Books 4 Africa

jole rider’s literacy programme in support of its mission, to help people to change their lives through education, began in 2008. The Books4Africa pilot project, in partnership with Abbeyfield Secondary school in Chippenham, Wiltshire and its feeder primary schools, involved both teachers and students of Abbeyfield.
Children at the primary schools were invited to select one or two story books from their home collections and bring the books to school on Story Book Day, with 5 0pence for each title. Each pupil wrote a personal message, beginning "I hope you like this book because...", on a bookplate which was pasted into the front of their book.
2000 quality books were donated by the pupils, which jole rider delivered to a small school in Kartong, rural Gambia to create the school's first library.
Some of the Chippenham pupils attended the celebratory loading of the container and helped pack the books for their journey to Africa

Books4Africa, by delivering books from the UK to schools in Africa, boosts learning, literacy and creativity and enables children to gain a clearer perspective on their world

A Story Book Day is a fantastic way for primary and secondary schools,  workplaces and churches to support Books4Africa. Books are donated, with 50pence for their journey to Africa. Our message plates, to be pasted inside each book, invite donors to tell the next reader why they like the book  

Books4Africa are not only children's story books but include pictorial books, reference books and textbooks. All books are sifted and sorted before being shipped, so that only suitable story books, useful reference books and textbooks supporting the school curriculum are delivered. 

Along with the books jole rider sends equipment and materials for school libraries and other educational resources. On arrival in The Gambia, the shipment is received by our partners at our Learning Development Centre [LDC] in Sifoe. At the Centre the books and resources are distributed to schools with the help of the Gambian Ministry of Education