Our Blog
A Book Drive Organizer Group Shares Their Experience in Donating 500 Books for a Library in South Africa
Our journey with the African Library Project has been a profound and impactful experience, demonstrating how collective effort can bring about significant change. It all started with a shared vision among a diverse group of individuals who wanted to make a difference...
African Library Project’s First 2024 Winners of Presidential Volunteer Service Awards
We are pleased and proud to announce the inaugural winners of the prestigious Presidential Volunteer Service Awards (PVSA). These Awards, administered by Americorps and Points of Light, allow Certifying Organizations – such as the African Library Project – to...
From Aisles of Adventure to Libraries: A Journey with Books and the African Library Project
In a busy Indian grocery store in the heart of San Jose, California, the air was filled with aromatic spices and the shelves were stocked with colorful items. A young boy explored the aisles, holding The Lost Hero in one hand and pushing the cart with another. That...
Case Study – Arua Public Primary and Nursery School
Encouraging Young Readers in Arua Arua Public Primary and Nursery School is located in northern Uganda, near the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. As a result, 300 of the 1,535 students are refugees. The school also hosts 130 boarding...
Case Study – Youth Corps Learning Center
Encouraging Young Readers in Kampala, Uganda Youth Corps Learning Center is located in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. It’s a technical school that teaches computer skills, hairdressing, cosmetology, catering, and sewing for students who can’t afford school fees....
Case Study – Joy Early Learning Nursery and Primary School
Encouraging Young Readers In Arua, Uganda Joy Early Learning Nursery and Primary School is a private school located in Arua district in northwestern Uganda, near the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. It has about 130 young, lively, engaged,...
Case Study – Arua Public Secondary School
Encouraging Young Readers in Arua Arua Public Secondary School is a large school in Arua, a city in Arua district in Northwestern Uganda. Uganda is one of the largest refugee-hosting nations in the world, and Arua’s proximity to South Sudan, the DRC and other...
Case Study – Phoebe Education Fund for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (PEFO)
Encouraging Readers in Jinja, Uganda Phoebe Education Fund for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (PEFO) was started by three brothers living with HIV and who wanted to give back to their community by providing care for caregivers. PEFO is located in Jinja, a city in...
Case Study – Cornerstone Leadership Academy for Girls
Encouraging Readers in Kampala, Uganda Cornerstone Leadership Academy for Girls is located near Uganda’s capital city, Kampala. It’s an advanced level boarding high school that aims to make leaders of bright, talented, and disadvantaged girls from throughout Uganda....
Case Study – Inclusion Uganda’s Library
Encouraging Readers in Kampala Inclusion Uganda is located in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Inclusion serves people with intellectual disabilities, specializing in human rights activism and advocacy. They have centers in 18 districts and 8,000 members...
Book Drive Organizer Spotlight: Riya
Hi, I am Riya! I have completed four book drives with the African Library Project (ALP) between 2020 and 2023. I have loved reading my entire life. I love reading because the impossible is brought to life. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was the first book I...
Case Study – Mukasa Foundation Community Library
Encouraging Young Readers in Ziroobwe, Uganda The Mukasa Community Foundation was started by a professional librarian who wanted to advance literacy in rural Ugandan communities. Its library is located inside a primary school, in a rural town called Ziroobwe in the...
Book Drive Organizers Host Movie Night Fundraiser
The African Library Project recently received a generous donation of books for their libraries in Africa, but they needed help covering the shipping costs to get the books to their destination. That's where the Book Drive Organizers stepped in, hosting a movie night...
ALP’s Impact: KISS Library and Learning Centre | Malawi
Muli bwanji? Ife tili bwino kwambiri. December 13, 2022 will go down in history as a very memorable day at KISS Library & Learning Centre. This was the day we, together with other 60+ beneficiaries received and offloaded our books from the M-14 Container.With...
