Promote a love of reading in rural Swaziland

The 5,000 books that Vusumnotfo received were organized by Peace Corps Volunteers in Swaziland and sent via Books for Africa (www.booksforafrica.org). This was part of a larger shipment of books for schools and community organizations throughout Swaziland and included training in library management. 

In the words of Kelly Roots, who was the Peace Corps Volunteer coordinating the effort in Swaziland - 

The journey of the books (30,000 in total for Swaziland) started back in November, as 27 Peace Corps volunteers sent out letters to friends and family asking for help in fundraising for the shipment of Books for Swaziland. During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season the money steadily grew as more and more people donated the PCPP (Peace Corps Partnership Program) to meet the goal of $10,000 needed to ship the books to Swaziland. 

On March 21^st to the 23^rd, 2013, Peace Corps volunteers partnered with Swaziland National Library Service to provide a librarian workshop to 34 library leaders. Before the workshop, participants were asked to visit a National Library to gain a better understanding of proper library management. A plethora of skills were taught demonstrated, and practiced by the participants including book processing, repairs, student involvement, and logistical tasks needed to run a successful and well-used library. After the two-day workshop, the attendees completed a written exam to test their knowledge and skills they acquired. All 34 library leaders passed their written exam! The participants’ answers were articulate and well thought out, displaying their clear understanding of the concepts of library organization and management. We were ecstatic to have participants that were excited to learn and establish libraries, especially since most of them have never worked or had access to a library before.

Books for Africa were busy collecting and organizing the book order, for the 30 library projects in Swaziland, during February and March. On March 20^th, the books were shipped from the United States to South Africa. The books arrived earlier then expected on May 7^th! A group of volunteers spent several days unloading and sorting the books, to make sure each school / organization received the correct type of books. Each school / organization that received books brought transport to a central location to collect their books. Aside from Vusumnotfo, this included several schools, two hospitals, a refugee camp, and an orphanage.