About us
Our mission
The mission of the African Library Project is to increase literacy in Africa by creating and improving small libraries.
Our approach
In the United States, our volunteers collect, sort, and ship gently used books to specific African communities. They organize book drives in local schools and neighborhoods and raise modest funds to ship the books to our African partners.
In Africa, our partners range from Peace Corps volunteers to school administrators. They receive the books and organize them into free lending libraries to serve the community. Along the way, the U.S. donors learn about Africa and develop closer connections to the people in the recipient communities.
Did you know?
- Africa has the highest percentage of illiteracy in the world.
- Books are the key to increasing literacy, and literacy is the #1 tool out of poverty.
- Most African children grow up without books, while so many of us load our landfills with used books.
- Many African teachers teach reading, writing, math and English without even a single book to use as a resource.
- The UN has decreed 2003-2012 the United Nations Literacy Decade to underscore the importance of literacy and basic education as major tools in building a cohesive and peaceful society for the 21st century.
Accomplishments to date
- 51 libraries completed in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Cameroon,
Lesotho, Nigeria and Botswana - 48 partnerships with schools and other organizations
- 28,000 books donated
- '100 libraries For Botswana' project underway
Who we are
We are all volunteers and donors, working to make a difference in the world. We partner with educated, dedicated volunteers in Africa whose mission is education. Our partners include U.S. Peace Corps volunteers and local school staff in African communities.
How we operate
Local African schools and communities request to partner with us to establish a library. They must provide the space, bookshelves and staffing for the library which encourages sustainability. We provide a manual on how to set up and run a library in a developing country. We match each African library with a U.S.-based school or organization that agrees to hold a book drive to collect gently used books.
How we started
The African Library Project was founded by Chris Bradshaw and her
family, from Portola Valley, California. After a family vacation of horse packing in Lesotho,
a small mountainous kingdom completely surrounded by South Africa, Chris decided to work towards ending the cycle of poverty and illiteracy. After discussions with local teachers and community members, she realized that the simple act of establishing free lending libraries with recycled books would have a profound effect in increasing literacy.