BDO Hack: Find Books at…Half Price Books Store
Are You in Need of More Books? If you’re looking for more books for your Book Drive, we recommend contacting your local Half Price Books (HPB) store (see location directory here). Call your local store and let them know that you’re collecting book donations to create...
Book Drive Organizer Spotlight: Maryam Zehra
ALP: Can you tell us about yourself - Where do you live? Are you in school? What are some of your hobbies? We want to get to know you! MZ: My name is Maryam Zehra. I live in San Jose, California, USA and am currently a junior at The Harker High School. I have always...
What We Learned in Our 1st Book Drive: Book Drive Organizer Spotlight
It was a pleasure to lead and coordinate my first African library project drive. Working with friends for a great cause across the globe is a humbling experience, as there are no boundaries to impact communities and children positively. I am honored to be a part of...
Book Lovers Unite to Share Their Passion with Readers in Lesotho and Botswana: Book Drive Organizer Spotlight
Book Lovers Unite to Share Their Passion with Readers in Lesotho and Botswana African Library Project 2022: Makintane High School, Lesotho and Matlola Primary School, Botswana We are a group of young readers who enjoy reading the most. Visiting the library is one of...
Family Came Together to Collect Book by Book: Book Drive Organizer Spotlight
Family came together to collect Book by Book African Library Project 2022: Telle Primary School, Lesotho In 2021, Bhuvana began the first book drive for Uganda. With her success story, she signed up for more projects in 2022 with her friends and community kids. This...
A Community Comes Together to Build Libraries: Book Drive Organizer Spotlight
Canterbury and Ivy Lane – A community comes together to build libraries African Library Project 2022: Auray High School and Lekota Primary School, Lesotho As a community, we learned many great things from hosting a book drive through the African Library Project. It...
2022 Book Drive Organizer Spotlight: Libraries Need Friends
The books we packed and boxed will all be handed off to kids on another continent, and this is a privilege for us that we had the opportunity to raise money and pack books for them. We became more united as a buddy group due to this event, which allowed us to spend...
2022 Book Drive Organizer Highlight and Testimonial
Working with our family and friends for the African Library Project was incredibly rewarding and gave us a reason to be proud of our community. Our neighbors, family, and friends made it very easy to meet our goal and collect books to donate. Their willingness to give...
ALP at Project Giving Kids’ Create the Change 2022
On Sunday, November 13 in Palo Alto, myself (Carolyn Gannon, Malawi Country Liaison), Pamela Bostlemann (Ghana Country Liaison & Container Manager), and Chris Bradshaw (ALP Founder & Uganda Country Liaison) attended Project Giving Kids' Create the Change 2022...
2022 Compassion in Action Award – Harambee! 2022
On Saturday, October 22, 2022, the US-based NGO African Library Project awarded its highest honor, the 2022 Compassion in Action Awards to Claire Hubel and Vaibhav Jayakumar. The announcement was made at the African Library Project’s Harambee! 2022, annual fundraiser...
2022 Book Drive Organizer Highlight and Testimonial
Working with the African Library Project (ALP), I was able to help many children experience the wonders of reading. This inspired me to continue supporting libraries and collaborating with others who shared the same interest in three other half libraries. The projects...
2022 Book Drive Organizer Highlight: Siblings Create Library in Malawi
We are fortunate to have easy access to numerous amenities and opportunities; many locations around the globe don't. When my little sister and I got the chance to help with our first book drive project, we were super excited. During this project, we collected more...
2022 Book Drive Organizer Highlight: Siblings Create Libraries in Malawi and Botswana
It’s such an honor and privilege to know that the books we packed with our own hands will go into the hands of another kid. We are so excited for them to be able to read and learn about all the books we have sent. All the time that was put into this project will be...
Video Competition
It's time to get creative, the African Library Project is holding a video competition! Anyone can compete, whether you're a Book Drive Organizer with an active book drive, a previous Book Drive Organizer, an African partner, a library recipient, donor, volunteer, or...
