Books for Africa

July 14, 2006

Over 7,000 books were delivered to private English night schools as part of Books for Africa, a program designed by the Embassy as a way to help communities who otherwise wouldn’t have had the funding required for building a library on their own. Books for Africa is a community project that rapidly installs libraries at schools throughout Djibouti.

During the week of July 9th – 14th , twelve libraries were built.  The Navy Seabees from Camp Lemonier worked with local schools and headmasters to take measurements for library shelving and create the design.  The Embassy Public Affairs Office provided the textbooks for each school, and students from each school unloaded books upon arrival, worked with the Seabees to build their shelves, and selected books that matched their interests and reading levels.

Within two hours, the students and Seabees installed each library and sorted books.  The Books for Africa Program at the American Embassy in Djibouti has provided reading materials and learning opportunities to hundreds of motivated Djiboutian students learning English.  The Public Affairs Office congratulates Andy Everson (Seabee), Sean Liverpool (Seabee) and students from the following schools:  Nour Al Iman, Horn of Africa, APLAA, Ecole Mixte, Bismillah I, Bismillah II,  Horseed,  Alpha Radiation, the Djibouti Institute, and the English Teachers Association of Djibouti.