African Children's Book Box Society

WHO WE ARE

Board of Directors:
Ruth James
Robert Olafson
Anne Pearson
Joost Wolsak
Liz Priestman
Lee

African Advisory Board:
Geoff and Vicky Fox, Foxes Community & Wildlife Conservation
Geoff and Jenny Knight
Yusto Chumi
Sauda Sabastian
 

Treasurer: Phyllis Daniel
Graphic Design/Web Design: Helena Poll webmyway.ca

WHAT WE DO

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

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.

Our initiative has made a small dent in the desperate need for reading material. Over 25,000 children have benefited from this program since the Book Box Society was founded 14 years ago.

However, there is still a great deal to do! Our hope is to continue to expand and make a real difference for African children.

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.

OUR CURRENT PROJECTS:

• Yearly operating costs for the Mufindi Children's Village (orphanage)
• Meal-in-a-Mug daily enriched porridge (uji) for 545 elementary school children and staff at Igoda Village School
• Ongoing support of the Igoda Elementary School Library built in 2008 by this Charity
• Construction of Lahunga Secondary School Library - ongoing
• Ongoing support of the Igoda Community Hall and kitchen built in 2009 by this Charity
• Salaries for 2 teachers, 2 Community Hall program organizers, 2 Meal-in-a-Mug organizers
• Planned purchase of a CD4 machine for the CTC Centre (care treatment and counseling for HIV/AIDS patients) urgently needed for the proper treatment of HIV/AIDS patients in the area.
• Construction of latrines and water catchment at Igoda School and Community Hall
• Continuing repair and upkeep of bibi (grandmother with orphaned grandchildren) homes
• Volunteer teaching and teaching ESL in preparation for secondary school (2 teachers for a minumum of 1 month a year)
• Continuing distribution of book boxes to rural schools

Harambee is a Swahili word meaning "pull together" and it is in this spirit that we ask you to browse this website which describes with words, pictures the WHAT, WHERE & WHY of our project.

It is our hope that a simple metal box filled with books can begin to act as a catalyst for change.

Asante sana (thank you very much)

HOW TO REACH US

Write to:
African Children's Book Box Society
c/o Anne Pearson
265 Caldecote Road
Victoria, British Columbia
Canada, V9E 2H3

Or call: (250)479-8671

Email: info@africanbookbox.org