2022 Book Drive Organizer Highlight: Friends United to Create Two School Libraries in Malawi
African Library Project – 2022: Malawi, Alinane Junior Academy and Dunduzu Primary School Being a part of the African Library Project taught us to be more considerate, organized, and thoughtful. Knowing that the books we have collected will benefit children's...
Uganda Library Experiences
A collection of student's own narratives about reading and their school's ALP library. Stories collected from January - March 2022. "The organization and cleanness of the library, plus the availability of a wide range of books, are enough to make reading my favorite...
BDO Spotlight: Bhuvana Bhamidipati
African Library Project, Uganda, Bukeda Union Vision Nursery and Primary School, 2021 Knowing that the books we send you may be the first time you hold and experience them builds a bond between us over an ocean and thousands of miles. It makes us very proud and gives...
Two University of Malawi Librarians Receive 2022 Compassion in Action Award
On Monday, April 25, 2022, the US-based NGO African Library Project awarded its highest honor, the 2022 Compassion in Action Awards to Jessy Mphunda and Nancy Mpenkansambo. The announcement was made at the African Library Project’s Virtual Partner Summit by...
Meet New Container Manager, Tracy Gaestel, as She Takes You Through Her Trip to Uganda
Dear friends of African Library Project, I’m back from my 5 week sojourn in Uganda and thought that I should let you know what I did and what I saw while I was there. And perhaps tell you a little bit about myself. I met two key people, Cathy Kreutter, a former...
BDO Spotlight: Grace Tulinsky
Grace Tulinsky was inspired to start her first book drive with African Library Project during the Summer of 2018 after she learned, through a research project, about the empowerment education can provide girls in Africa. Since...
Our Newest Partner in Uganda talks about why access is essential for students
enjuba is African Library Project’s most recent partner in Uganda. In Uganda, eight of every ten children of 10 years or under cannot read. enjuba is working to help increase the literacy rate in the country by bringing reading into Ugandan culture. One step they’re...
The First African Library Project Library
Chris Bradshaw has had a connection to Africa since she spent her junior year studying at Fourah Bay College, part of the University of Sierra Leone. She wanted to help the communities she visited, but wasn’t sure what to do at the time. It wasn’t until years later...
Family Literacy Month
November is Family Literacy Month! Reading as a family is so important to children’s development, plus it is amazing for adults as well. Reading to children starting at a young age can instill a life-long love of reading. So, we wanted to share a few ways to celebrate...
BDO Spotlight: Zawge Daniel
In 2019, Zawge volunteered with African Library Project to collect books to start a library in Malawi and his drive ultimately collected a total of 1,100 books! As the book drive organizer, Zawge’s experience went beyond the books collected. He created relationships...
Hack for Africa: A Microsoft Challenge
African Library project aims to end the cycle of poverty and illiteracy by working with rural African libraries to improve literacy and support the spread of education. A few actions include starting libraries, training local teacher-librarians, supporting HIV/AIDS...
BDO Spotlight: Laurie Holding
Laurie Holding is an internationally awarded poet, children’s book author, and mother of five, whose love of literature served as the foundation for her work as a book drive organizer. At 61 years old, Laurie lives in the Village of Sewickley, PA. After a career in...
Ask an Expert: Jennifer Swanson
Jennifer Swanson Q&A Q: Tell us about yourself. A: I am the award-winning author of over 40 books for children, mostly about STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). My love of STEM/science comes from a very young age. When I was 7 years old, I...
African YA Books to Read Over Summer
As we continue into the summer, it’s a great time to start reading! Whether you are looking to fill your shelves or do some casual summer reading, here is a list of five incredible young adult books by African authors to check out: Between Sisters, by Adwoa Badoe...
Looking back at our African Partners Summit
Every other year, African Library Project chooses one of the seven countries in which we create libraries to host an African Partners Summit, where partners from across the globe come together to share best practices, train teacher-librarians, and exchange ideas to...
