How to Donate Used Books to African Schools
African schools are experiencing a shortage of books for their students. According to Books for Africa, a nonprofit organization based in Minnesota, it is not uncommon for 10 to 20 students in African schools to share one book. Organizations such as Books for Africa take book donations and send them by sea containers to African schools. These book donations benefit children who are striving for an education and a positive future. Whether you donate books through a reputable organization or through a local book drive, there is no question that the books will be welcome in African schools.
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Instructions
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Choose an organization that ships donated books to African schools. Books for Africa is one of the largest organizations, but the UZIMA Foundation, Books Beyond Borders and the Africa Book Project are reputable organizations working to end the book shortage in Africa.
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Check with your chosen organization before you mail books to be sure that they are accepting donations.
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Check with the organization about the kinds of books they accept and weed through your collection accordingly. Organizations are usually looking for textbooks, reference books, medical, nursing and law books as well as information technology books. Fiction and nonfiction are sometimes desirable as are school and office supplies.
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Package the books you are going to donate in a sturdy box. Packing materials are often prohibited. Check the organization's packing guidelines.
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Mail the books through library rate, book or media mail to save on shipping costs.
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Request a thank-you letter from the organization for the books that you donated. Shipping costs for the books as well as the market value is tax deductible.
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Tips & Warnings
Consider donating money along with your books. Organizations that collect books for Africa are in great need of money to ship these books to the people that need them. Check with a local university or school district for fundraisers or book drives that they are hosting. You might be able to donate books through them. If there are no local book drives, think about having one yourself. Not only will you give your community the opportunity to affect literacy and education in Africa, but you will be working toward filling empty library shelves in African schools.
