Shameless solicitations: This is no Children's Miracle Network or KONY 2012 campaign, people. It's a small scale endeavor with no middle man. Just sending books to people that need them.

In a country where it's cheaper to buy three days worth of food (if not more) than to purchase a book, Botswana Book Project was set up as a program through Books for Africa to have annual shipments of books sent from the U.S.A. to Botswana. Many of the libraries in cities, townships, and villages around Botswana have benefited from these donations, enabling children and adults the access to books they could not otherwise afford, or find reason to justify purchasing.

Volunteering at a primary school, I witness students having no interest in recreational reading and no one encouraging such an exploration of a hobby. If it's that music from overseas is so readily accessible for them and of such great interest, why can't we take the initiative to make books just as prevalent and popular. This is a country content in its culture and its geography. To provide them books that takes them places without the commitment of leaving the comfort of home, we could eventually mobilize the Batswana to see and do and explore beyond their borders. In addition, these endeavors could also prepare them for a future with a competitive education through a developed interest in books and reading.

Last year the Botswana Book Project brought about 30,000 books to this country. In addition to gathering the actual books, the organization partners with volunteers in-country to collect the necessary money to cover shipping costs. This year, we are trying to raise $9,000 USD to have the same successful book donation.

If you are interested in the project, please visit the website for further information, including how to donate monetarily.

www.botswanabookproject.org

Thanks for reading.