Tips To Encourage Family Reading!
Even though COVID-19 has created a sea of unfortunate disruptions to the daily routines of people around the world, it’s very important to make time for yourself and your family. One of the best ways to do that is through family reading! Here are a few tips you can...
Ask An Expert: Esther Cajahuaringa
Esther Cajahuaringa is an assistant editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. She’s worked with authors such as Joe Cepeda, Rhode Montijo, and Mo Willems to name a few. As a former educator and non-profit organizer, Esther draws upon her...
BDO Spotlight: Kathryn Sonnie
Kathryn Sonnie is a living example of manifesting success. She was a teacher working with Global Hope Alliance, an organization that builds schools and libraries in Africa. When others found out what she was doing, the amazing people in her networks wanted to fill the...
Ways to collect books during COVID-19
Despite the disruptions COVID-19 has brought about, African Library Project is continuing to help change lives book by book. While our volunteers and partners in Africa work hard to make sure they're staying safe on the job, our book drive organizer's safety is of the...
Appreciating our Supporters on the Ground
In case you missed it, we’ve highlighted some of our wonderful African teacher-librarians and partners to celebrate National Library Week. Here are some who you may not have heard about yet. Gift Phimba Gift is a librarian in the Dedza district of Malawi at Magaleta...
Covid-19 Update: Doing Good at Home
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to challenge and disrupt communities around the globe, the African Library Project is working to continue to get books into the hands of eager readers. We’re committed to doing good at home by ensuring our book drive...
Meet Our New Youth Program Manager
Tatiana Santos, Youth Program Manager Likes: Poetry, Baking, Singing, Creative Self-Expression Location: Las Vegas, NV About Tatiana “My mother is a journalist, so her job had us bouncing around a lot growing up. That experience of moving around so much and being...
ALP’s Impact: Mchedwa Primary School
Malawi Needs Libraries Did you know the literacy rate there is 62 percent? Students in Malawi can go for years without having the opportunity to read a book. For comparison, the United States has a 99 percent literacy rate. This disparity often comes down to the...
BDO Spotlight: Erika Henningsen
Erika Henningsen is a professional Broadway actress living in New York City. Her roles in various productions such as Mean Girls Broadway led her to seek ways to be of service. https://www.instagram.com/p/BzytIFZjSTt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link “I’ve always felt that...
Taking Action with Passion and Purpose
Ever since the third grade, Mira Wadehra knew she wanted to get involved with the African Library Project. In her freshman year of high school, Mira volunteered to host two book drives for schools in Malawi. Loving the experience so much, Mira did another Malwai book...
Reading for Everyone, Everywhere
These inspirational books teach us about diversity, togetherness, and what it means to be compassionate. Blended by Sharon M. Draper This is an eye-opening narrative that expresses what it is like to be part of a blended family. Isabella is a bi-racial eleven-year-old...
Celebrating 2019 Volunteers
African Library Project is thankful to each and every one of our volunteers who made 2019 one of our most successful years of starting libraries ever. Without our book drive organizers, we wouldn't be where we are today. Thanks to the following... 9 H.U.G.S....
African Library Project Receives 2019 Best of Portola Valley Award
Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE African Library Project Receives 2019 Best of Portola Valley Award Portola Valley Award Program Honors the Achievement PORTOLA VALLEY December 9, 2019 -- African Library Project has been selected for the 2019 Best of Portola Valley...
BDO Spotlight: Alex Breinin
Alex Breinin shares the story of his visit to Wema Children's Centre school in Kenya where students at his former middle school and high school would go on to help start a library with over 1,200 storybooks. From New York to Kenya There is nothing quite like watching...
We pulled together – Harambee!
Thanks to the amazing support of our literacy heroes, volunteers, board of directors and staff, our annual fundraiser Harambee! was a smashing success. Together we raised $109,000 in net profit to help increase literacy in our African partner countries by...
