In the Field Report from Melissa Whitaker
I am a second-year PhD student at the University of California, Davis, and this past summer I traveled to Kibale National Park in Uganda to conduct research on tropical butterflies. During my stay in Southwestern Uganda, I volunteered for the Books Open the World (BOTW) Foundation to assist with their education and literacy activities in rural villages near Kibale, and had the experience of a lifetime! I was able to work closely with librarians, educators, and support staff, and get a first-hand look at the extraordinary work that BOTW supports. My 7-week stay was far too short, and I can’t wait to return to Uganda to visit the new friends I’ve made and work again for the BOTW Foundation.
New Name, New (Tax-Deductible) Status
The Foundation for Children’s Education in Uganda has just unveiled its new name: we are now known as Books Open the World.
We haven’t changed our mission – bringing books, school supplies, teachers and other essentials of education to a country that is hungry for knowledge. We have, however, upgraded our status. In late 2007, we applied for status as a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization. That means that all your donations to our cause are now tax-deductible.
In filing for tax exempt status, we were required to reserve a unique, official organizational name. That gave us a chance to pause and reflect on a name that would work for the group not just now, but in the future. Our final choice, Books Open the World, summarizes our mission in a simple, accessible way.
We are grateful to Fielding-Nair International for their generous donation of $1,000 toward the costs of applying for tax deductible status. Decades from now, when libraries and schools dot the rural landscape of Central Africa, friends like these will be able to say that they had the vision to see it coming. You can join the movement to. Send us your tax-deductible donation today.
Promoting the Education of Women in Uganda
With the aid of the 2007 Nando Peretti Foundation grant, Books Open the World sent 14 young women to secondary school – intelligent young women who would not have been able to afford the cost of pursuing a high-school-level education. Eleven girls went to Kigarama Talents High School in Kigarama village, and three girls went to high schools in Fort Portal town.
News in Brief
- Books Opem the World was awarded another grant from the Nando Peretti Foundation for opening new libraries around Kibale National Park. We have enough books from the United States in storage in Uganda to open two-three libraries. We will need to select locations near the park that will serve many people (close to schools and trading centers), find reliable librarians, get furniture made, buy books in local languages and from Ugandan Authors, and have an official opening with local leaders.
- Since September, Sarah Paige, a PhD student from the United States, has been the Books Open the World financial manager on the ground in Uganda. Thank you Sarah, Webale muno!
- The first Nando Peretti Foundation grant period is finished. This means that we will be no longer supporting remedial teaching (tutor program), and literacy and English classes for adults in 2009. The scholarships will run for 2 more years. Girls that received scholarships coming from very poor families, and often are orphans. We believe that this will help these young women enormously in their lives and as mothers.
2008 Donations
In 2008, five Community Libraries received:
- 11 boxes of books from Lauren and Colin Chapman and their students of McGill University (Canada). These were mainly academic text books on chemistry, physics, mathematics and biology
- Ugandan school-books donated by Elizabeth Ross from Kasiisi Project to help students
- Books in the local languages, Rutooro and Rukiga, made possible thanks to an ASA grant
Hear from Students
Read letters from students that have been helped through Books Open the World (PDF).
BOTW Online
Want to connect to the good things BOTW is doing in Uganda? Check out our new website, www.booksopentheworld.com. Designed by professional webmaster and graphics designerJeff Stevens (who volunteered his time for the project) , the site includes Books Open the World is now online! The website features information about ongoing projects, a photo gallery, as well as information on how you can donate to the cause. Paypal is now accepted! You can also join our mailing list to receive current information about the organization as it is released. Coming soon: Videos clips from Uganda!
Your Dollar is Still Strong
Times are tough in the United States. Gas, food and the basics of life cost a lot more than they did just a year ago. And yes, there are worries that things will get worse.
But your dollar is still strong in Africa. Strong enough to send a girl to school, when otherwise her education would be put on hold. Strong enough to put books in the hands of a child who needs to learn to read. Strong enough that, by sending even a fraction of the money your put into your gas tank every week, you can change a life.
In tough times, people are forced to prioritize. You may have already canceled a vacation or cut back on a luxury you used to enjoy. We urge you to look into your heart and ask whether changing the world is a priority or a luxury. If it is a priority, don’t cut it out, and spend months feeling guilty. Sit down and write a check to BOTW, even for a small amount. You know how much you can afford.
In the future, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you stuck by your principles even in the toughest of times.
And it is particularly important that you do so today. In the past few months – as potential donors have grown more caustious about the economy -- BOTW has been feeling the economic pinch. Students and librarians in Africa depend on us for help, and without an influx of donations, the organization may not be able to see them through the summer. Now is a time when your support can make a difference that lasts for years to come. Please give what you can today.