Volunteers Sort and Pack Books For Africa

By Devika Rao

For the AJC

A trip to Uganda left Thomas Warth with an urge to do something about the empty library buildings. Due to the lack of books in Africa and his effort to give back, Warth founded Books For Africa in 1988 as a way to fill the appointed buildings with the power of the written word. Today, the Minnesota-based nonprofit, with its two warehouses based in Smyrna, has become the world’s largest shipper of books to Africa.

Last Saturday, 40 volunteers came to the organization’s 25,000-square-foot warehouse in Smyrna to sort, organize and pack donated books that will be shipped to various schools in Africa. Books are received from publishing partners, schools and libraries.

“In Africa, there is one book for every 100 students,” said Ron Woods, Director of Development and Community Relations-Atlanta. “So for a child seeing trucks coming to deliver books is the same as our experience on Christmas morning. They really look forward to this.” Books range from kindergarten/preschool material to filling law libraries, which Books for Africa helped open due to donations.

In 2011, Books for Africa sent 1.9 million books, 643 computers and 13 West Law books to 21 countries. These numbers are possible with the help of volunteers who come throughout the week and two Saturdays a month to give back. “This operation is run by our volunteers and if someone cannot give time, they can donate their books and computers to [Books for Africa] as a way to give back to this cause,” added Woods. “Along with our volunteers, we are fully engaged in our mission to end book famine in Africa and spread the benefit of literacy and education.”

Since its founding, Books for Africa has sent over 22 million books to 45 countries in Africa.

To get involved with Books for Africa, visit www.booksforafrica.org

In Other News: On Aug. 20, TEF Waste Services sponsored its first neighborhood cleanup in Ashview Heights Community located between Atlanta University Center, Downtown Atlanta and Westview. The effort was organized in part to rehabilitate and rebuild the community which will be a part of the Atlanta Beltline area. TEF Waste Services is an Atlanta-based company started by four Morehouse College graduates that is focused on eco-friendly ways of waste removal.