What Africa needs are books
By augusteen
@augusteen (14)
March 21, 2008 8:21am CST
It is believed that no university in Africa has up to 1 million books..Harvard University has 11 million Volumes.A nation without books is short of ideas short of the way forward. Africa can not move forward without an intelligentsia. The British National library has 150 million Volumes.Thats POWER!Readers become leaders.You are what you read . We need concerned people to rescue Africa from Book Famine.There are those who are time poor but money rich. They do not have the time to read and there are those who are time rich but money poor. They cannot affard to buy book to read and Africa does not really have a culture of public Libraries. Africa without books is short of ideas. short of the way forward. Africans in Diaspora in addition to sending money back home they should send home books. Books have been Written!
1 person likes this
2 responses
@WhatsHerName (2716)
• United States
28 Mar 08
Wow, you are so right!
A lot of poor countries need books. Wouldn't it be nice if some of the larger libraries donated some of their books?
We have so many books here in America we (not me) throw them out. It's a shame isn't it?
Education is the key to all understanding and peace in the world.
"Knowledge is power!"
I'm concerned, I would be willing to help.
Welcome to myLot!
@augusteen (14)
•
28 Mar 08
Good to read you comments. very encouraging.We can work together others would join us.There are so many things possible with the internet.People in America and around Europe,Canada,Austrailia,throw books away or store them in the garage to gather dust with no good use made of them after. There are millions of such books and the libraries too can donate fairly used books especially reference books for Universities in Africa.There is alot that can be achieved. The movement has already started.Congrats for volunteering to help.
@Junig1 (300)
• Barbados
21 Mar 08
Hi, actually I am surprised to hear that! You are right though, knowledge is the key to change and books help to increase our knowledge. I wonder what could be done about this....maybe an international book drive for Africa...I don't meant the whole continent at once but maybe a book drive that is university or primary level focused (for a particular country) etc. I guess there could be many ideas on how to help but the process and implementation might provide hiccups!
@augusteen (14)
•
21 Mar 08
I agree with you on an international drive for books for Africa.Maybe we can start it.The journey of a thousand miles starts with a step.It takes just two to change the world, others would join us later.there used to be a group here in london that used to send second hand books to Africa but that effort,according to Doris Lessing ,Nobel laureate for Literature ,has been frustrated by the same British government that has a commendable programme on poverty eradication in africa with the Department for international develpment(DFID). i volunteer in a charity shop i Ihave seen books as good as new and very useful selling for 10 per cent the original price.there are charity shops all over the world with books and there are millions of books lying on bookshelves annd no longer useful to their owners Books for children, Undergraduates, post graduates etc We can mount a campaign to get these books for Africa.So many things are possible with the internet.What do you think?The only problem is custum and exercise in Africa and dictators afraid of enlightened citizens. Books can bring about an age of enlightenement in Africa
