Most of them however dwell on writing school textbooks. They have stories to tell about writing books. It is for this purpose that we will bring you a series of stories on 'Women book writers' in Tanzania.

Mary Grace Kihampa is a retired educationist. It has been more than a decade since she retired. Retirement did not stop her from engaging in educating the society. She continued to do so. Some of her titles, especially for lower primary school grades, have set standards for books on early childhood learning.

For several years she worked with the Children's Book Project. Under the Project's programmes, she helped set up school libraries in over fifty (50) primary schools countrywide. She helped organise children's reading tents in different occasions, especially during National Book Week festivals.

She has great confidence that women can write books and that they are in a better position to influence children in building the culture of reading. With many more people going to school today, she is optimistic that the culture of reading will also improve. There is a bright future for the book, so she says.