Allendale: African Library Project

Helping others beyond our front door! Making a difference in literacy is life changing

Although Allendale is a modest-sized Rotary Club, it does amazing work to help the African Library Project (ALP). How does it do it? Here is a timely report from Allendale Rotarian Terry Van Dyken.
 
Rotary Club of Allendale just shipped 64 boxes, containing more than 1,400 books, to the Govani Primary and Community School in South Africa. These 64 boxes are quite extraordinary. Typically, we
send 15 - 20 boxes to fulfill the goal of 1,000 - 1,200 books for a new, school library in Africa, and each typical box usually contains between 50 - 150 books. With this shipment of 64 boxes, each box only had between 10 - 13 books, because 870 of the books were math and science textbooks for grades 6 - 8. We have never been able to ship textbooks before, because schools never need or want them; the government typically provides textbooks.
 

How It Happened

This textbook scenario featured multiple and timely actions on many fronts. In June, I had a question posed to me from a middle school teacher, "Could we find a school in Africa that needs a large quantity of math and science textbooks, including teacher editions and additional teacher resources?" I asked several prior ALP coordinators about this. Every coordinator said "No, there is never a need for textbooks." But Pamela Bostelmann, ALP coordinator for South Africa, said "Wait a minute, let me check on a new school that we have just started working with - the Govani Primary and Community School." And a match was made!! YES!!
 

How We Do It

As a modest-sized club, to be successful collecting 1,000 books per full library, we partner with other organzations in the Allendale community. Our club has several members from these organizations that help us connect with their constituents:
 
  • The superintendent of Allendale Public Schools (APS), Dr. Garth Cooper, is an Allendale Rotarian,
    as well as past president and current co-president. With Dr. Cooper's support we work with APS principals, staff, students and parents. This is one of our biggest sources of
    book donations.
     
  • Another person in our Rotary Club is Abby Black, Allendale Township head librarian. With Abby's help we are able to network with her and collect books through the township.
     
  • Two other groups that we network with are local charities, Ripple and Love Inc.. They collect many donated items, including books, then sell them back to local residents at significantly reduced prices. Ripple and Love Inc. are major contributors to our book drives. In fact, for the most recent book drive for Govani School, Ripple donated 400 books that are now on their way.
     
Our own Rotary members collect books from their own families and neighbors, often hosting neighborhood or block book drives.  Also, Allendale Rotarian businesses encourage employees and business associates to help us.

My Involvement

As a retired school teacher (2019), I personally enjoy seeing the needs of students in Africa being addressed. This library project is an excellent way for our modest-sized club to work collectively with the Allendale community, our national and international coordinators, and the staff and liasons in African schools and communities. African school staff and community leaders always send emails expressing sincere thanks and gratitude for our efforts. 
 

Summary

Our African Library Project drives enable the Allendale Rotary Club to partner with many community organizations, charities, and residents to library books for needy students, staff and residents in Africa. For the past five years, we have averaged one new library per year for a school and community in Africa. It is our hope, our privilege, and our goal to continue working closely with partners through the African Library Project. 
 

NOTE: This kind of project would not be possible without the financial support of JR Prahl and his company OneMonroe. For the past several years, JR and OneMonroe have been shipping our books to various countries in Africa. The cost for JR to ship a standard, full library of 1,000 books is approximately $250. This is a fraction of the cost of the typical shipping fees incurred by other groups that ship books to schools in Africa. ALP coordinators are always asking us how we are able to ship all of these books at such a reduced rate. A big THANK YOU to JR and OneMonroe. 
 

Govani Primary School

The Govani Primary School gives expression to the knowledge, skills and values worth learning in South African schools. As a result, Govani aims to ensure that children acquire and apply knowledge and skills in ways that are meaningful to their own lives. In this regard, the school curriculum promotes knowledge in local contexts, while being sensitive to global imperatives. The school has approximately 1,480 students.

African Library Project

The African Library Project changes lives, book by book, together with partners in Africa and North American volunteers, to create, improve, and sustain libraries in African communities. With an international network of partners, volunteers, and community supporters, book drives are transformed into sustainable libraries. Volunteers in North America organize book drives by rallying their communities to collect gently used children’s books and raise funds for shipping.  Potential library sites in underserved schools and communities in need of books are matched with a book drive to receive books. This approach is how the African Library Project can create, improve, and sustain small libraries throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.
 
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