Photos have been removed from this issue because of a law in Kenya requiring strict documentation for photos and videos featuring school children.
May, 2020
Changing The World One Mind At A Time
We need books, particularly World Book Encyclopedias
Our last newsletter was in February, partly due to COVID-19 and part due to my wife's illness and subsequent death. However, we have continued to progress. Sharron never dwelt on the past. She lived in the present and planned and hoped for the future so I will too. In March we shipped books to 4 more schools bringing the total to 11. Right now the schools in Kenya have shut down due to COVID-19 so we can't ship books since no one is there to receive them. The schools "may" reopen at the end of May. We need your support in the form of money and book donations to supply the 16 schools on the waiting list. I feel guilty asking for your help when everyone around you is suffering from the effects of COVID-19. Kenya is literally under siege with the pandemic, a locust plague of biblical proportions (estimated 150 billion locust), floods, and a cholera outbreak. Anything you can do, no matter how small will help.
Remote Location Shipping
Our storage site is located in Bluffton, SC. It may not be practical for you to get books to us. You can mail books from your post office directly to Kenya and we will reimburse you for the cost. Contact Roy Austin at libraries4kids.org or 843-597- 4826 for details.
Here's a story about the Mbagha Primary School submitted by Francis Wanjiku, LFK Operations Coordinator in Kenya. The pictures on the left are of Mbagha Primary School.
Against Odds- Four Rural School
Madam Annette Chari, headteacher Mbagha Primary School in Taita Taveta county couldn’t hide her smile when she picked three boxes of books from LFK. Her joy was equally felt in three other schools, Msorongo primary in the same county, Katisaa primary and Kalimeza primary schools in Kitui county. Even during these worst times, when COVID-19 has totally changed the way we live, LFK broke barriers and reached out to these schools through books and their generous donations. All four headteachers from the schools, on 4th of May, 2020, visited their respective post offices and collected three boxes each from LFK At first logistical challenges threatened to make the process difficult but where there is a will, God makes a way! Now, students in these four rural schools will have additional resources to utilize during the virus pandemic. So far, LFK has touched the lives of 11 schools and from the look of things, this is just the beginning! With more than 30 schools on the list, and more coming forward from Nairobi slums, this charity organization will do more than change one life in one rural setting! The stakeholders in the rural schools where LFK has donated books highly appreciate the gesture. Thanks to these books, rural kids can continue to learn and keep busy as they wait for the virus to abate. COVID-19 pandemic has forced schools to remain shutdown and it has been difficult for the teachers in rural settings to help their students continue with learning considering the lack of resources like televisions, radios, electricity, computer or internet connection that supports e- learning.
Click HERE for more amazing stories.
Please help us help these kids to the gift of knowledge by donating to this cause. You can donate on our website or GoFundMe Page. LEARN MORE For more information about Libraries For Kids please visit our website.
Pass it On
Please share this e-newsletter with your friends. To subscribe, please click HERE.
MEDIA
Click HERE for a link to a story on WHHI-TV, Hilton Head, SC MEET OUR BOARD
Libraries For Kids, Int'l. is blessed to have a great Board of Directors.
Meet Ty Giesemann
Ty Giesemann grew up in New Orleans, and is a retired US Navy Captain who served aboard seven ships over a 26 year career. He has been to 65 countries, lived overseas in England and Japan for four years, sailed across the Atlantic Ocean with his wife Suzanne in their own sailboat, and visited Mombasa, Kenya in 1973. He would like to help make a difference in kids' lives and believes that education is the primary means of helping them achieve their dreams.
Books For Sale: We have a set of 45 Alexandar Dumas books in very good to excellent condition published in 1895. The collection has been appraised at $2,500 We also have other old books for sale that are do not fit the criteria set by the schools in Kenya. See the left side panel. Copy & paste the list into Word and enlarge it. The books about the founding fathers were published in 1897. If you know a collector who would like to buy these books, please contact us at 843-597-4826.
Crowd Funding
You can donate at GoFundMe and GiveSendGo. No donation is too small and each helps in two ways. The more activity on these pages, the higher their visibility, and also, every little bit helps. Please donate.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Speaking: We are looking for opportunities to present the Libraries For Kids Int’l story, such as civic clubs, churches, Chambers of Commerce, book clubs, professional associations, etc. Contact Roy Austin at 843-597-4826 to schedule a presentation
Ty Giesemann
Celebrity Spokesperson: If you know someone or can connect us to a celebrity that would be a huge benefit
Partners: Our partners provide free services and in return, we put them on our website and feature them in our monthly e- newsletter. We are always looking for new partners
Shelves: We need book shelves for our storage space. If you are doing a remodeling job and taking out old shelves or can part with a bookcase please let us know.
Corporate Sponsor: While we have learned how to minimize the cost of shipping books, it is still expensive. We are investigating the possibility of shipping a container of books so having a corporate sponsor for this project would be a great help. Money: Shipping & help schools pay customs fees and buy new textbooks. Books: There is a list of the type of books the schools want on the Contact Us page on our website. Please click here.
Library Named For You?
Would you like a library named for you? Setting up a library and supplying money for new textbooks costs about $2,500. Donate $2,500 and we will have the school name the library for you and send you pictures of your library. Sponsor a school today with a donation on GoFundMe, GiveSendGo (a Christian crowd funding site) or our website Libraries4Kids.org. We also accept checks payable to Libraries For Kids, Int'l. Mail to PO Box 1013, Bluffton, SC 29910.
DONATE A BOX
It costs about $250 to ship a box of books to Kenya. You can help by funding the shipment of a box of books. You can donate at Libraries4Kids.org or mail a check payable to Libraries For Kids to PO Box 1013, Bluffton, SC 29910
PARTNER RECOGNITION
Many thanks to our partners who have supplied free services.
James Worix, owner of Worix Media is helping us with IT and media editing services.
Alan Flowers and Roman Surroundings are helping us spread the word about Libraries For Kids, Int'l. 70 Pennington Dr. Studio 16D Bluffton, SC 29910
Paul Uhls
BNC Graphics
19 Seventh Ave, Bluffton, South Carolina 29910 https://bncgraphics.com/
Supplied business cards and rack cards
Dan Russin
Store Manager
Morningstar Storage 1110 Fording Island Rd Bluffton, SC 29910
Donated a 10ft x 10ft space for us to
store books.
Allison Debs Lewis
Territory Account Manager Staples Advantage www.staplesadvantage.com Staples has donated shipping boxes.
Libraries For Kids is an IRS tax- exempt 501 (c) (3) organization, so donations of books and money are tax-deductible.
Mission: The mission of Libraries For Kids is help schools with little or no internet access establish libraries and enhance learning opportunities for their students.
Vision: Libraries For Kids envisions helping rural schools in developing countries around the world.
Website: https://libraries4kids.org/ Thanks for your support and prayers for Libraries For Kids, Int’l. For more information, please contact Roy Austin at 843-597-4826.
Coach Roy Austin Founder/Chair
