February 2022
February 2022
Libraries For Kids, Int'l is an IRS tax-exempt 501(c)(3) Non-Profit 83-4470093
Phone: 843-597-4826. Email: libraries4kids@gmail.com PO Box 1013, Bluffton, SC 29910
Greetings! Here is the February 2022 issue of the Libraries For Kids, Int'l monthly e-newsletter. OK, I'm late this month but February has been an exciting and busy month.
500 More Schools
Two more containers holding 92,000 books arrived in Mombasa on February 27 and they are in the process of being cleared through Customs. The books in these containers will create libraries in approximately 500 more schools impacting approximately 56,000 children
More Containers on the Way
Two more containers are scheduled to ship in May and then five more in December. These will put us about half way to the goal of supplying books to all 6,700+ rural schools in Kenya (1.5 million children).
in addition to the 1,600
schools (360,000 children) that have already received
books.
Getting Books Distributed
Receiving , processing and distributing books is no easy task. When the containers arrive the boxes are unloaded and every single books is stamped in several places "Libraries For Kids - Not for Sale." This is a very manual process and takes a team of people to stamp that many books as you can see in the above picture.
The books are sorted by subject and grade level and reboxed. We focus on one county at a time. Keep in mind that Kenya is almost as big as Texas. The books are taken by truck to a central location in a county. The next county on our radar is West Pokot in the far North West part of Kenya. It may take a week to get all the books delivered so they are stored temporarily in that county. These schools are very remote so often the only way to get books to them is to use motorcycles. Sometimes even the motorcycles can't get to the school so boxes are hand carried.
Our Operations Coordinator in Kenya, Wanjiku Francis, aka "Ciku" has done an amazing job and overcome daunting challenges to get books delivered. When Ciku was asked why she is so dedicated to Libraries For Kids, Int'l she said "When I was in school there were 30-40 kids in a class but we only had one text book for each subject so we had to share that book. I will do anything I can to improve that situation."
Wanjiku Francis, (Ciku) our Inside our warehouse in Kitui,
Operations Coordinator unloading a container
Delivery
When the books are finally delivered the kids are thrilled and dive right in. As one boy, Branmuu, told me, the books have opened up the world to him. Now he can see beyond just his rural village.
Kenya
Motorcycle delivery by
bodaboda drivers
Thank you sign from Amboseli Primary School
In The News
WHHI TV recently did a story about Libraries For Kids, Int'l. Click HERE to listen.
PLEASE DONATE
Checks: If you prefer to donate with a check, please send it payable to Libraries For Kids, Int'l to PO Box 1013, Bluffton, SC 29910. We love checks - no credit card processing fees.
You can also donate at our website. Shirts & Hats Available
We now have Libraries For Kids shirts & hats available on our
website. The back of the t-shirts and sweatshirts displays our slogan: "What we do for ourselves alone dies with us. What we do for others is immortal." By buying and wearing our shirts and hats you help us financially and in raising awareness of what Libraries For Kids, Int'l is doing. Plus, you will look really sharp!
SCHOOL VISITS
I am going back to Kenya in July and I'm taking my daughter Debby and granddaughter Anna. We will visit lots of schools and of course visit some game parks.
Katisaa Primary School Devu Emukatan Primary School
Katundu Primary School Isnet Primary School
Chris Scott
We are pleased to welcome Chris Scott to our Board as our new Treasurer. Chris brings a lot of experience and enthusiasm and has had a varied business career including:
Importing Diamonds for over 20 years
Operated 5 jewelry stores in Central Pennsylvania
IT business over 20 years to include building complete network infrastructure, security implementation, backup and recovery strategy, accounting setup, payroll services, ransomware recovery services. Servicing clients in 9 states Set up the recycling program for West Hanover Township Pennsylvania
Established the largest tennis ball recycling operation in the United States.
Past President of the Sun City Hilton Head Tennis Association
NEED A SPEAKER?
We love telling the Libraries For Kids, Int'l story. If your organization needs a speaker please contact us at libraries4kids@gmail.com or phone us at 843-597-4826. We look forward to sharing our story with your group.
SHORT TERM GOAL: 1.5 MILLION CHILDREN
6 Containers have been delivered to schools. Containers 7 & 8 were shipped December 16, 2021, and are scheduled to arrive at the end of January 2022. Containers 9 & 10 are due to ship around the end of March. When these 10 containers are all delivered they will create libraries in with approximately 2,500 schools impacting approximately 500,000 children.
But, there are over 6,700 rural schools in Kenya, approximately 1.5 million students. We need to fund another 20 containers.
