5,000 Books for Peace Corps in Salone

The United States Embassy in collaboration with Sierra Leone Book Trust (SALBOT) yesterday donated about 5,000 (five thousand books) to the Peace Corps in the country.

During the ceremony which took place at the Peace Corps Office Signal Hill- Wilberforce, Mitchell Benedict the Charge d’ Affairs at the US Embassy said that these books will be donated to the Peace Corps Volunteers for the school children in the country.

He disclosed that the mission of SALBOT is to provide books to improve literacy and education and this is in line with the goals of the Embassy and Peace Corps. “We all believe that education is the key to development, and that information is an important factor in building a more peaceful, stable future for Sierra Leone.”

Speaking about the importance of books the US Charge d’ Affairs said apart from the books being valuable classroom teaching aid, “they provide opportunities for independent study research. We believe that education is key to development particularly to the development of women and girls because books, and educating women are a link that has been provided to help develop a nation and to help move that nation forward both its economy and its health.”

Mitchell Benedict furthered that “books nurture ideas, they provide ideas to revolt against. If you can get something formulated, it helps you to form your own ideas and from that things can start to happen. It is important at so many levels. We are opening new horizon for the future leaders of the country. We affirm the fundamental truth that ‘knowledge is power.’”