It is difficult to overstate the importance of a quiet, well-lit room for concentration and study. Most of the households in Humjibre are busy and vibrant places; for most children, the library provides the only place to read and learn effectively.

The GHEI Humjibre Community Library opened its doors in May 2005, with 1300 books. After construction of a larger structure in 2007 and the addition of 3,000 books from Books for Africa in 2009, attendance and community involvement has soared. Recently, with the kind help of other institutions such as Chen Yet-Sen and Lincoln Community School in Accra, the current stock increased to approximately 4600 books and continues to grow.

Books at the Humjibre Community Library currently, cover subjects such as Math, Science and Nature Studies, Ghanaian and African Studies, African Literature, Children's Story and Picture Books, as well as a wide selection of textbooks for primary, junior and senior high school students. Adults in Humjibre particularly enjoy GHEI's subscription to the Daily Graphic, one of Ghana's most reputable newspapers.

The library is open seven days a week and is available to all members of the community. All library operations are managed by a team of GHEI local staff, the Humjibre Library Board and Lawrence Donkor, the Librarian. GHEI teachers and volunteers often make themselves available for questions during library hours. However, one of the most pleasing aspects we have noted during the monitoring of the library has been the willingness of students to teach each other. We seek to encourage this by providing as many materials (blackboard, chalk, paper and pens) as our budget allows.

An event that has served to increase the communities' awareness of the library and attract numerous patrons has been GHEI's now annual Read-a-Thon. The Read-a-Thon rewards students aged 4-25 for their time spent engaged with a book at the library. It is a large under-taking, but the results are well worth the effort. The last Read-A-Thon held in July 2010 had 396 participants, a massive increase from the First Read-a-Thon with only 96 participants in 2009.

Help build a love for reading for children in our community. A donation of $500 allows GHEI to hold a month long Read-A-Thon complete with school supply prizes for the children who read the most! A donation of any amount is welcome. Please donate.

Each year, GHEI offers a volunteer program where participants help organize and implement the Read-A-Thon along with a two-week celebration of literacy. Please consider volunteering with us!