Monday, August 10, 2009

Hope Library Phase II complete, with 2,200 more books!



Good news! The biggest shipment of donated books so far has arrived at The Hope Library in Kibera. More than 2,200 books arrived safely after a long journey via shipping container from the USA.

The books were gathered in Chicago and forwarded from other locations around the states by Ron Reason and his vast network of friends and sponsors, and were shipped along with a much larger collection of donated goods by the American Friends of Kenya. (Thanks, AFK!) To read a related blog entry about how Facebook helped make all this possible, go here. The books were carefully screened to be of most utility to the people of Kibera, and fall under categories including history, biography, geopolitics, women's studies, African and African-American authors, poetry, health, and lots and lots of classics, fiction and kids books.

Book donations are now on hold as Nicofeli/Hope pursues its dream in Phase III of its development: the procurement of a secure permanent facility, from which to operate the club's many programs that aid the community, and to house the impressive collection of books with proper shelves, lighting, and chairs where residents can relax and read. If you would like to help with this ambitious phase of our development, please contact: nicofeliyouthclub@yahoo.com

To see an inspiring photo album of the kids enjoying their books, go here.

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