We are actively sourcing environmental books for young people in Zimbabwe and Ghana. Our inaugural campaign secured over 60 books, with 34 unique titles, and more than 80% were written by authors of color for the Usap Community School in Zimbabwe. Receiving 60 books authored by Indigenous, Black, and People of Color (BIPOC) in just six weeks is truly remarkable! Read more about our efforts here.
This diverse collection features fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, predominantly by BIPOC writers, and focuses on themes relevant to BIPOC communities, African authors, and the African diaspora. Students must have access to literature that reflects their identities and cultures.
Choosing second-hand books is both economical and sustainable. For example, ThriftBooks estimates that thrifting 1.4 tons of books can save 24 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, 4,100 kilowatt-hours of electricity, and reduce 60 pounds of air pollution.
For our second Sustainable Libraries Campaign in 2025, we will have two donation drives for two impactful organizations in Ghana. These organizations are expanding education access in Ghana and beyond and are also looking into creating or expanding a digital library. The first campaign will run from January 1 to March 31, 2025, and the second from June 1 to August 31, 2025. We will announce the first organization in January 2025 and the second in June 2025—so stay tuned!
We aim to donate 5 Amazon Kindles, each loaded with 10 eBooks, in each campaign. One Kindle costs $110, and each eBook costs $12. If you want to express early donation intent, let us know. Or, if you want to learn more, please sign up here. This digital library initiative is sustainable and will give the organizations permanent access to these books. It will also make sharing and borrowing books among students easier.
Michigan Technological University