Photos have been removed from this issue because of a law in Kenya requiring strict documentation for photos and videos featuring school children.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
Benjamin Franklin
Greetings! Here is the September 2021 issue of the Libraries For Kids, Int'l monthly e-newsletter. Thanks for your interest and support. Are We Making A Difference? The Starfish Story
There are tens of millions of children in Africa who do not have access to books. We can't help them all, at least not yet. The 8 containers of books that have arrived or are on the way will create libraries in about 1,600 schools impacting 250,000 children. But there are over 6,700 rural schools in Kenya alone or about 1 million children. And we have received requests from Liberia, Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi, and Tanzania.
Whenever I get a little discouraged, I am reminded of the starfish story. A man was walking down a beach littered with thousands of starfish that had been washed up by a violent storm and they were dying there on the sand. As he looked down the beach he saw a man in the distance reach down, pick up a starfish and tossed it back in the ocean. He kept tossing starfish - one after the other. Eventually, the two met and he said to the starfish tosser, "Why are you wasting your time? There are thousands of starfish stranded on this beach. You can't possibly make a difference." The man smiled, reached down, and tossed another starfish back in the ocean, and said "Made a difference to that one."
Every book we put in the hands of a child is making a difference and you can help.
Checks: If you prefer to donate with a check, please send it payable to Libraries For Kids, Int'l to PO Box 1013, Bluffton, SC 29910. We love checks - no credit card processing fees.
PS - I will be in Kenya & Tanzania starting September 8 to visit schools and national parks I haven't been to.
If you are skeptical about whether we are making a difference, read "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind."
It is an amazing true story about a young man in Malawi who had very little schooling and didn't speak or read English but he accomplished amazing things when he got hold of a book written in English about physics.
KITUI WAREHOUSE
When books arrive at our warehouse in Kitui Kenya they have to be stamped with a tag saying "not for sale," sorted and reboxed for delivery to schools. Sounds simple right? Click
HERE for a short video of what it is like in the warehouse.
Our Operations Coordinator in Kenya, Wanjiku Francis, aka "Ciku," does an amazing job of organizing this effort and then seeing to the distribution of the books. This is no easy task given that Kenya is almost as big as Texas and in the rural areas the roads aren't paved. Ciku is also working with the Kenyan Ministry of Education and working on our application to be an international NGO in Kenya. And if that isn't enough, she also created and maintains our website. She is truly an amazing young lady and we could not accomplish much without her.
NOTE: You will notice in the video the logo of "Book Distribution Partners" on the boxes. Book Distribution Partners is where we get the books. They have warehouses in multiple locations where they store donated books. The teachers in Kenya fill out an order for the types of books they want and Book Distribution Partners fills the container, arranges ocean freight, clears Customs, and delivers the container to our warehouse. It is our responsibility to get the books to the schools.
SPEAKING
We love telling the Libraries For Kids, Int'l story. If your organization needs a speaker please contact us at books@libraries4kids.org or phone us at 843-597-4826. We look forward to sharing our story with your group.
SCHOOL OF THE MONTH
Kitui Primary School
The Headteacher Mwema Wambua at Kitui Primary School is delighted to receive books and so are the students. He was skeptical at first but came by out of curiosity and is now excited about what his school is receiving.
GOAL: 1 MILLION CHILDREN
The 8 containers we are shipping will create libraries in 1,600 schools impacting the lives of 250,000 children. But this is just the start. There are over 6,700 rural schools in Kenya with little or no internet or electricity so we need to fund 25 more containers. It costs $15,000 to ship the container and another $5,000 to deliver the books once the container arrives. On average there are 150 students per school. Your support can help over 1 million children get an education and have the opportunity for a better life.
A Little Goes A Long Way
A little goes a long way in Kenya. Here is how your donation can help.
- $6 will buy 1 textbook
- $24 will supply a child with textbooks in 4 subjects
- $35 will enable us to deliver books from our warehouse in Kenya to one school. Delivery is commonly done by motorcycle.
