We need your help to bring books to Tanzania!

We have worked with the local Arusha tennis community for the past year. The coaches are great and with minimal support they are offering a wide range of very high quality youth tennis programs. Recently, a small group of Los Angeles based tennis players donated over 30 tennis rackets, hundreds of grips, 5 reels of strings, hundreds of tennis balls and a few pairs of shoes. It is exciting to see how well this equipment is being used by the coaches and passionate athletes. The students participating in the program range from highly experienced to beginners playing tennis for the first time. Photos and videos can be seen at the instagram account tennis4life_tz

Given how successful our tennis partnership has been, we wondered if the coaches would be interested in trying Pickleball. Last week Maktaba.org (in partnership with Elimu Yetu) helped build 3 custom Pickleball nets (and we are painting lines). Additionally, we have 12 paddles and a bag full of pickleballs...and we are...

You may have noticed some changes to our homepage.

We added a sections for groups within our site. We have popular books, and MOST IMPORTANTLY...it should load faster.

Please let us know your thoughts.

Are there other pages that you think we should improve? We would love your feedback!

Celebrate World Swahili Day by voting in our Proverb Essay Contest and learning Swahili!
➡️ Read the Essays here ⬅️

Click ❤️ to Cast your Vote  

We are so excited about the amazing essays we've gotten from you all in English and Swahili!  To all the participants, we say THANK YOU and congratulations on your great work! 
Read the essays and vote for your favorites now - the 3 essays with the most ❤️s will receive cash prizes!

We've published all the essays submitted so far here : www.maktaba.org/contest/essay
Share this link with your friends. Anyone can create a free account in seconds and cast their vote by clicking ❤️. You can vote for as many essays as you like!

To enable both Swahili and English speakers to participate, I've added a comment to each essay with a rough translation. Click on an essay from this page and scroll down to see the translation. (You must be logged in to see comments)

Today is the deadline to send your submission for our Proverb Essay Contest!...

Heri ya sikukuu ya Saba Saba! Sherehekea kwa kupiga kura katika shindano la insha ya methali
➡️ Soma insha zote hapa ⬅️

Bongeza ❤️ ili kupiga kura  

Tumefurahi sana sana kusoma insha zote tulizopokea kutoka kwenu. Kwa wote walioshiriki tunasema Asanteni na hongereni kwa kazi nzuri!
Zisome na upige kura kwa insha zozote unazozipenda. Insha tatu zitakazopata ❤️ nyingi zaidi kabla ya tarehe 15/7/23 zitapokea zawadi za pesa!

Insha zote zilizowasilishwa zinaonekana sasa hapa: www.maktaba.org/shindano/insha
Karibuni mshirki link hii (kiungo) na marafiki zako na wengine. Mtu yeyote anaweza kufungua akaunti haraka bila malipo ili aweze kupiga kura kwa kubongeza ❤️. Unaweza kupigia kura kwa insha zozote unazozipenda!

Leo ndio tarehe ya mwisho ya kuwasilisha insha yako kwa Shindano la Insha ya Methali! Tafadhali wasilisha insha yako juu ya methali yoyote kwa tuzo@maktaba.org leo! (Kiingereza au Kiswahili).
Jifunze Kiswahili leo Siku ya Kiswahili Duniani (Rasilimali bila malipo)

• ➜ ...

We need your help!

Do you love writing? Enjoying our Proverb of the Day?
Maktaba.org is celebrating International Swahili Day 2023 with an Essay Writing Contest!
Submit your essay about a proverb before 7/7/23

Submit your essay about any proverb here or email it to us at tuzo@maktaba.org
today for a chance to win Cash Prizes!
1. First place ➜ 50,000/= TSh or $20 USD
2. Second place ➜ 25,000/= TSh or $10 USD
3. Third place ➜ 12,500/= TSh or $5 USD

Contest Rules

[Soma kwa Kiswahili]
The winners will be chosen by maktaba.org users! The three essays that get the most likes ❤️ by July 15 will win. Anyone can cast a vote by logging into their Maktaba.org account and liking your post. (If you haven't opened your account, join today, it's free!) 

