A Window to the World: From Singapore to a Village in Uganda

In 2005, I began collecting used books in Singapore. Friends, families, and even strangers donated piles of storybooks, encyclopedias, and picture books. What many saw as old and unwanted, I saw as a seed for something new. Those books travelled across continents to a small Vocational Institute cum Kindergarten called Nangabo VTI in Uganda.

Getting the shipment ready

Volunteers carefully went through thousands of donated books, unpacking them from boxes, flipping through to check their condition, and separating suitable titles for children. The floor was covered with colourful piles of storybooks and textbooks, each waiting for a new home.

Close-up of children’s storybooks from picture books to encyclopedias, waiting to be packed. These titles, once considered old or unwanted in Singapore, were about to become treasures in Uganda, opening doors to new worlds for eager young readers.

Once sorted, the books were stacked neatly by category and size. This made packing easier and ensured that every box would be balanced, protecting the books during the long shipment across continents.

Teams of volunteers worked side by side, packing the sorted books into sturdy cartons. Each box was tightly sealed and labelled, ready to withstand the long sea journey. It was a scene of teamwork and purpose, as hands moved quickly but carefully.

Stacks of boxes and wooden pallets lined the warehouse floor. What began as piles of scattered donations had been transformed into a neatly organized shipment of a container full of knowledge, hope, and possibility, bound for Nangabo Kindergarten in Uganda.

When the boxes finally reached the school, the atmosphere changed instantly. For many of the children, this was the first time they had ever held a storybook.

The books quickly became treasures, shared among many eager hands. Children sat together, huddled over a single story, laughing and pointing as they pieced together new worlds.

Books finally arrived at the village

I don’t have photos of those evenings, but I can still picture it: parents reading by kerosene lamps with their children, stories echoing through small homes. That was when the kindergarten library grew into something larger — a community library.

Library was setup within 2 days

What began as a corner in a kindergarten grew into a community treasure.

The library corner itself was small, but it carried enormous weight. Those shelves held not just books, but possibilities.

Stories became a shared adventure — one book, many eager readers

Looking back twenty years later, I see what those books really meant. They weren’t just pages and pictures. They gave dignity, opportunity, and hope.

It also made me reflect on home. In Singapore, children grow up surrounded by books. Libraries and bookstores are everywhere. Having access to stories is so ordinary that it’s easy to forget what a privilege it is. Yet in Nangabo, a single donated book could change the rhythm of a family’s evening.

That contrast has stayed with me. What is ordinary in one place can be extraordinary in another.

That’s the magic of books. They are bridges. And in 2005, one such bridge stretched from Singapore to Nangabo Kindergarten — becoming a community library, and opening windows to the world.

A simple donation became a priceless gift.

Young reader discovers new worlds through the pages of his very first storybook.

For many, this was the very first book they ever saw. Suddenly, they could see oceans, mountains, and faraway cities through the pages. Their eyes lit up as they pointed at animals they had never seen before.