The African Children's Book Box Society

The African Children's Book Box Society is a charitable organization founded in Nairobi, Kenya in 1991. Our society's main purpose is to support and increase literacy in Africa by providing children in African schools with their own stories and literature written by African authors.

Other charities collect donated books for Africa. Unfortunately most of these books are in English and storybooks are largely from the European/North American culture. Africans have a rich culture of their own and books of their own culture and in their own language are sadly lacking in most African schools. The African Children's Book Box Society tries to make up for this lack.

We do this by putting together and distributing portable libraries of African books in the form of "Book Boxes" to African schools. We are currently operating in Kenya and Tanzania and hope to expand to other countries.

Since 2007 our Charity's goals expanded to collabarate with Orphans in the Wild (UK) and Mufindi Orphans (USA) under the umbrella of the Foxes NGO based in Tanzania. Foxes NGO (non-governmental organization) humanitarian goals are to support the welfare of needy African children and their caregivers.

Updates

Above: The school lunch program at Igoda school. See our  2009  slide show and our 2010 slide show for more pictures.

African Children’s Book Box Society Projects 2012-2013:

• Book Box program – Our Book Box Society distributes portable libraries of African-authored books to schools in the District of Mufindi, Tanzania. The program also provides curriculum books, literature and other teaching supplies to schools such as Luhunga Secondary and Igoda Primary where the Society has funded the construction and staffing of two libraries, the only libraries in the public education system in the District of Mufindi.
• Meal-in-a-Mug - The daily food program at Igoda Primary School has been a huge success and continues to be a priority for our Society. Student attendance and scholastic achievement have improved significantly since the start of the program.
• Construction and restoration of Mwefu and Ikaning’ogombe Primary Schools. During a violent storm in December 2011, Mwefu Primary’s roof was torn off, beams collapsed and sun dried bricks melted in the torrential rain. Every Mwefu household has contributed to the rebuilding of their school. They desperately need help to complete this project. The African Book Box has been asked to build an additional classroom that would be used as a library and meeting place for villagers. And at Ikaning’ogombe Primary, in collaboration with the Village, the Society is refurbishing the kindergarten building where children sat on the floor writing their letters in the dirt. The villagers have prepared the floor and provided the sand. Our Society has agreed to provide a new cement floor, new desks, and refurbished walls.
• Orphanage operating costs. The Children’s Village (Orphanage) consists of six homes accommodating up to 68 children ranging in age from newborn babies to 14 year olds. Each home has two caregivers or guardians. Our Society continues to fund the operating costs which includes repairs and maintenance, food, supplies, vegetable seeds, chicken feed and wages for the twelve orphanage caregivers.

• Diagnosis and treatment of HIV/AIDS. Working with the Mdabulo Care and Treatment Centre, our Society has purchased a CD4 machine that measures T cell counts. The CD4 machine and reagents purchased by the African Children’s Book Box Society saves lives. Our society funds the wage of the laboratory technician and the annual cost of reagents.
• Operating and personnel costs for Luhunga Secondary School and Igoda Primary School. Our Society pays the wages of Luhunga’s librarian and Igoda’s librarian, kindergarten teacher, and kitchen staff for the Meal-in-a- Mug program. It also pays for supplies and books for each area.
• Income generating projects. The African Book Box contributes to a variety of projects including the market garden, the chicken project, the Craft Centre and the Threads of Hope basket weavers.
• Community outreach and home-based care. Volunteers help to keep track of patients registered in the Mdabulo Care and Treatment Centre. They make sure to check on patients who have been “lost to follow-up” as well as give patients educational advice on adherence to the program and proper nutrition. The overall improvement of HIV/AIDS treatment in just the last four years has changed this community from one that had been afraid of the disease, and under-educated about its effects, to a community that is now stigma-free and is taking an active role in preventing the disease from spreading to future generations. The Book Box Society pays the wages for people working in this program.