Creating access to books

Many of the national library services that we partner with are expanding their services by adding new libraries to their networks and are also supporting schools, so the need for the books we send is growing. 

In Ghana for example, the Ghana Library Authority (GhLA) currently manages 128 libraries across the country and is looking to expand that number even further. Last year we sent 83,409 books to support GhLA in their work to reach even more communities. In 2023 in total we supported 645 networked public libraries across East, West, Southern and the Horn of Africa.

Supporting local communities

We work with our partners to get books to the remotest communities, where there would otherwise be little access to books and learning.

In 2023, through our partner Silanyo National Library in Somaliland, we supplied books which were sent to the camel library. This mobile library supports communities of pastoralists who move from one location to the next with their cattle. The books are eagerly awaited by the children, offering an opportunity to read and learn about the world.

Helping education to thrive

Through our Explorer Libraries project in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sierra Leone and Zanzibar we set up seven new libraries in primary schools – transforming unused class-rooms into places where children can discover books.

Our Books to Go project in Uganda,  reached 4,242 children in five schools. This project provides brand-new books, secure book storage and staff training for schools, enriches learning in the classroom and supports children to read at home.

Promoting gender equality

In South Sudan, years of civil war and conflict have had a devastating impact on children’s learning. We sent 3,536 books to our partner African Revival in 2023, which helped to stock over 20 school libraries in the Ibba and Maridi regions, in particular IBBA Girls School, where communities had few resources.

Work like this and our support of partners like UMOVEMENT in Liberia, who run after-school learning clubs especially for girls, also helps to encourage gender equality.

Supporting good health and well-being

In 2023 we provided 103,386 medical, health and social care books in 21 countries, helping professionals to keep developing their skills.  

In South Sudan, we sent 3,274 up to date medical books which are now giving students and medical faculties the research and information they need. And in Lusaka, Zambia, we provided 452 medical books to the University Teaching Hospital, where 4,000 undergraduate students, 1,000 postgraduate students and 300 lecturers can now access them.

Reaching refugees

We worked with 25 partners to reach 379,834 refugees in nine countries, distributing everything from picture books to further education books.

To support refugees who have fled to Lebanon from Palestine and Syria, we donated over 9,304 books through our partner the Lebanese Board on Books for Young People.  We also started working with new partners, Room to Read, in the Bekaa Valley and Tuyoor Al-Amal in the north of Lebanon who have set up three schools to provide education for refugee children there. 

Responding to conflict

Conflict has forced tens of millions of people worldwide from their homes, closing schools and destroying libraries.

In 2023 we sent 25,505 brand-new books to support over 80 libraries in Ukraine which were damaged or destroyed during the Russian invasion. The shipment was sent overland to Kyiv, in support of PEN Ukraine’s Unbreakable Libraries project, to help rebuild their collections and to bring hope, comfort and learning to communities across Ukraine.

Engaging more people with reading

In some communities where our partners work, children have very few books for learning.

So, in 2023 we supplied 1,637 nursery and primary school and 346 secondary school libraries, offering a broad range of brand-new books and enabling children to discover the joy and benefit of reading. We also supported our partners in training 364 teachers and librarians, enabling them to include reading in school timetables and to use books to inspire children both within and beyond the classroom.

Bringing school libraries to life

In Sierra Leone, through our Inspiring Readers programme we provided ten schools with 10,255 books, plus additional locally purchased books. Each school now has its own cupboard library – the perfect solution when there is no dedicated school library. Teachers report that students are already more engaged in reading exercises and more confident in reading aloud in front of their classmates.

We also set up Children’s Corners in Sierra Leone’s Kambia and Moyamba districts, with 7,270 books now available in dedicated spaces for younger readers in public libraries while in the Bo province, we worked with the Sierra Leone America Calvary Baptist Primary School to set up an Explorer Library project. 

Working with education NGOs

Working in partnership with education NGOs, we can support the most marginalised children, giving them the chance to engage with books in their communities.

Through our partnership with the Rainbow Trust Foundation in Ghana, an NGO focused on improving children’s access to quality education,  we developed an Explorer Library at the Apapam Methodist Primary School, supporting the renovation of an empty classroom into a brand-new library and training staff in how to manage the library. We sent 2,500 books in 2022 and provided a grant in 2023 which purchased 200 locally published books to stock the library, which is now being used by five local schools.

Reading in communities

Well-stocked libraries – whether they are in a city, a township, or a village; whether they are public, community or mobile – offer vital sources of information for communities and ensure that people can engage with books wherever they live.

In Zambia for example, we worked in partnership with the Kabwe Provincial Library, the Mbala Municipal Library and the Mporokoso District Library, to develop dedicated Children’s Corner’s. We sent 8,177 UK-donated books, alongside 1,720 titles which were purchased locally.

Nemashakwe Community Library

The lack of a community space for reading and learning in Gutu, Zimbabwe, was a clear problem. With little access to books, students were struggling in their exams. There were few materials to inspire young people about learning and future opportunities. But, with the opening of the Nemashakwe Community Library, the situation is changing fast.

Set up by renowned poet Chirikure Chirikure  with our support,  the library is now being used by the entire community including five local primary and secondary schools. Children in nearby communities can now engage with books and create the future they want to have.

Welcoming new partners

We supplied books to 38 new partners, providing 79,069 books to communities. We also worked closely with some of these organisations, setting up a variety of projects to engage readers.

In Liberia we worked with our new partner Kids Education Engagement Project (KEEP) who promote a culture of reading and set up and stock brand-new reading spaces. We also partnered with Sierra Leone Book Trust (SALBOT) whose aim is to help create a literate society by making books accessible to all.

