Our work would not be possible without the fantastic partnerships we have with the trusts and foundations who share our commitment to increasing access to books to support literacy, education and development in poor countries. Many support our core book provision programme across sub-Saharan Africa and the Occupied Palestinian Territories while others fund specific library development projects, some of which are outlined below.
We are very keen to develop new partnerships with charitable trusts and foundations and are committed to providing high-quality funding reports to all our donors. If you share our vision and would like to find our more, please do get in touch with Jacqui Scott on 020 7733 3577 or by email.
Some of our major partnerships:
The Beit Trust has for many years supported our library development programmes in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Thanks to our partnership with them, thousands of books from Book Aid International are reaching people living in rural and urban communities through library networks in the three countries.
The Dulverton Trust makes an invaluable contribution to our East Africa programme enabling us to provide books for disadvantaged communities across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, books that support literacy for children and adults, give people essential information on health, help people gain skills to earn a living and give them the opportunity to read for pleasure.
“There are about 60 children of all ages in my class. Sometimes our teacher takes the class outside, under the trees! I love the school library, and I borrow as many books as I can. I like reading stories best! Before I go to bed, I read stories to my mum and dad. They did not have the chance to learn to read, and love to listen to me!” Dalila, schoolgirl, Kenya
The Elsevier Foundation’s ‘innovative libraries in developing countries’ programme is funding the development of health sections in 15 Kenyan libraries from 2010-2012, training 30 librarians, and making essential health information available to health providers. Exciting new partnerships are being developed and the health sections set up in 2010 are being used by local health officers, health lecturers, nurses, peer educators, community health workers, traditional birth attendants and medicine doctors. Read a full project outline here.
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation is funding our East Africa children’s reading project. Thanks to their support, lively and welcoming children’s book corners are being set up in a total twelve libraries in Kenya and Tanzania and a total of 23 schools in mainland Tanzania and on Zanzibar island are being supplied with sturdy boxes filled with books and with reading mats for use in classrooms.
The Vitol Charitable Foundation has supported some exciting projects to get books into the hands of young readers, including community libraries in Eritrea, children’s book publishing in Tanzania, mobile library services for secondary schools in Zambia, and training for public and community librarians. Their enthusiastic support for the pilot project to set up children’s book corners in selected public libraries in Kenya and Tanzania funds to develop a good practice manual: Running child friendly libraries, are helping to create new approaches to children’s services across our partners in East Africa.
We are very grateful to the States of Jersey Overseas Aid Commission for funding new projects starting in 2011. These are: mobile library services for schoolchildren in Kibera slum in Kenya and in rural Uganda, and a community libraries and school readership project in Tanzania. More information about their progress will be available soon.
The Sobell Trust helps fund our provision of children’s books to the Tamer Institute for Community Education in Palestine. Iman Ammus, the chief librarian at Tamer, describes the impact that Book Aid International materials made during a military curfew: “Reading became a form of stress relief and gave the readers a chance to do something productive while under curfew. It gave them the chance to free their imagination and escape their situation.”
We are also extremely grateful to the following:
The Beatrice Laing Trust
The Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation
Unwin Charitable Trust
The Unite Foundation
Blue Door Foundation
Greendale Charitable Foundation
Mercury Phoenix Trust
Peacock Charitable Trust
The Law Society Charity
Zochonis Charitable Trust
Commonwealth Pharmacists Association
