Books For Africa 30th Anniversary Cape Town Tour and Partner Meetings

In January 2018, a group of 23 Books For Africa supporters visited Cape Town, South Africa, with the purpose of raising funds in celebration of Books For Africa’s 30th Anniversary. The group raised over $27,000, which will provide more than 60,000 books to schools in South Africa.

The group’s fundraising appeal was in support of a six hour climb up Table Mountain, led by guides from Mother City Hikers. It was difficult and rewarding! Check out our slideshow from this fantastic adventure:

The school visit was hosted by the NGO help2read at Wemmershoek Primary School. BFA has delivered more than 22,000 books to help2read for use in over 200 schools that benefit from help2read’s reading help program. Since the help2read program began 11 years ago, it has reached more than 17,500 learners. BFA staff and donors participated in a reading club and watched as every delighted learner selected their personal favorite book – a gift for them to take home.  The library at Wemmershoek has also been fully stocked with a comprehensive range of books for all grades.  This will significantly support the help2read Literacy Tutors at the school who not only take children for one-on-one dedicated reading help each morning, but who provide after-school and holiday programs with reading and literacy-related games at the core. 

“The gift of a book of their own may seem small and simple to many”, said help2read’s Literacy Tutor Coordinator, Melody Volmink. “However, if you have benefited from having your own book, ever; been able to find a quiet corner or get into bed and read, you will know the power and wonder of an escape into the world of words, imagination and story that a book can give you.  That is how you develop a love of reading. That is how you learn to read, with meaning.  We are absolutely thrilled to have received this donation, not only here for Wemmershoek, but for all our schools across the country”.

Books For Africa leaders connected with other key organizations in the area to discuss expanded and new partnerships. Meetings were held with the Thope Foundation’s Molo Mhlaba  Girls’ School in Kyalitcha Township, the Women’s Legal Centre, Big School Enterprises, 9 Miles Project, The Web Foundation, and Justice Deon van Zyl of the Rotary Club of Gordon’s Bay.

The sponsors of the Cape Town Tour were Thomson Reuters(represented by Tammie Follett), Medtronic, (represented by Jote Taddese, who also serves as the Books For Africa Board President), Better World Books(represented by Dustin Holland), Lerner Publishing(represented by Joni Sussman), Borton Overseas, The Hillswood Foundation, and the Margaret Rivers Fund. Additional support was provided by Amara Wines, Africa Classroom Connection, and Michael Stanley, author of Kubu Books.