Books for Africa campaign underway at school

The Bradford District High School student council is organizing a town-wide book drive for children in Africa.

Recently, residents were asked to bring at least one book into a participating Bradford-area school. The books will be shipped to St. Paul's, Minnesota where they will be sorted before shipment to African schools begins.

Kristi Weening, the BDHS student council president, points out that in Africa it is common to see five or six children sharing one book.

A huge demand exists for English books, as English is the official language in eighteen African countries. Africa is described as experiencing a "book famine", said Weening.

Because most books are printed outside of the continent, many schools in Africa have to purchase their materials at with importation costs, an often onerous and nearly impossible sum of money for the povertystricken and war-ravaged regions.

In sub-Sahara Africa, there are over 42 million children not enrolled in school.

Over 50 per cent of women in Africa are illiterate, representing the lowest percentages in the world.

The Bradford-area schools, led by BDHS, are working with the non-profit organization Books for Africa. The organization receives new and used books through donations for African schools and libraries.

The UN Millennium Development goals include a pledge to achieve universal primary education.

"With primary school enrolments the lowest in the world in Africa, making this goal a reality requires equipping students and teachers with the lifeblood of schools; books," said Simcoe County District School Board student trustee Jonathan Scott.

Gently used English fiction, non-fiction and textbooks may be dropped off at Bradford Public School, Fieldcrest Elementary School, WH Day and BDHS.

Visit www.booksforafrica. org for more information.