Uganda Libraries Serve Refugees from Sudan and DRC
African Library Project recently partnered with Firm Foundation Education Trust (FFET). Through them, we are providing libraries to two early childhood centers that serve refugees from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. FFET is a grassroots...
Honoring family and friendship through books
Book drive organizer, Christina Herrick writes about how she honored her son’s memory by hosting a book drive with African Library Project. We're honored to share her story. I imagine my initial reason for wanting to do a book drive for African Library Project was...
The Power of Reading by Sankalpa Bhuma
Guest blogger and book drive organizer, Sankalpa Bhuma from San Ramon, CA shares her experience as a reader and how it spurred her to volunteer for a larger cause. Towards the end of my sixth birthday, I received what I could only perceive as the ultimate symbol of...
A Look at Ghana’s Art Scene
Ghana and the whole of Africa, in general, is known to have a rich history of making art. From its traditional garments and dances to urban murals, art comes in many different forms for African countries. You don't have to travel far to see graffiti in North America....
Whitman Middle School Rocking their Book Drive
A huge congratulations to Whitman Middle School located in Fairfax County, California that gathered students from the National Junior Honor Society this year and successfully created a library in Botswana with African Library Project. We're always impressed when...
Four Reasons I Became a Book Drive Organizer – and Why You Should Too
Guest blogger and African Library Project marketing intern Divya Prakash shares her experience as an active book drive organizer. Most of my early memories center around my local library, wandering in there with my brother, marveling at the colors and variety of the...
A BOLD Venture to Help Others
Guest blogger and book drive organizer, Lynita Mitchell-Blackwell shares a powerful story of how her community came together to start multiple libraries for students in Kenya. We exist to honor our connection to others. Leading Through Living Community does...
Five Books Set in Africa You Should Add to Your Summer Reading
Summertime has arrived and with it a slew of family vacations, summer jobs, and what can sometimes feel like an endless amount of time to spare. Rest assured that ALP has you covered. We've curated a list of five amazing young adult books that take place right...
Giving Thanks – A Tribute to BDO Eldon D. Snyder
This is a story about books, Africa, libraries, and my dad. Just a few weeks ago my dad turned 94 years old. While his health has recently started to fail, he continues to find ways of supporting the African Library Project. As a retired educator, I seem to have...
Here are ways some African countries celebrate books
Across the world, books have made a resounding impact. Whether it be contemporary stories depicting heart-wrenching accounts of what it means to be human or stories that transport readers to fantastical realms, books are a celebrated artform with deep-rooted cultural...
Kids Helping Kids – Creating Libraries in Kenya
Guest blogger, Don Casperson of Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos, NM shares his experience as a book drive organizer, creating libraries for Kenya with the help of his community's youth: It is with great joy that I undertook to help with the African Library Project under...
BDO Spotlight: Chamisa Elementary School K-Kids Day of Volunteering
Guest blogger, Uxue Sansiñena of Chamisa Elementary School K-Kids in Los Alamos, NM details their experience working with youth book drive organizers. Dear African Library Project, As a K-Kids member, I have been able to see how we have affected communities...
BDO Spotlight: 10 Years and 30,000 Books Later…
Guest blogger, Coy Cross shares his introduction to the African Library Project and how he went for a one-time book drive organizer to send over 30,000 books to African youth. In March 2009, our friend Kay left to serve in the PeaceCorps in Lesotho, a small African...
African Women Who’ve Made History
Did you know March is Women’s History Month? Though technically celebrated only in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, we believe it's important to raise awareness of how women in other countries have contributed to society in ways that can - and...
Five Diverse Books to Celebrate Valentine’s Day With
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, many folks are rushing to their local supermarket to stock up on candied hearts, flowers, and decorative cards. No matter what flavor of love you want to share or how your Valentine’s Day celebrations may vary, we are all unified...
My 93,000 book journey
Guest blogger, Michael Gottfried details his journey with African Library Project and sending libraries to African youth. It was a crisp fall afternoon in October 2009, when my professor, Dr. Jim Nolan, asked our Education Freshman Seminar a question that would not...
Why I Became a Librarian
One of the secrets to ALP’s success in creating libraries is the work and commitment of its librarians. The following guest blog tells the story of what motivates one librarian in a village in Malawi and why he wants to do more. By organizing a book drive, you...
Touching the future – Girl Scouts Book Drive Experience
When Sheila Lenius, Madison, WI. Girl Scout leader, learned about how volunteers working with the African Library Project can create libraries, she could see that a book drive would be a perfect project for her daughters’ first and fourth-grade troops. “I feel bad...
“Our Library Has Brought Good Results”
Changing lives book by book is the African Library Project’s tagline. But do you ever wonder exactly how ALP libraries change lives? What follows is a thank you letter from the teacher-librarian at Middlepits Primary School in Middlepits, Botswana in which...
African Accomplishments, African Potential
At the recent Summit in Botswana, Board Members and volunteers from the US saw firsthand that our libraries are thriving, and the teacher librarians have a great deal to teach each other and us. Pictured here are the first-time Summit delegates Joel Wakesa from...
From Penn State Freshman to High School Teacher
Mike Gottfried led his first book drive in 2009 as a freshman at Penn State. When his professor learned from a former student in the Peace Corps that children in Africa have few books, his professor put together a team to organize that first book drive, and Mike...
This is what we want to do for Christmas
While many book drive organizers know that rural schools in Africa are starved for books, Amie Breed has had first-hand experiences that led her to become a book drive organizer. She is married to a South African, and her son, now in middle school, studied in...
Ugly sweaters lead to beautiful results
Book drive organizers looking for creative strategies to raise funds for shipping and mailing may not think that ugly sweaters could be much help, but Tanvi Hathiramani found that Ugly Holiday Sweater Day was a successful way to raise money for a 2016 book drive at...
Feeling a part of something bigger
Vikram Ruppa-Kasani says that he has always liked books. As he got older and he learned about people in the rest of the world, he wanted to give kids the same experience that he had had. So, at age 16, he led his Eagle Scout troop in Alpharetta, GA to do a book...
Dublin Coffman High School Students Share the Gift of Reading
As a lawyer and library technical aide at Dublin Coffman High School in Dublin, Ohio, I have a special place in my heart for books and libraries. I often read six books at a time. I know that a love of books--of holding a book, turning its pages, looking at its...
Off to a good start, but there’s more to do
In May, a team from the US and Kenya celebrated a landmark event in ALP history—the distribution of ALP's first container of books for 32 libraries. It was an important milestone for ALP, but our work in Kenya is not done. We are planning to send a second...
Honoring Caleb with a Library
In 2009 my husband and I created Caleb’s Project to honor the short, but precious life of our son, Caleb Paul Zellner, who died before birth. His due date was December 26. Because I wanted to have a happy Christmas for my other children, I decided I should...
So, What Does Golf Have to Do With It?
When the African Library Project Board voted earlier this year to hold a golf tournament, Sharna Fey, a Board member since 2011, enthusiastically agreed to become the Project Manager for Links for Literacy. Originally scheduled for late September, the...
Five years of reading can make a difference
This is the third blog from Ashley Kahn about her recent trip to Lesotho with Amy Jo Carson, ALP’s Lesotho Country Liaison. The village of Bokone is special to Amy Jo Carson. A part of Amy’s heart belongs to the Majara family, their house and village, as that’s...
Kicking it up a notch
ALP not only creates libraries; it also stays in touch with our African partners to be sure the libraries are working effectively. And when possible, helps make them even better. On a recent trip to Lesotho, Amy Jo Carson and Ashley Kahn found a fun way to reorganize...
Lesotho libraries: a place to gather and read
ALP is working to send a container of books to Lesotho this fall to create 35 new libraries. We still need Book Drive Organizers, who can complete a book drive by September 1. Click here to find out what’s involved and how to sign up. As you will read...