Due to higher costs and Kenyan customs duties (we keep applying to get those duties waived) it now costs $19,000 to ship a container and another $6,000 to process, stamp, sort, and distribute the books after they arrive at our warehouse in
Chris Scott
Scott Foundation
Kitui Kenya. So, roughly $25,000 to ship a container holding 40,000 to 50,000 books. Each container supplies 250 to 300 schools. Kenya is a large country about 85% the size of Texas. As we supply schools in the more remote counties the costs go up.
But the impact extends way beyond 1.5 million children - teachers, parents, other family members,
and communities.
Our long-term vision is to help establish libraries in other countries in Africa and beyond.
PLEASE DONATE
Just a few dollars a month helps. You can set up a recurring monthly donation on our website.
___________________________________________
Smile.Amazon For Kids
Your support can help over 1.5 million
children get an education and have the
opportunity for a better life.
You can support Libraries For Kids, Int'l with your Amazon purchases. It's easy.
Set up an account at Smile.Amazon.com. It is the same as a regular Amazon account except that
you have the option to designate a charity. Please designate Libraries For Kids, Intl. Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase to your charity. The donation comes from Amazon, not you.
This link will take you directly to smile.amazon.com in support of Libraries For Kids, Int'l.
When you place an order, login
Consider a legacy gift as part of your estate planning.
What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us. What we have done for others is immortal.
Consider a legacy gift as part of your estate planning. 100 years from now no one will remember who we are or what we did. The only true legacy any of us can leave is the positive impact on the lives of others. ______________________________________
SPREAD THE WORD
Please, spread the word by forwarding this email to your friends and contacts, or posting excerpts from this newsletter, or our website, (copy/paste) on your social media accounts.
Together we can make a huge difference in the lives of thousands of children.
CHARITY NAVIGATOR
Recently I was asked why Libraries For Kids, Int'l is not rated by Charity Navigator. We are listed on their site (click here) but they do not rate a charity until after they have filed 3 consecutive 990's (tax returns). We are just 2 years old so they
to Smile.Amazon and proceed as you normally would with any other Amazon purchase.
Thanks for your help.
PS - For more information about Libraries For Kids, Int'l visit our website or contact Roy Austin at
libraries4kids@gmail.com or phone him at 843-597- 4826.
will not rate us until after we file our 990 for 2021 next year in 2022.
Lavington Jioni Rotary Club
We are excited to report that we have partnered with the Lavington Jioni Rotary Club in Nairobi, Kenya and one of their members, Ng'ang'a Wanjohi is now on our Board of Directors. They are assisting us with receipt, stamping, repacking, and delivering the container books to schools. They are also coordinating activities with all of the 40 other Rotary Clubs in
Kenya to help Libraries For Kids, Int'l. Click here for their Facebook page.
What does your donation accomplish?
Libraries For Kids, Int'l offers not a handout, but a hand up. Parents in rural Kenya pay tuition for their children to go to school. It is a huge sacrifice when your income is derived from a subsistence farm or your herd of sheep, goats, or cattle. But it is a testament to their hunger for knowledge.
The Kenyan government gives each rural school $5.50 per student per year. For a school with a student population of 100 that is $550.00 per year to pay for the school's expenses (teacher salaries, textbooks, supplies, etc.) As a result, textbooks and libraries are lacking.
How can people lift themselves up and solve their problems
without knowledge?
Your donations are helping children in Kenya, and hopefully someday other countries, to help themselves.
I hope you will consider Libraries For Kids, Int'l.
DONATE HERE
Media Attention
WTOC TV
WJHL TV
WSAV TV
WHHI TV
Savannah CEO News
Sun City Hilton Head TV
Bluffton, SC Chamber of Commerce Spotlight
Please share these stories with your friends and on your social media platforms. Thanks
For more news about Libraries For Kids, Int'l visit our
website
For videos please visit our YouTube channel by clicking
HERE.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
We are not affiliated with any political party, political movement, social movement, or religious system. We exist to give children the opportunity to improve their knowledge
through education. We believe:
All children should have the opportunity to better themselves through education. Therefore, we dedicate ourselves to improving educational opportunities.
Children are children regardless of race, nationality, religion, sex, ethnic background, or any other delineation. Therefore, we pledge to help all children.
We exist to help improve educational opportunities for children. Therefore, we will not discriminate against any child for any reason.
Discrimination of any kind or on any basis is immoral and unacceptable. Therefore, we will not discriminate against any individual, employee, volunteer, or anyone else for any reason.
Helping people help themselves is our goal. Education is the best vehicle to help people help themselves.
Donor Honor Roll
Our Donor Honor Roll is based on cumulative contributions. No matter what level you are on, you are important. But your continuing support is also vital. We hope you will continue to contribute and gradually move to a higher level on the honor roll. A little each month and you will soon be at the next level. You can now
set up a monthly donation HERE. You can also make a tribute gift in honor or memory of someone.
