Our Story — Books & Beyond

How it started

One question, asked on a visit to the village

We have always loved reading, and we were lucky to grow up surrounded by books.

During a visit to our father's village in Makueni County we went to Kathonzweni HGM Comprehensive School. There we met children just like us — curious, eager to learn, excited to read — but with very few books and no functioning library.

It made us ask: instead of giving one child one book, why not create something hundreds of children can share?

So we decided to help create a library. That first library sparked a bigger idea — to bring books, reading and opportunity to many more schools. And that is how Books & Beyond began.

Donated storybooks stacked on tables at home, being sorted and catalogued by hand — Where every library starts: books sorted and catalogued by hand.

The unused classroom at Kathonzweni HGM before any work began — bare walls, no shelving, no reading furniture

The grounds at Kathonzweni HGM Primary School

What the school told us

We asked Ms. Rosina Muia, the headteacher, what her learners were missing. Her answer is the reason Books & Beyond exists.

"Most of our students have never read a book outside their textbooks."

— Ms. Rosina Muia, headteacher

Three hundred and fifty learners. One unused classroom. No shelves, no reading furniture, nothing on the walls. The photographs are what we saw that day.

When children read, they grow — and the whole community grows with them.

Meet the Founders

Two sisters. One mission. A library for every child.

Surina Kasaku, Co-Founder of Books & Beyond

Surina Dias Kasaku

Co-Founder · Age 14 · Year 9

Premier Academy, Nairobi

📚 Avid Reader 🎤 Debater 🌍 Climate & Wildlife 💻 Web Developer 🤖 Robotics

Surina's story began with something simple: she loved books and wanted other children to experience that same joy. Together with her younger sister Keisha, she turned that idea into Books & Beyond.

At 14, Surina is an avid reader, debater and public speaker who believes young people do not have to wait until they are adults to make a difference. Her interest in climate action, wildlife and the environment has also inspired her to speak about the responsibility young people and schools have in protecting their future.

She combines this passion with her interests in technology, web development and robotics, helping to build the Books & Beyond digital platform and share the stories of the children and schools they support.

For Surina, Books & Beyond is about more than donating books. It is about one young person reaching another and showing what can happen when an idea becomes action.

Meet Surina. Hear her story. Join the movement. Help put a book into the hands of another child.

Watch Surina's Channel

Keisha Kasaku, Co-Founder of Books & Beyond

Keisha Dias Kasaku

Co-Founder · Age 12 · Year 7

Premier Academy, Nairobi

📚 Avid Reader 🎤 Debater 🎹 Pianist 🎨 Artist 💻 Web Developer

Keisha brings curiosity, energy and a big heart to Books & Beyond. An avid reader from an early age, she believes that something as simple as giving a book can open a whole new world for another child.

A passionate debater and public speaker, Keisha loves asking questions, exploring world issues and learning to use her voice for causes that matter. She is also a dedicated musician and pianist, an artist, and a young technology enthusiast with interests in web development and robotics. Together with Surina, she helped build the Books & Beyond website and continues to find creative ways to tell its story.

But what matters most to Keisha is the human connection. She loves visiting the schools, meeting the children and seeing what a donated book can mean to someone receiving it for the first time.

Through Books & Beyond, Keisha hopes to inspire other young people to discover the joy of giving and the power of kindness. Her message is simple: you don't have to be grown up to make someone else's world a little bigger.

Meet Keisha. Share her enthusiasm. Give a book. Give an opportunity. Inspire another child.

Watch Keisha's graduation speech

Behind Every Great Founder

Surina and Keisha are the faces of Books & Beyond — but two people made it all possible.

Athanas Kasaku Makundi

Father · Mentor · The support behind every journey

Accompanied the girls on every visit to Kathonzweni and helped turn their ideas into action.
Supported school visits, library installations and launch events on the ground.
Mentored the girls in video production, public speaking and written communication, helping them tell the Books & Beyond story with confidence.
Believed in their vision from the very beginning and encouraged them to keep going.

Priyadharshini Dias

Mother · The spirit behind the giving

Introduced the girls to the joy of giving from an early age — beginning simply with sharing their toys with other children.
Encouraged them to turn compassion into action and supported the growth of Books & Beyond from an idea into a wider community initiative.
Works quietly behind the scenes, supporting the planning, coordination, communication and countless details that keep the project moving.
And when website updates, presentations and project plans stretch late into the night, makes sure the girls are never doing it alone.

Together, they have given Surina and Keisha the confidence, values and support to enable young people to make a meaningful difference.

We did not wait!