Meet the girl who read 1,178 books in just 3 months! 11-year-old Racheal Nafula has set a new national record by reading 1,178 books in just three months. Racheal, a student from Kibera School for Girls (KSG) SHOFCO, achieved this milestone through the Mashujaa wa Kusoma initiative, aimed at inspiring young readers across Kenya.
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Racheal’s achievement earned her the prestigious Mashujaa wa Kusoma Award. This award is created by Worldreader in collaboration with the Kenya National Library Service (KNLS), and it encourages young people to explore the joys of reading.

The Mashujaa wa Kusoma initiative started in July 2024. It challenges children to read at least 25 books in three months. Racheal far surpassed this goal, setting a record that captured the nation’s attention. She tallied a whopping 20,680 points to emerge the victor.
The Impact of the Mashujaa wa Kusoma Initiative
The Mashujaa wa Kusoma initiative has become a powerful tool for cultivating a love for books in young learners. The program targeting children between 3 and 12 years of age has promoted reading as a fun and educational activity. The initiative has not only recognized individual achievements like Racheal’s ‘girl who read 1,178 books in just 3 months’, but has also created a community of young readers from across the country.

Some of the top participants, like siblings Quintine Owino and Delssa Owino, followed closely behind Racheal. Quintine read 1,087 books, and Delssa completed 1,080. Another standout, Ian Olive, read 1,077 books, while Wesley Joel Mareri completed 732 books. These children have shown that Kenya’s reading culture is growing stronger with each year.