There are a lot of new names on the honor roll this month and several people who have moved up to the next level.
So far we have received donations of money or services from 250 people or organizations located in:
Six Countries: Australia, France, Kenya, Northern Mariana Islands, Canada, USA
33 States: AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IA, IN, IL, KS, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, WY
Click Here to see the full donor Honor Roll Here are the different honor roll levels and who is on each level. The
Swahili word is in parenthesis.
Meerkat (Meerkat)
Donated books and/or money.
So far there are 150 Meerkats. Click
here to see them all. Some of you are close to the Zebra level so please consider an additional donation.
Zebra (Punda Milia) - $100 or more To date, there are 115 Zebras. Click
here to see them all
Impala (Pala) - $500 or more
Zena Harter
Delores Ackerman Sara Coleman Wilson Eddie Federwisch Gary Shepard
Rick & Cindy Jacobs Steve Richards
Don Wright
Cargo Group LLC Rob & Pam Hager Shirley Mingledorff Susan Kreick
Bob Pace
Bluffton United Methodist Church William & Susan Carpenter
Giraffe (Twiga) - $1,000 or more
Benton Bowen Charleston CFO Council Kirk Fox
Rich & Chris
Gary & Dot Jeger Mickaylla McDonald Janice Allinder-Anestes Ty & Suzanne Giesemann Ed Zimmerman
Andrew & Lisa Davis George Kreick
Elizabeth Abel Davis
Oryx (Choroa)- $2,500 or more
Marilyn Moore
Steve & Ruth Dexter Den & Jan Austin Elwood Barnes
JR & Betty Rutherford
Rhinoceros (Kifaru): $5,000 or more
Ed & Betty Eich
Jim & Karen Ralston
Sable Antelope (Mfano Mzuri): $7,500 or more
Cheetah (Duma): $10,000 or more
Rick & Becky Harris
Leopard (Chui) - $25,000 or more
Dr. David Stallings
Lion (Simba) - $50,000 or more
Elephant (Tembo) - $100,000 or more
Sharron & Roy Austin
Maasai Club - $250,000 or more
The Maasai are among the foremost African ethnic groups and are known internationally because of their links to the national parks and reserves. They respect the land and are adapting to the changing world around them.
Sharron Austin
Society - $500,000 or more
Sharron was an inspiration to Libraries For Kids, Int’l Founder Roy Austin. Her life philosophy was “Life is not the way it is supposed to be. It is the way it is. How you cope with it is what makes the
difference.” Her smile, positive attitude, and ability to overcome numerous challenges in her life are an inspiration to all. She died on March 29, 2020. She is sorely
missed but her spirit lives on. She was an enthusiastic supporter and donor to Libraries For Kids, Int’l.
MEET OUR PARTNERS
We are blessed to have several partners who have donated their time and services.
Barbara Bricker is the owner of Small Miracles Design and is an expert in designing unique graphic solutions for her clients. Barbara graciously donated her services to create our new logo, brochures, and postcards.
DONATE
TODAY
https://smallmiraclesdesign.com/
Paul Soviero, Owner, Next Move HHI has helped us find bookcases for our storage location.
(843) 295-0449
http://www.nexmovehhi.com/index.php Email: paul@nexmovehhi.com
James Worix, owner of Worix Media is helping us with IT
and media editing services. 843-227-8110
Email: jworix@jjworixco.com
Paul Uhls
BNC Graphics
19 Seventh Ave,
Bluffton, South Carolina 29910 (317) 501-6181, puhls@bncgraphics.com, https://bncgraphics.com/
Supplied business cards and rack cards. Printing our brochures and business cards at cost.
Dan Russin
Store Manager
Morningstar Storage
1110 Fording Island Rd
Bluffton, SC 29910
843-815-8000 bluffton@morningstarstorage.com
Donated a 10ft x 10ft space for us to store books.
Allison Debs Lewis
Territory Account Manager allison.lewis1@staples.com Staples Advantage www.staplesadvantage.com
Staples has donated shipping boxes and packing tape
Alan Flowers and Alan Kwiatkowski are helping us
spread the word about Libraries For Kids, Int'l. 70 Pennington Dr. Studio 16D
Bluffton, SC 29910
The Stations call-in # 843-800-1492; Office # 843-
505-8513 https://www.talkoneradio.com/
Libraries For Kids, Int'l 843-597-4826; 15 Trescot Lane; Bluffton, SC 29909 PO Box 1013, Bluffton SC 29910 libraries4kis@gmail.com
WEBSITE
See what's happening on our social sites: