February 3rd, 2005
Books For Africa partnered with the United Nation Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), FORGE, and the World Refugee Academy (WRA) to send a container to Lusaka, Zambia, to establish a library at the Meheba Refugee Camp in Zambia.
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December 21st, 2004
Stephanie Hazen, U.S. Peace Corp Volunteer, organized a shipment from Books For Africa to Kameru Senior Primary School in Opuwo, Namibia. This container was sent through the generosity of the Irwin Andrew Porter Foundation.
November 5th, 2004
Better World Books to Become BFA’s Largest Donor BFA continues to develop its strategic partnership with Better World Books (formerly known as Campus Community Outreach). Better World Books helped celebrate the shipment of BFA’s 10 millionth book on October 2, 2004 with a special presentation of a pledge in the amount of $121,225 for FY 05. Xavier Helgesen, who has recently joined BFA’s board of directors, Jeff Kurtzman, and David Murphy from Better World Books were on hand to present the pledge and a $20,000 check to BFA. This pledge makes Better World Books the largest single donor to BFA for FY 2005. Better World Books has already provided BFA with cash donations totaling $67,100 as well as book donations. “This level of support by Better World Books is critical to Books For Africa to enable us to continue our mission of serving the children of Africa,” said Books For Africa Executive Director Pat Plonski. “The unrestricted donations and pledges by Better World Books to Books For Africa represent approximately 23% of our annual operating budget. We will have the capacity to ship hundreds of thousands of books to Africa as a direct result of this generous support by Better World Books,” Plonski continued. Better World Books is an organization that utilizes the value of the used book to fund socially responsible literacy initiatives worldwide. Books are collected from schools, individuals, and universities and sold via the internet and other mechanisms with the profits used to benefit Books For Africa. For more information about Better World Books visit their website at www.betterworldbooks.com.
The Rancho Cucamonga Rotary Club based in California Sponsored with BFA the delivery of 25,000 books to Ukweli Training Center (a project and orphanage of Empowering Lives International) in rural Kenya. Dee Matreyek of the Rancho Cucamonga Rotary Club met the container in Nairobi and assisted in the book distribution process.
May 8th, 2003
University of Minnesota Students asked to donate a "Book and a Buck" to BFA U of MN President Bob Bruininks and state Senator Sandy Papas, honorary chairs for the "Book and a Buck" campaign. From May 5-May 17th the U of MN will be collecting books and contributions on behalf of BFA. For more information see the U News Service here: www1.umn.edu/twincities
May 2nd, 2002
Books For Africa’s Board Chair, Gena Doyscher, speaks with 12 print, radio, and television journalists from francophone Africa during a visit to the Books For Africa warehouse on April 6th. The U.S. Department of State sponsored a specialized International Visitor Leadership Program to bring these representatives to Minnesota. Eleven countries were represented by these participants: Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Central Africa Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Niger, Republic of Congo, and Senegal. The three-week study tour hosted by the Minnesota International Center explored the application of journalistic principles in a democratic society.
