Schools receive donation from Books for Africa |11 March 2010

These include books of various levels for each school, toys, basketballs, footballs, shoes, backpacks and T-shirts.

Through an initiative of Christopher Hill – who works at the American embassy to Seychelles – the toys were brought in from Minnesota, United States, and handed over by Books for Africa.

This organisation aims to collect, sort, ship and distribute books to children in Africa, and is the world’s largest shipper of donated books to the continent.

Since 1988, Books for Africa has shipped over 22 million high-quality text and library books to children and adults in 45 African countries.

Mr Hill made the necessary contacts, and after talking to Roche Caïman’s National Assembly member Joevana Charles, he chose the School for the Exceptional Child, Plaisance and Les Mamelles crèches, and Plaisance primary and secondary schools to receive a donation.

He said the books were transported here by US military aircraft.
“Basically what I did was write a letter to the Books for Africa organisation to request books and explained what I was going to use them for. When this was accepted, the US government paid for the transportation,” he said.

“It feels real good to have been able to come through with this project, and good memories remain over some other projects, such as giving exercise books to schools like Beau Vallon primary and Mont Fleuri, and also donating to orphanages.”

The School for the Exceptional Child’s headteacher Monica Accouche said the donation is a very useful one, especially the books at various levels for children reading words, phrases, sentences and short texts.