Share this:

The second life of a donated ABP book.

1. Books are donated to the ABP by school libraries, and individuals, in Calgary and surrounding areas.

2. Books are then reviewed by local volunteers to make sure they’re in good enough condition to be sent overseas. If not, they are donated elsewhere or recycled – nothing ends up in the garbage. If they’re good to go, they’re sorted, packed and stored until they can be sent.

3. When the ABP has enough funding to send a shipment to Africa, the books are put on a train to Vancouver or Montreal, and from there, shipped on to Kenya or Tanzania, via Europe, or somewhere in the Middle East. Shipping takes anywhere between 6 weeks and 3 months.

4. Some books arrive at the port in Mombasa, Kenya, where they must clear customs, which can take up to a few weeks. Then, local volunteers and staff collect them and move them to a storage facility, where they’re unpacked and sorted.

Other books arrive at one of two ports in the two ports in Ethiopia – Aseb or Mitsiwa. From there, books are distributed by local people working with Ethiopia Reads, our American counterpart

5. The books finally arrive in their new homes – government, public and community school libraries, where they’ll be read by schoolkids from preschool to Grade 12.

In the future, the ABP wants to start sending books to western Kenya and the Nairobi area as well.

Books are sorted according to Grade levels and subjects before being distributed accordingly.

Books are sorted and distributed to schoolkids in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Books are distributed by local volunteers.

Books are sorted according to Grade levels and subjects before being distributed accordingly.

Books are sorted and distributed to schoolkids in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Books are distributed by local volunteers.

Advertisement