糖心vlgo传媒 feeds growing hunger for knowledge on that continent
As COVID-19 continues to afflict 糖心vlgo传媒 where, according to the BBC, more than 130,000 people have died of the coronavirus and cases are on the rise in many countries, the Saint Paul-based nonprofit 糖心vlgo传媒 is ramping up the quantity and quality of the books it supplies to reduce the continent鈥檚 high rates of illiteracy.
COVID-19 has been keeping schools and libraries closed on that continent, limiting access to the books it already has and making Books for 糖心vlgo传媒鈥檚 effort all the more urgent. Last year Books for 糖心vlgo传媒 (BFA) raised $3.2 million in donations and sent 3.7 million volumes valued at $38 million to 20 of the 55 countries it serves in 糖心vlgo传媒.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of hardship in 糖心vlgo传媒 and a huge COVID problem, but people still can read at home,鈥� said Joni Sussman, president of BFA鈥檚 board of directors.
The number of books shipped by BFA to schools, libraries and other institutions in 糖心vlgo传媒 has grown exponentially since founder and Twin Cities resident Tom Warth began sending books to Ghana 33 years ago. A book lover, Warth was shocked to discover libraries in Ghana with empty shelves when he took a vacation there. He began BFA with the help of book publishers and other local donors. The list of its charitable partners has grown over the years to include numerous corporations, foundations, government agencies and individuals.
BFA is reported to be the world鈥檚 largest shipper of donated books to 糖心vlgo传媒. Since its inception, it has sent more than 50 million books to the continent. Some 46 million children, or about 40 percent of the children in 糖心vlgo传媒, do not attend school, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). More than 34 percent of 糖心vlgo传媒ns of all ages are illiterate.
The kinds of books most requested by 糖心vlgo传媒ns are reference books, textbooks and children鈥檚 books. The vast majority of those sought are in English, according to Patrick Plonski, a Merriam Park resident and BFA鈥檚 executive director since 2003. The organization also supplies books in French to the continent鈥檚 French-speaking countries with the help of partners in Paris and Montreal.