Just a few dollars a month helps. You can set up a recurring monthly donation on our website.
TESTIMONIAL
Here is a video of the Headteacher, Charles Baariu, at Makaani Primary School when he received books from Libraries For Kids, Int'l.
Smile.Amazon For Kids
You can support Libraries For Kids, Int'l with your Amazon purchases. It's easy. Set up an account at Smile.Amazon.com. It is the same as a regular Amazon account except that you have the option to designate a charity. Please designate Libraries For Kids, Intl. Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase to your charity. The donation comes from Amazon, not you. This link will take you directly to smile.amazon.com in support of Libraries For Kids, Int'l.
When you place an order, login to Smile.Amazon and proceed as you normally would with any other Amazon purchase.
Thanks for your help.
PS - For more information about Libraries For Kids, Int'l visit our website or contact Roy Austin at books@libraries4kids.org or phone him at 843-597- 4826.
HELP: Please donate so we can get the books to the schools once they arrive in Kenya. Each container will create libraries in 150 to 200 schools. When the books arrive at our warehouse in Kiyui, Kenya it costs about $5,000 to deliver all the books in a container, or about $35 per school.
Please contribute $35 to get books to a school.
We've come so far and cleared so many hurdles. Please help us get the books delivered to the schools.
Consider a legacy gift as part of your estate planning.
What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us. What we have done for others is immortal.
Consider a legacy gift as part of your estate planning. 100 years from now no one will remember who we are or what we did. The only true legacy any of us can leave is the positive impact on the lives of others. ______________________________________
SPREAD THE WORD
Please, spread the word by forwarding this email to your friends and contacts, or posting excerpts from this newsletter, or our website, (copy/paste) on your social media accounts.
Together we can make a huge difference in the lives of thousands of children. CHARITY NAVIGATOR
Recently I was asked why Libraries For Kids, Int'l is not rated by Charity Navigator. We are listed on their site (click here) but they do not rate a charity until after they have filed 3 consecutive 990's (tax returns). We are just 2 years old so they will not rate us until after we file our 990 for 2021 next year in 2022.
Lavington Jioni Rotary Club
We are excited to report that we have partnered with the Lavington Jioni Rotary Club in Nairobi, Kenya. They are assisting us with receipt, stamping, repacking, and delivering the container books to schools. They are also coordinating activities with all of the 40 other Rotary Clubs in Kenya to help
Libraries For Kids, Int'l. Click here for their Facebook page.
What does your donation accomplish?
Libraries For Kids, Int'l offers not a handout, but a hand up. Parents in rural Kenya pay tuition for their children to go to school. It is a huge sacrifice when your income is derived from a subsistence farm or your herd of sheep, goats, or cattle. But it is a testament to their hunger for knowledge.
The Kenyan government gives each rural school $5.50 per student per year. For a school with a student population of 100 that is $550.00 per year to pay for the schools expenses (teacher salaries, textbooks, supplies, etc.) As a result, textbooks and libraries are lacking.
How can people lift themselves up and solve their problems without knowledge?
Your donations are helping children in Kenya, and hopefully someday other countries, to help themselves.
I hope you will consider Libraries For Kids, Int'l.
Media Attention
WTOC TV
Bluffton, SC Chamber of Commerce Spotlight
Please share these stories with your friends and on your social media platforms. Thanks
For more news about Libraries For Kids, Int'l visit our website
For videos please visit our YouTube channel by clicking HERE.
WHAT DO WE BELIEVE
We are not affiliated with any political party, political movement, social movement, or religious system. We exist to give children the opportunity to improve their knowledge through education. We believe:
All children should have the opportunity to better themselves through education. Therefore, we dedicate ourselves to improving educational opportunities.
Children are children regardless of race, nationality, religion, sex, ethnic background, or any other delineation. Therefore, we pledge to help all children.
We exist to help improve educational opportunities for children. Therefore, we will not discriminate against any child for any reason.
Discrimination of any kind or on any basis is immoral and unacceptable. Therefore, we will not discriminate against any individual, employee, volunteer, or anyone else for any reason.
