Agati Library
VP Grantee

​​​The Agati Library, now in its third year as a grantee of the New Africa Fund, is a community library based in the Musanze District of Rwanda’s Northern Province. Founded in 2018 by six young students inspired by their own experiences growing up in Musanze, Agati is committed to providing access to child-friendly books and learning spaces, with the aim of fostering curiosity, creativity, and a culture of lifelong learning.

 

Agati began as a single free, stationary library serving all children in the Musanze District. Since becoming a NAF grantee in 2022, it has expanded from one to seven library spaces. These include the original free library in Musanze, four hospital libraries for children across the country, a community library in Karongi District, and a school library in Musanze. In 2024 alone, the hospital libraries received a combined total of 11,630 visits.

 

That same year, Agati relocated its main library in Musanze to a larger facility and expanded its collection to include books and study materials for teens and adults. The new space also hosts educational and cultural activities, such as after-school book readings for children, animated children’s book events, and book cafés featuring local authors.

 

Since its founding, Agati’s collection has grown from 200 books to several thousand, in English, French, and Kinyarwanda. The library actively engages parents and caregivers through community outreach programs like its weekly Mobile Library Project, which brings books and activities to remote communities.