Strengthening partner skills

To support our partners’ ongoing learning, we work in-country to train people to become trainers themselves, so that they can continue to cascade their learning and engage their communities in reading.

In 2023, we engaged partners to run 15 virtual training courses on Zoom and coached 68 partner staff. We also supported partners to run 20 in-person courses themselves. We continued to build upon our Partner Development Programme, which launched in 2022, to support our partners and enable them to do more.

Community Reading Awards

Our Community Reading Awards played a big part in empowering partners to reach more people in 2023. Through this scheme we made small grants of £1,540 to partners who had innovative ideas on how to reach the broadest community of readers.

Winners in 2023 included a micro-library in a prison in Zimbabwe, a project to run pop-up libraries on football fields in Kenya and  mobile library serving communities in the Congo Market area of Freetown in Sierra Leone. Thanks to our partners, we reached more than 4,000 readers through these awards.

Investing in partner projects

In Cameroon, project Managers from Book Aid International and Street Child came up with the Read Together project together, based on Street Child’s knowledge of what the needs were in the schools and communities.

We provided 2,685 books and a grant to buy 300 locally published books along with content for the teacher training, while Street Child’s positive parenting content was used for the parent/caregiver training. Together we created a brand-new, carer-friendly guide, assisting parents and carers in supporting their children to read. 

Supporting Reading Promotion

On International Literacy Day in September 2023, we organised our annual Reading Promotion celebration, in which 13 partners in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia, Zanzibar and Zimbabwe took part. 

In total, 2,667 children and 1,081 adults attended these events, participating in a wide range of activities and hearing about the power of books from guest speakers including business leaders and government officials. 

Showcasing stories of change

On our website and social media channels we shared blogs on the value of libraries in conflict zones and on how communities were empowered by reading. We also shared first-hand stories from children who are reading to transform their futures, teachers who are empowering the next generation of readers and parents who are discovering the impact access to books can have on children’s education. The stories really struck a chord and were read 2,313 times.

We also secured more than 180 pieces of press coverage during 2023, and our partnership in Ukraine, in particular, generated significant coverage and comments on social media, including from author Elif Shafak.

Taking part in Hay Festival

In 2023 we were joined by over 1,000 book lovers at Hay Festival as our Trustee, Pam Dix, hosted a discussion with authors Elif Shafak, Mariella Frostrup and Kit De Waal on how books can provide solace and strength in times of upheaval.

And we supported Hay Festival Global by participating in a Lviv BookForum event with Rachel Clarke, Halyna Kruk and Sir Ben Okri on The Power of Words during conflict, which helped to raise the topic of books in times of conflict, with an international audience.

A Royal visit helps spread the word

In October, Their Majesties made an official visit to Kenya, including a tour of the Eastlands Library in Nairobi. The library had recently been renovated through a local partnership and also received over 8,000 books from Book Aid International.

During the visit, our Patron, Her Majesty The Queen, heard a book reading from 12 children and had an opportunity to talk with many of them.

Supporting the World Book Capital

In 2023, when Accra was nominated UNESCO World Book Capital, our partner Ghana Library Authority (GhLA) capitalised on the attention this recognition created to advocate for the power of books.

Our Chief Executive Alison Tweed visited Ghana to take part in a series of events on International Literacy Day. As part of our involvement, we made a special donation of 25,112 brand-new books, helping GhLA to inspire more people to read at its network of 128 libraries across the country. And Alison joined the Second Lady of Ghana at a series of well-publicised events, giving readings in schools and speaking about Book Aid International’s book donations around the world.

“We are proud to have been partnering with Book Aid International for over 30 years”

23 companies supported our work last year. The companies we work with share our belief in books, and together we can reach more readers around the world.

“RELX are proud to have been partnering with Book Aid International for over 30 years. Through book donations, volunteering and donations we have supported their work in libraries, schools and universities across sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. We look forward to continuing and strengthening our partnership into their 70th year.”

Alexis Steadman, Global Community Manager, RELX

“I’ve had my nose in a book all my life – as a reader, then as an editor, proofreader and writer.”

By organising events ranging from bake sales, to sponsored walks to readathons, people who fundraise in their communities help us send hundreds of books every year – we’re incredibly grateful for their support.

“The hunger for and delight in books described by the recipients of books from Book Aid seems very real and natural to me. I wanted to promote this worthy cause, so since 2018 I’ve been visiting groups with a talk about Lady Ranfurly, founder of Book Aid International, and have raised nearly £800 so far. I’m sure she would approve!”

Chris Lindop, Supporter

“Reading opens up worlds, ideas, other people’s lives.”

Whether speaking out on our behalf on social media or joining us at a literary festival, our high-profile friends help us raise awareness about the power of books around the world.

“Reading opens up worlds, ideas, other people’s lives. It’s the best way of walking in someone else’s footsteps, of being there, of imagining another life for yourself – on the moon, in the past, in the future. Stories also have the power to comfort us in times of stress or distress, to make us laugh and wonder.

Book Aid International make sure some of the most vulnerable people have access to books and reading, something many of us take for granted. I’m very happy to support them in this important work.”

Kit de Waal, Author

“We look forward to continuing our partnership with Book Aid International.”

The long-term relationships we build with trusts like The Beit Trust, the People’s Postcode Lottery Education Trust, The Be Global Foundation and many others help us provide books and fund projects that transform reading for millions worldwide. Last year, 45 trusts supported our charity.

“We have supported Book Aid International since 1981. They deliver over 300,000 books a year to Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi, the Trust’s beneficial countries.

Unrivalled in quality and variety, these books boost education and provide reading pleasure in equal measure. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Book Aid International in the provision of this essential service.”

Sir Andrew Pocock, Secretary to The Beit Trustees, The Beit Trust