Step 1: Choose a proverb. The proverb can be in any language, but it should be a real proverb that many people know, not one that you made up. If you can’t think of one, check out our books of proverbs here!

Step 2: Compose a short essay...

Today we are very happy to announce the winners of Maktaba.org's first Proverb Essay Contest! Most importantly, we want to express our sincere thanks to all who participated in this competition. You have taught us a lot, thank you! 
➡️ All essays ⬅️

🏆 Announcement of the Winners

And now, without further ado, let's congratulate the winners of the first Proverb Essay Contest...

🥇 First place winner:
“Nankya Sauda 🇺🇬 Uganda
 for her essay on the proverb
➜“Still waters run deep””

🥈 Second place winner:
“Rose Mwanri 🇹🇿 Tanzania
for her essay on the proverb
➜“Akiba haiozi” (Savings doesn't rot)”

🥉 Third place winner:
“Magreth Lazaro Mafie 🇹🇿 Tanzania
for her essay on the proverb
➜“Mchumia juani hulia kivulini” (He who toils in sun eats in the shade)”

Congratulations to everyone who participated!

   The three winners have already received their prizes, and all writers were given certificates of recognition for their contributions. (If you have not received your certificate...

Leo tuna furaha kubwa kutangaza washindi wa Shindano la kwanza la Insha za Methali la Maktaba.org. Kwanza kabisa tunataka kutoa shukrani zetu za dhati kwa wote walioshikiri katika shindano hili. Mmetufundisha vingi, asanteni!
➡️ Insha zote ⬅️

🏆 Tangazo la Washindi

Sasa bila kupoteza muda, tuwapongeze Washindi wa Shindano la kwanza la Insha ya Methali:

🥇 Mshindi wa nafasi ya kwanza:
“Nankya Sauda 🇺🇬 Uganda
kwa insha yake juu ya methali
➜“Still waters run deep””

🥈 Mshindi wa nafasi ya pili:
“Rose Mwanri 🇹🇿 Tanzania
kwa insha yake juu ya methali
➜“Akiba haiozi””

🥉 Mshindi wa nafasi ya tatu:
“Magreth Lazaro Mafie 🇹🇿 Tanzania
kwa insha yake juu ya methali
➜“Mchumia juani hulia kivulini””

Pongezi kwa wote walioshiriki!

   Washindi hawa watatu wameshapokea zawadi zao, na wandishi wote walipewa vyeti vya kutambua michango yao. (Kama haujapokea cheti chako, tafadhali wasiliana nasi.)
   Shindano hili lilifanyika kwajili ya Siku ya Kiswahili Duniani (Maadhimisho ya Siku ya Saba...

Tunaomba msaada wako! 

Je unapenda kuandika? Unapenda Methali ya Siku? Maktaba.org tunasherehekea Siku ya Kiswahili Duniani kwa Shindano la Uandishaji wa Insha!

Wasilisha Insha ya Methali kabla ya 7/7

Wasilisha insha yako juu ya methali yoyote hapa au kwa baruapepe tuzo@maktaba.org leo ujipatie nafasi ya kushinda zawadi ya pesa!
1. Mshindi wa kwanza ➜ 50,000/= TSh
2. Mshindi wa pili ➜ 25,000/= TSh
3. Mshindi wa pili ➜ 12,500/= TShl

Vigezo & Masharti ya Shindano

[Read in English]
Washindi watachaguliwa na watumiaji wa Maktaba.org! Insha tatu zitakayopata "likes" ❤️ nyingi zaidi kabla ya trh 15 July watashinda. Mtu yeyeote anaweza kupiga kura akiingia akaunti ya yake ya Maktaba.org (Kama haujafunguliwa akaunti yako, jiunge leo, bila malipo yoyote!) 
Hatua ya 1: Chagua methali. Methali inaweza kuwa kwa lugha yoyote, lakini sharti iwe methali inayojulikana na watu, yaani usitunge mwenyewe. Unaweza kutafuta katika vitabu vyetu vya methali hapa!
Hatua ya 2: Tunga insha inayoeleza...