Even Better Than Expected
When Samantha and her Brownie leader agreed that their second-grade troop would do a book drive for a library in Africa, they thought that the troop would collect 1000 books for one primary school library in Malawi. But when the PTA president at Field Elementary...
The Best Year of My Life
Guest blogger and long-time book drive organizer, Sharon Allen discusses her experience visiting Kenya. In May of 2016, I retired after 30 years of teaching mostly kindergarten and first grade. Primary teachers tend to be book lovers and I am no exception! Over the...
Books Have Changed Our Lives
Guest blogger, Bright Edem Kofi Adeti shares his experience with African Library Project and creating libraries for kids in Ghana. My name is Bright Edem Kofi Adeti. I teach French and Information and Communication Technology in a deprived junior high school in the...
A Reading List for All Seasons
Summer is looming in the Northern Hemisphere, and those who love to read are happily planning which books to take to the beach or wherever they will vacation. But no matter what hemisphere you live in, you may want a pile of good books nearby, ready for when you...
Book Drives Raise More Than Just Books
Guest blogger, Amy Vijayanagar of Midland Elementary School's book drive organizing experience with African Library Project. Conducting a book drive for the African Library Project was a perfect fit for Midland Elementary School for many reasons. We were...
A thank you from Swaziland
We're proud to receive the following thank you note written from Mrs. Lungile C. Msibi of Swaziland. It is our great privilege to write this letter to you, thanking you for receiving such wonderful and interesting novels you donated to us as Ebenezer High School....
ALP Libraries Have Lasting Value
Guest blogger and assistant librarian for the University of Malawi-Chancellor College, Jessy Mphunda shares her story with African Library Project. I am Jessy Mphunda, Assistant Librarian for the University of Malawi-Chancellor College. I have worked with the...
What I Have Learned from Book Drives
African Library Project book drive organizer and youth ambassador, Divya Prakash from California details her involvement with African Library Project and how she's helped change lives, book by book. My name is Divya Prakash, and I am a 15-year-old high school...
Congratulations to the President’s Volunteer Service Award Honorees
This year eight ALP book drive organizers received the President’s Volunteer Service Award for their work helping to start libraries in Africa. The awardees range in age from 10-17 and live all across the U.S. from California to New Hampshire. They share a dedication...
Making the World Literate, One Librarian at a Time
James Reindl is a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer serving with his wife, Graca, in the Volta Region of Ghana. A journalist by trade, he and his wife are agriculture volunteers in Wusuta-Anyafo, specializing in raising animals, including, chickens, ducks, Guinea fowl,...
President’s Volunteer Service Awards
ALP congratulates our first recipients of the President’s Volunteer Service Award. These young people completed at least 50 volunteer hours in the last year. Each one received a medal, a certificate, and a letter from President Obama. Megan Ha, age 12, of...
Tales from HillBrook… a Book Drive Story!
In April 2015, the 6th grade class at Hillbrook school held a book drive to help create two libraries in Malawi. Along with collecting the books, the 6th graders needed to raise enough money to ship the books to New Orleans where they would be put on a container ship...
Book Drives: A Librarian’s Point of View
My name is Amy Hanson. I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which has a nationally recognized library system. Every week I bring my son to story time at our local branch library to read stories, sing songs, and play with friends. We can check books out to read at...
The Story of Ketelelo, an ALP Reader, Coming Soon to a Theater Near You
You may have read our newsletter article or previous blog post about Ketelelo Moapare, who grew up in rural Botswana and was an avid reader in the library the African Library Project helped start in his community of New Xade. He became an academic...
Girl Scouts Lead: Four Book Drives, Five Thousand Books, Eighteen Future Leaders!
Eighteen girls from Madison, Wisconsin learned that they have the power to change the world. They also now see that no matter how limited our resources sometimes may seem in the U.S., we are fortunate compared to circumstances in...
