Students at Ramsey Grammar School have decided to make sure their old textbooks will not go to waste.
Sixth formers Aalin Penketh and Ellie Baldwin have volunteered many hours of their time to help spearhead the initiative, which will see books donated to a charity to benefit school children across the continent of Africa.
Book Aid for Africa (BAFA) is a registered UK charity that is ’committed to promoting excellence in education in different parts of Africa.’
BAFAÂ collects new or fairly used educational/reference books and fiction for use in primary and secondary schools, and for students in higher and further education that will consequently enrich, improve and change the lives of countless young people over coming years.
The charity says of its work: ’Many countries in Africa, the second largest continent in the world, are experiencing economic problems.
’The growing population and the effects of drought, war and the poor management of their economies mean that many of these economies are in difficulty.
’This is despite the fact that the continent is endowed with diverse natural and human resources.
’Consequently, there is a need to help provide a good future for the children of this great continent.
’BAFA is a direct response to this need.’
The sixth form students teamed up with the school librarian to assemble, process and pack 26 boxes of donated and no-longer used books onto a wooden pallet for delivery to BAFA’s UK collection depot.
Miss Penketh said: ’With kind help from local shipping business WS Mezeron Limited and their regular UK haulier SCS Logistics based in Morecambe, we were able to send books and materials to Book Aid for Africa which will end up equipping a large school of pupils aged 3-18 in Ethiopia.
’Generously, WS Mezeron’s managing director Steve Walton not only waived the freight charge for this charitable enterprise, but also secured the agreement of their UK haulier to deliver the pallet to Sunderland free of charge.
’The Ramsey Co-op were able to provide strong boxes for packing, and all those involved were delighted to know that their support for this charity will genuinely enhance the lives of many learners in developing countries while at the same time providing a "green" alternative for us here in the UK.’
The concept of sending unused books for students to use overseas is an interesting one, especially considering that when a school’s curriculum or the exam board changes, many schools are left with piles of books which are no longer beneficial to their students.
Miss Penketh went on to say: ’BAFA was grateful for all the boxes of books, adding that every single resource was suitable to be shipped out to find a new lease of life in Ethiopia.’
Going forward, Ramsey Grammar School hopes to continue to support the ’worthwhile charity’ by sending more books in the future.
l For more information about Book Aid for Africa, visit www.bookaidforafrica.com or email any enquiries to [email protected]