Vitabu vya Dini
Vitabu juu ya Ukristo
Vitabu juu ya Uislamu

Kwa watu wengi, kitabu wanachokipenda zaidi ni kitabu takatifu, kama Biblia au Korani. Kwa nini tunapenda kusoma vitabu hivi kuliko vitabu vingine? 
• - Vitabu Takatifu vinahusiana na mambo muhimu ya maisha.
• - Vitabu Takatifu vinatupa busara na fadhili kama ujasiri, unyenyekevu, na imani.
• - Vitabu Takatifu vina hadithi za kusisimua kuhusu manabii na mashujaa. 

Mimi nimesoma vitabu vingi takatifu kutoka dini tofauti kama vile Korani, Biblia, na vitabu takatifu vya Wahindi na Wachina. Nimetambua vina kanuni na hadithi zilezile; ni majina tu hubadilika.
Vitabu vya shule vina maswali mengi, na majibu sahihi yapo katika sehemu ya mwisho, au katika Kitabu cha Mwalimu. Ila kwa vitabu takatifu, hakuna majibu ya hakika. Wasomi na walimu wa dini bado hawakubaliani kabisa maana ya kitabu. Wanatumia elimu walionayo kujadili na wanahojiana juu ya aya muhimu. 
Kama unaamini kitabu fulani kilitoka Mungu, usimwamini mtu yeyote...

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) play a crucial role in promoting social, economic, and environmental sustainability throughout the world, and of course in East Africa (an area of focus for Maktaba.org).

Through a collection of resources for social entrepreneurs and non-profits, we are publishing advice, ideas and stories about our journey to develop a non-profit that delivers free educational resources both digitally and in-person.

NGOs (like Maktaba.org) need a clear and concise plan, as well as a motivated and aligned team. One way to achieve this is by using SMART goals.

Below is an example a hypothetical East African NGO using SMART goals to empower their team.
SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. The following are the five elements of SMART goals and how they can help align your NGO team:
1. Specific: A specific goal has a clear and precise definition. It answers the questions "What", "Why", and "How". For...

Social Entrepreneurs and Social Enterprises need to clearly define their organizational goals

We are often asked how we got started with Maktaba and other non-profit initiatives. Step 1 is to define a mission and clear goals for the organization. Much of our efforts are a work in progress...but these are some of the recommended steps for setting the direction of a non-profit.
1. Determine your mission and values: Start by defining your organization's mission and core values, which will provide a clear direction for all decision-making and goal-setting.
2. Identify your target audience: Understand who your target audience is and what their needs and pain points are. This will help you to better align your goals with the needs of your target audience.
3. Conduct a SWOT analysis: Conduct a SWOT analysis to identify your organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, which will help you to better understand your current situation and potential for growth.
4. Define...

1. Deliver free books in Swahili and English to communities all over the world
2. Empower educational communities in East Africa
3. Connect mentors with students around the world

I did management consulting for many years and am part of a small team of volunteers developing Maktaba.org. 

We are still working on our core features as well as trying techniques to reach new readers and people that might enjoy participating in our community....but I thought I'd share some of the ideas we are considering to help out other social entrepreneurs.

Based on research and experience with previous online projects, I have developed a small list of free ideas of how any non-profit might collaborate with influencers and bloggers. Of course influencers and bloggers will promote a website if you pay them, but since we have a limited marketing budget, we are looking for free marketing opportunities. Hopefully others can benefit from these ideas as well.

We'll keep everyone posted on various endeavors we pursue, but our guiding principle is to establish mutually beneficial partnerships that align with both our organizational goals and our collaborator's interests.

Step 1:...