Sharing the Love of Reading: Enriching Others’ Lives Enriches Your Own.
Spencer Ames, while in 6th grade at The School at Columbia University, led a book drive for Swaziland that enriched his life while enriching the lives of others. His story is inspiring for parents who are seeking a volunteer project for their family that builds...
Unite Africa Book Drive: An Interview with Amday Wolde
Congratulations to Amday and his fellow students on the completion of their first African library through the strength of their student organization Unite Africa. It can be a lot of work to complete one, but getting as many people as possible involved...
South Africa Prepares for ALP’s First Libraries! Michelle, PCV, Shares Her Story from the Field
Michelle Ramus, a Peace Corps Volunteer in South Africa (SA), has been waging an active campaign on Twitter to gather books in the US to populate a soon-to-be-launched library in SA, in the village where she is serving. It will be one of ALP's first library projects...
Behind the Warehouse Door by Chris Bradshaw, ALP Founder
Missionary Expediters (MX) is a vital link in our supply chain. MX specializes in helping humanitarian aid organizations and missionaries get their shipments to difficult to reach areas of the world. Read a behind-the scenes account of what happens to the ALP...
ALP’s Books Changed My Life: Mzwakithi’s Tale from Swaziland by Mzwakithi Shongwe and Kathleen Long
Mzwakithi Shongwe was a bright child of about 10 years old, selected to participate in a national debate, hosted by Fundza, the partner of the African Library Project in Swaziland, whose mission is to create communities of young readers. The prize for winning? A...
The Gift You Get By Giving Books: More Joy!
Knowing that sometimes, the books I send will be the first a child will ever hold, or will ever experience, creates a bond between me and them across an ocean and from a distance of thousands of miles. It makes me feel rich, and sets context for all that I’ve...
“Madam, Ke Kopa Libuka Ea Dora.” (“Madam, I Would Like the Dora Book Please.”): Mopeli Primary School Library – The Happiness Place.
The library at Mopeli Primary School is one of the happiest places I have adopted in my Peace Corps service. Built in a small storage room, it holds hundreds of children’s books donated through the African Library Project. It was formally set up by the volunteer...
A Brighter Future For Sierra Leone
I just returned from Sierra Leone, my first time back in 40 years since I was a student at Fourah Bay College in Freetown during my Junior Year Abroad. While some aspects of life in Sierra Leone have improved, I was shocked to see how much of it seems worse....
Nourishing the Dreams of Botswana’s Children
Books4cause is an online bookstore with a social mission to provide economic opportunities through education. Of paramount importance for myself as the President of Books4Cause is not only to know that we are doing good in the world but to see it first...
African Library Project Mobilizes Kids to…
We were posted on #GivingTuesday with success!#literacy #communityservice Across the US, people who love books and believe in literacy are gathering books, 1,000 at a time, to ship to Africa to build libraries where there are none - in rural Africa. The African...
Olivia & Alec’s Very Special Journey to the ALP Summit in Malawi: Seeing The Fruits of Our Labor
For several years now we have been collecting books for the African Library Project (ALP). This year, the ALP board invited our family to attend their 2013 Summit in Malawi as book drive organizers, together with Mike and Coy who are also very involved with...
A True Flow of Compassion from Georgia to Africa: River Trail Middle School Kids Create 27 African Libraries
In the world of blogging, it’s not uncommon to develop meaningful friendships with people whose face you’ve never seen and voice you’ve never heard. I met Chris Bradshaw, founder of African Library Project, when I wrote a post about ALP for my blog, What Gives 365,...
African Library Project Changes Lives: Ketelelo’s Story
Remember the movie “The Gods Must Be Crazy", a story set in Botswana about a man from the San (Bushman) tribe who spoke a click language and found a Coke bottle in his native land? Now, fast forward to today – and a boy from this semi-nomadic hunter-gatherer tribe...