Soma Safari
Soma Safari (Kenya) is a pilot literacy initiative building sustainable book ecosystems so children can reach the benchmark of owning 100 books by third grade. Current efforts focus on installing Little Free Library boxes at schools and community hubs, hosting free book fairs, and launching an Open Access Certificate to train local literacy leaders through a partnership of San Jose State University iSchool, Kenya National Library Service, Knowledge Empowering Youth, Books For Africa, and Little Free Library.
Why This Moment Matters?
Our model builds on the success of the Reading Nation Waterfall project, an initiative supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services that demonstrated how coordinated distribution and local stewardship can transform access in underserved areas. In its first year in Kenya, Soma Safari successfully:
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Delivered a full shipping container of 52,000 books in partnership with the national library system.
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On track to reach 1,500+ children across six pilot book ecosystems.
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Launched the Open Access Certification program, training over 60 local librarians and educators in year one
The 2026 Vision: Expansion into Nigeria and Ghana
Building on this early success, we are moving into Year 2 expansion and sustainability. Our goal is to raise $106,950 to fund three complete country-wide ecosystems in Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana. This expansion includes large-scale book distribution combined with professional local training to systematically remove the core barriers to literacy: convenience, affordability, and cultural relevance.
Soma Safari: Where every child's journey begins with a book. Growing readers, growing futures.
We Need Your Support
To advance this proven model, we need support to fund the team that makes this work possible.
Your support helps us continue this vital work for the children who need it most. All donor-designated gifts are used solely to advance global book ecosystem work.
For more information, contact Program Director, Dr. Anthony Chow at a.chow@sjsu.edu.