Continuously improve our website: Regularly evaluate and improve our website to provide a better user experience and increase user engagement.

Optimize for search engines: Ensure that our website is search engine optimized (SEO) to increase visibility on search engines and drive organic traffic.

Engage with our audience: Engage with our audience through social media, email, and other channels to build relationships and increase brand awareness.

Content marketing: Create high-quality, engaging content that provides value to our target audience and share it through social media, email, and other channels to attract more visitors.

Paid advertising: Use paid advertising such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads to reach a larger audience and drive targeted traffic to our website.

Collaborate with influencers or bloggers: Partner with influencers or bloggers in your niche to reach their audience and promote our website.

Offer a referral program: Encourage existing users to refer their...

Maktaba.org is celebrating Black History Month with our new Black History Reading List and Black History Reading Group!

Ndugu msomaji,
Leo ni Siku ya Sheria Nchini Tanzania! Ili kuiadhimisha siku hii, tumewaandalia zawadi wapenzi wetu wa Maktaba.org:
→ Vitabu 20+ kwa Siku ya Sheria ← Ukichukua muda wako leo kusoma hata sura moja, ni matumaini yetu mafunzo hayo yatakuwa na manufaa makubwa kwako kama mwananchi na pale utakapokutana na mambo ya sheria katika maisha yako ya baadaye.

Zijue haki zako:
• kama Binadamu: Taarifa ya Ulimwengu juu ya Haki za Binadamu (Kiing: Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
• kama Raia wa Tanzania: Katiba ya Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania (Kiing: Constitutution of the United Republic of Tanzania)
• kama Mfanyakazi: Kanuni za Ajira na Mahusiano Kazini (Kiing: Employment and Labor Relations Act)
• kama Mzazi: Misingi Mikuu ya Utawala kwa Kila Kamati ya Shule (Kiing: Key Principles for Every School Community)
• kama Mmiliki wa Ardhi: Usimamizi wa Umiliki wa Ardhi (Kiing: Voluntary Guidelines on Tenure)
• kama Mwanamke: Kiongozi cha Sheria
• Juu ya mambo ya Mirathi na...

Setting goals is an important part of any successful project or organization, but it's not always easy to get it right. One popular method of goal setting is the SMART framework, which encourages setting goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. While SMART goals can be effective for some organizations, there are also some downsides that social entrepreneurs should be aware of before relying on them exclusively.
SMART goals can be too rigid and prescriptive. 
By focusing solely on tangible, quantifiable goals, social entrepreneurs may overlook important but intangible factors, such as team morale or company culture...each of which may be critical to success. Additionally, the pressure to meet specific, time-bound targets can lead to an "all or nothing" mentality, where barely missed goals are deemed total failures.
SMART goals can limit creativity and innovation.
By focusing solely on what is known to be achievable, social entrepreneurs may overlook...

What is social entrepreneurship? (source: causeartist)
A term used for business models with a social or environmental focus. A social entrepreneur creates social and/or environmental change, either through a for-profit or non-profit business model. (Check out Chapter 3 in this free PDF about entrepreneurship, or another free entrepreneurship textbook)
The site Causeartist (source of many referenced articles) tends to focus more on social entrepreneurship through the lens of for-profit businesses.
The article is a good read, but in general, social entrepreneurs identify social problems and develop business solutions to address them. Unlike traditional businesses, social entrepreneurs are motived by both profit AND creating an impact.

The importance of website design for non-profits (a podcast)
https://studiohumankind.com/shop (templates are $800+, which we don't need, but we can implement ANY of the design concepts that we like...we just have to identify them and prioritize)

Also,...

People respond to clear goals and expectations.

In general, for people to be "leaders" within an organization, they need to CLEARLY understand the goals and objectives of the parent organization.

