By Charles Swanigon/reporter
Just outside the bookstores on both NE and NW campuses sits a recycling box for books that will be sent all over the world to those in need.
Books for Africa is one of the organizations that accepts these donations. The group is on a mission to end what it calls “book famine” in Africa.
The organization collects, sorts, ships and distributes books to Africa children. Since 1988, BFA has shipped 22 million books to 45 African countries, and the group says many more are needed.
BFA has a program called the “Dollar A Day Campaign.” The goal is for 1,000 donors to donate $1 per day for 1,000 days, raising $1 million. Local African groups will match those donations.
Donations can be made in the name of a friend or family member. Donations for as little as $50 can provide 100 books for a classroom and $500 provides enough books for a rural school, according to the BFA website.
Tonya Peoples, textbook manager for NE Campus’ bookstore, urged students to donate books that cannot be sold back.
“It is better to save a book than kill a tree,” she said.
NW Campus collected seven boxes of books this semester, said Iris Galindo, a student worker and Phi Theta Kappa officer.
“The ability to send books to Africa is gratifying,” she said.
Phi Theta Kappa also plans to build a large wooden box on NW for donations as well as start a book drive and to place donation boxes by every trash can so students have an opportunity to recycle.
