Donate books and bucks

Did you know…?

In the Gambia, only about half of the population can read and write. But this is changing! The extreme shortage of books, which many development workers call book famine, is slowly going away thanks to the activism of many Gambians and international volunteers.

Organizations such as Books for Africa, Inc. have teamed up with the women of Njau and other Gambian organizations to try and change that. 1 Million Books for Gambia is an ongoing program dedicated to creating and filling new libraries around the country. And now, Little Free Library has locations popping up in the Gambia and all over the world. If you’re not familiar with Little Free Libraries, you can learn more about them here, or how they began through this children’s book.

Here’s how YOU can be a part of the effort:

  • Decide to host a 1 Million Books for Gambia fundraiser at your school. Collect appropriate new and gently used books and send them to Books for Africa’s Atlanta warehouse. You can use the media mail rate and send them to: Books For Africa Warehouse, 2971 Olympic Industrial Drive SE, Suite B, Atlanta, GA 30339. If you want to drop them off in person in Atlanta, go here to check hours. If you live closer to Minneapolis, you can drop books off at this location. Label them “1 Million Books for Gambia” if you’d like them to go to our project, specifically. Author Miranda Paul or the real Isatou Ceesay may even come and visit your school to help you spread the word or show your students the power of what they’re doing if you’d like! (Click here for more information about an author visit with Miranda & Isatou.)
  • Read books about kids in other parts of the world! Every time we learn another language, explore another culture, or make a connection to kids around the world, we grow in our understanding and empathy. Learn more about the movement to diversify your bookshelf at diversebooks.org.

If you’d like to contribute funds directly to Books for Africa’s 1 Million Books for Gambia project, you can do so online at the BFA site. Click “The Gambia” on the map and your funds will go directly to our project.

If you’d like to donate funds directly to the Women’s Initiative Gambia, donate here.