Parent goals should be defined using Key Performance Indicators (KPI)
metrics used to periodically track and evaluate the performance of a business or organization toward the achievement of specific goals. They are also used to gauge the overall performance of the company against other comparable companies within the industry.
https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/management/key-performance-indicators-kpis/

Management by Objectives (MBO):
Technique suggested by Drucker in 1952 that links individual smaller goals to the larger organizational goals.
Tasks are then added to support the smaller goals and employees are evaluated and rewarded monthly, quarterly or annually. In theory, this technique could be used on a weekly basis.

Objectives by Key Results (OKR):...

Dear Reader,
Today is Law Day in Tanzania! To mark this day we have prepared a gift for our dear Friends of Maktaba.org! 
→ 20+ Free Books for Law Day! ← If you take time today to read just one chapter, it's our hope this training will benefit you as a citizen and whenever you encounter legal issues in your future life. 

Some Legal Classics: 
• Plato's Republic
• Machiavelli's The Prince
• Toqueville's Democracy in America
• Bastiat's The Law
• The Declaration of Independence & Constitution (USA)
• More books about Open Culture, Copyright Law & Privacy

Know your rights: 
• As a Human:  Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Swahili: Taarifa ya Ulimwengu juu ya Haki za Binadamu)
• As a Citizen of Tanzania: Constitutution of the United Republic of Tanzania (Swahili: Katiba ya Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania)
• As an Employee in Tanzania: Kanuni za Ajira na Mahusiano Kazini (Swahili: Employment and Labor Relations Act)
• As a Parent in Tanzania: Misingi Mikuu ya Utawala kwa Kila...

Asanteni kwa vijana, wazee, walimu na wanafunzi wote walioshiriki kwenye Maadhimisho ya Kwanza ya Siku ya Kiswahili Duniani yalioyofanyika katika Elimu Yetu, jijini Arusha. Tuendelee kuwasiliana! Jiunge nasi leo ->

Je ulijifunza nini Siku ya Kiswahili? Toeni maoni

Thank you to all the youth, elders, teachers and students who participated in celebrating the first ever World Swahili Day at Elimu Yetu in Arusha, Tanzania. Let's stay in touch! Join today ->

What did you learn on Swahili Day? Leave your comments below

Karibuni wote! Rasilimali bure (Free Resources)

Vitabu (books): 
1. Arduino Projects Book
2. Intro to Arduino 

Youtube Playlists:
Programming kwa Kiswahili (Swahili Coding Lessons)
Arduino kwa Kiswahili (Arduino explainers and projects in Swahili)
Ewaste Recycling and Salvaging

Tunawakaribisha sana leo Saba Saba tusherehekee pamoja kwa mara ya kwanza SIKU YA KISWAHILI DUNIANI. Wazee, walimu na vijana tufundishane kuhusu historia na mustakabali wa lugha ya Kiswahili. Elimu Yetu kutakuwa mashindano, mafunzo, burudani na zaidi. Changia vitabu vya Kiswahili kwa maktaba yetu!
     -> Pakua vitabu vya Kiswahili Mtandaoni
     -> Vitabu kuhusu Tanzania
     -> Vitabu kuhusu Afrika
Leo Saba Saba tunasherehekea miaka 68 tangu Mwalimu Nyerere alipoanzisha chama cha TANU kupigania uhuru. Tanzania ilikuwaje mwaka 1954? Jisomee ->

We welcome everyone to celebrate the first ever WORLD SWAHILI DAY with us! Elders, mentors and youth at Elimu Yetu teach each other, and discuss the history and future of the Swahili language. Workshops, contests, entertainment and more. Please donate your Swahili books to our library!
     -> Teach yourself Swahili
     -> Download Swahili books online
     -> Find a Swahili Mentor
     -> Books about Tanzania
     -> Books about Africa
...

Recently I wrote a children's book to help people learn Swahili.

For those interested in how I wrote it, why and how I used generative AI to help with the illustrations, I created a blog post in English and Swahili.

The children's book Hatuhitaji Maji is a story in both English and Swahili about Zebras looking for water and learning through their love of reading.

The book is freely available for download from this site and any comments or feedback are welcome.