Books for Africa

While at Kabanana this summer working with the kids, I would always look into this empty room that was across from my classroom.  I kept thinking, I can’t wait until the day it is filled with smiling faces which would mean that more kids had been sponsored. 

 Teacher Dorothy who I was working with had big plans for that room.  Since there were four American teachers working in that school over the two weeks, we brought in a couple of dozen books that we used in teaching.  They had a few books that had already been donated but nothing even close to the collection of books most children have at home much less the amount of books that a school here in America has.  I have so many books in my own classroom that I have collected over the years and it is something that I take for granted.  No longer do I take the books I read to my kids every day for granted.  The joy kids get out of books is something that is missing in the schools in Zambia.  Because of their limited resources, they do not daily get that joy of being read to, or reading themselves.   Something exciting has happened since I have been back home. 

Teacher Dorothy took some cardboard boxes that supplies were delivered in and turned it into a bookshelf.  (If someone had asked me to do that, I would have told them they were crazy.  You can’t make a bookshelf out of cardboard boxes)

One thing I admire about Teacher Dorothy is that where there is a will, there is a way and she wanted that empty room to be turned into a library.  Over a week or two she transformed that barren room into something that brought tears to my eyes.  Look closely at the pictures and you can see the details that she put into it to make even the shelf to look more colorful.  The “table” is an old door that had broken off of one of the classrooms. 

 There are 14 more Lifeway Christian Academies in Zambia that are in need of “libraries” or simply books to read to their kids.  The school that I work at, Bette Perot Elementary is going to do their part in helping collect the needed books.  Family Legacy’s goal is to collect 15 books of 40 different titles and lesson plans will be written for the teachers to use for each book.  This will give them one book a week to read and teach lessons from.   I am so excited about this and I know that the Zambian teachers will be ecstatic!!!  Family Legacy is also raising money to purchase book shelves, books, and other needed supplies for the 15 existing schools.  I would love for you to partner with us in this project.  There are two ways that you can help!

1.        Donate directly to this project through Family Legacy: https://donate.familylegacy.com/lcabooks

2.       Buy books at the BPES bookfair or donate money to “All For Books“ that will be used to purchase books.  

I am so excited to see the way that God is going to move at my school to collect books.  We are going to have 15 copies of 10 different books available at the book fair during the week of October 8, for kids to purchase.  Every year at the book fair, Mrs. Pratt participates in a program through the scholastic book fair called “All For Books” where the kids can donate money and scholastic matches that amount of money and gives to organizations/schools that are in need.  The money we collect will be put toward purchasing books that will go to Zambia. Please pray with me that all of the books will be purchased and that we can use the money that is collected to purchase additional titles above and beyond the ten that will be available for purchase.

We have a visiting author coming to our school next week and he has graciously agreed to donate 15 copies of one of his books: Humpty Dumpty After the Fall.  I am so excited to see God's hand already moving!!

I know that God is going to be faithful in bringing in all the money needed to purchase what the schools are lacking and that He will be faithful to make the book fair a HUGE success in the donation of books for Africa.