Books For Africa provides English book donations of all levels that could help start or enhance a PCV’s village library.  Books For Africa will ship about 22,000 English books in a 40 foot container but there are two major requirements:

• the recipient group needs to fundraise $9,500 for shipping charges.  Collaborating with other groups or volunteers to raise the shipping costs and share the books is an option that has worked well in the past.  That can be accomplished by posting the project on the Books For Africa website, then emailing the link to friends, family, civic and church groups in the U.S.  Examples of this are on the “Donate to a project” page on their website.
• an NGO who will be able receive the the container at port and transport the books.  The NGO should have financial and logistical capacity to clear the container.  Other charges occur upon receiving the shipment but an experienced NGO can keep those costs to a minimum.

Books For Africa wants to end the book famine in Africa so check out their website.  Any questions not answered on the website can be addressed to Carole Patrikakos at Carole@booksforafrica.org.