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Pilgrim Drive resident Lulu Tian is building a library in a Ugandan refugee camp.
The Winchester High School graduate got involved when she was an MIT undergraduate. She went to Uganda as part of an MIT project, MIT-D lab, and saw for herself how hungry residents are for books — and on her own, started her library project.
“Refugees from South Sudan and the Congo have little resources and no access to books,” she says.
So with a group of friends she met there, Tian not only started the library project, but also sets up workshops for mothers and children who aren’t in school.
Refugees Otim Francis Okot and Peter Hardrock work with Lulu Tian in the camp. COURTESY PHOTOS/LULU TIAN
“We’ve gotten lots of generous donations from Winchester folks through the Go Fund Me app,” she says. “And also a box of books from the Winchester Public Library.”
So far, she’s raised $2,500 and she uses two-thirds of that money to buy and ship the books, with the rest going to workshops, including meals for those attending.
“A dollar buys a lot in Uganda,” says Tian. “With $10, we can provide 10 meals. It’s good to provide an incentive for those who might be taking time off from work to learn welding, for instance.”
Meals are typically sorghum and beans with some protein and a vegetable stew.
COURTESY VIDEO/LULU TIAN
Having finished up her Northwestern University master’s degree in film making, Tian wants to teach a photo workshop to refugees who have donated devices.
“Eventually, I’d like to teach film making, too,” she says.