Helping people help themselves is our goal. Education is the best vehicle to help people help themselves.
Donor Honor Roll
Our Donor Honor Roll is based on cumulative contributions. No matter what level you are on, you are important. But your continuing support is also vital. We hope you will continue to contribute and gradually move to a higher level on the honor roll. A little each month and you will soon be at the next level. You can now set up a monthly donation HERE. You can also make a tribute gift in honor or memory of someone. There are a lot of new names on the honor roll this month and several people who have moved up to the next level.
So far we have received donations of money or services from 250 people or organizations located in:
Five Countries: Australia, France, Kenya, Northern Mariana Islands, USA
29 States: AK, AL, CA, CO, FL, GA, IA, IN, IL, KS, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, OH, OK, PA, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI
Click Here to see the full donor Honor Roll
Here are the different honor roll levels and who is on each level. The Swahili word is in parenthesis.
Meerkat (Meerkat)
Donated books and/or money.
So far there are 143 Meerkats. Click
here [to see them all. Some of you are](/about/honor-roll/)
close to the Zebra level so please consider an additional donation.
Zebra (Punda Milia) - $100 or more
To date, there are 73 Zebras. Click
here to see them all
Impala (Pala) - $500 or more
Delores Ackerman Anonymous Eddie Federwisch Kirk Fox Dot & Gary Jeger Jim & Karen Ralston Gary Shepard Rick & Cindy Jacobs Susan Kreick Don Wright
Giraffe (Twiga) - $1,000 or more
Den & Jan Austin Benton Bowen Charleston CFO Council Ed & Betty Eich Elwood Barnes Kirk Fox Mickaylla McDonald
JR & Betty Rutherford Janice Allinder-Anestes Ty & Suzanne Giesemann Ed Zimmerman
Oryx (Choroa)- $2,500 or more
Marilyn Moore Steve & Ruth Dexter
Rhinoceros (Kifaru): $5,000 or more
Sable Antelope (Mfano Mzuri): $7,500 or more
Cheetah (Duma): $10,000 or more
Rick & Becky Harris
Leopard (Chui) - $25,000 or more
Dr. David Stallings
Lion (Simba) - $50,000 or more
Roy & Sharron Austin
Elephant (Tembo) - $100,000 or more
Maasai Club - $250,000 or more
The Maasai are among the foremost African ethnic groups and are known internationally because of their links to the national parks and reserves. They respect the land and are adapting to the changing world around them.
Sharron Austin Society - $500,000 or more
Sharron was an inspiration to Libraries For Kids, Int’l Founder Roy Austin. Her life philosophy was “Life is not the way it is supposed to be. It is the way it is. How you cope with it is what makes the difference.” Her smile, positive attitude, and ability to overcome numerous challenges in her life are an inspiration to all. She died on March 29, 2020. She is sorely missed but her spirit lives on. She was an enthusiastic supporter and donor to Libraries For Kids, Int’l.
MEET OUR PARTNERS
We are blessed to have several partners who have donated their time and services.
Barbara Bricker is the owner of Small Miracles Design and is an expert in designing unique graphic solutions for her clients. Barbara graciously donated her services to create our new logo, brochures, and postcards.
https://smallmiraclesdesign.com/
Paul Soviero, Owner, Next Move HHI has helped us find bookcases for our storage location.
http://www.nexmovehhi.com/index.php
James Worix, owner of Worix Media is helping us with IT and media editing services.
Paul Uhls BNC Graphics 19 Seventh Ave, Bluffton, South Carolina 29910 https://bncgraphics.com/
Supplied business cards and rack cards. Printing our brochures and business cards at cost.
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 and packing tape
Alan Flowers and Alan Kwiatkowski are helping us spread the word about Libraries For Kids, Int'l. 70 Pennington Dr. Studio 16D Bluffton, SC 29910 The Stations call-in # 843-800-1492; Office # 843- 505-8513 https://www.talkoneradio.com/
