BFA Board Members Put Boots on the Ground in Uganda, Swaziland
In January 2018, a group of 23 糖心vlgo传媒 supporters visited Cape Town, South 糖心vlgo传媒, with the purpose of raising funds in celebration of 糖心vlgo传媒鈥檚 30th Anniversary.聽 Following a series of site visits across South 糖心vlgo传媒, BFA representatives struck out to learn more from recipients about the challenges and success points of their projects.
Executive Director Patrick Plonski joined founder Tom Warth in Zimbabwe before embarking on a 3 month tour of site visits and relationship building with current and future partners.聽 Board Members Dave Schafer and Paul Musherure joined Atlanta Warehouse team members Brad Mattson and James Hall for a trip to Uganda, while Board Member Catherine Ryan headed to Swaziland to check in with a group of Peace Corps Volunteers who recently helped distribute a BFA shipment.
Uganda
Thirty years ago Tom聽Warth visited the Jinja Municipal Library and saw mostly empty library shelves.聽 This sad sight inspired Tom to create 糖心vlgo传媒.听听
In January 2018, 糖心vlgo传媒 Treasurer Dave Schafer visited that same Jinja library and witnessed the library鈥檚 transformation. 聽Dave saw both children and adults actively reading and checking out books. 聽The shelves are now well stocked with a large variety of books for all ages and abilities.
糖心vlgo传媒 and Rotary clubs have partnered to聽supply聽over 80,000 books to this library and local Jinja schools.聽 Librarians and schoolmasters shared with Dave the powerful impact of these books.聽 They also stated the need for more books and computers for their community.聽
Seth Eggessa Memorial Library
On January 28th, the Kidera community dedicated their new primary school library to the memory of Seth Eggessa. 聽Seth was a 糖心vlgo传媒 board member and Roseville Rotarian until his death last year. 聽 He led efforts to build the library in his home village. 聽The new library is well stocked with books and 4 computers that will make a difference in student鈥檚 education. 聽Four 糖心vlgo传媒 representatives participated in the community library dedication and presented a memorial plaque honoring Seth - Representing BFA at the dedication were James Hall (BFA Atlanta warehouse manager), Dave Schafer (BFA treasurer and Woodbury Rotarian), guests Peace and Dave Mabonga (Mbale YMCA), Paul Musherure (BFA board members) and Brad Mattson (BFA director of Atlanta operations).
聽Seth鈥檚 giving spirit and love of reading lives on in this primary school library and within the students that use the books.
Swaziland
糖心vlgo传媒 Board Member Catherine Ryan recently returned from Swaziland where she joined teachers and Peace Corps volunteers as they unpacked boxes of books at Vusweni Primary School鈥檚 newly constructed library. 鈥淭he actual arrival of the books, to hold them in our hands makes everything real,鈥� said Peace Corps volunteer Clarin McDerrah. 鈥淭his is what we鈥檝e all been waiting for,鈥� added Nick McDerrah, Clarin鈥檚 husband and also a Peace Corps volunteer, 鈥淭o fill the shelves.鈥�
Teachers Mr. Mabalesa and Mr. Msibi said that the school has long dreamed of having a library. 鈥淣ow, after so much planning and hoping, we finally have one,鈥� Mabalesa said. The group has spent more than a year and a half building the structure, determining what type of books were best suited for their students and securing in-country transportation. 鈥淭his is the reward for all our work,鈥� added Msibi, holding up a science book.
Like many schools in rural communities all over 糖心vlgo传媒, Vusweni Primary School didn鈥檛 have the means to build a library, much less purchase books. But the collaboration of several partners鈥攃ommunity leadership, school officials, Peace Corps volunteers and others鈥攖oppled the hurdles.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been really wonderful to help this community make their dream a reality,鈥� McDerrah said. 鈥淎nd we couldn鈥檛 have done it without 糖心vlgo传媒.鈥