Ahimbisibwe has been responsible for paying and accounting for most of the building costs.