HERE IS THE CRUNCH..
Liz and I have just returned from 11 days in Lesotho where we have re-learned that this project produces significant and long-lasting results, and that more books are needed in existing school libraries and in schools without a library. Back home, everyone tells us what a great project this is! But we do not seem able to trigger the financial support to match the real dollar costs needed to send books to meet the needs in Lesotho. Why?
YOUR FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION IS NEEDED TO HELP MEET THE 2023/24 BUDGET. Our 2023/24 budget to send 14 pallets of books this year = $22,353.
I know every charity is asking for your support at this time, and we all seem to be finding fund-raising difficult, but YOUR donation (whatever the amount) is needed to help bridge the gap!
Donating is easy – see the end of this newsletter.
LET’S BE POSITIVE AND RECOGNISING SOME OF OUR CORPORATE FRIENDS … At “the crack of dawn”, our new supplier of cartons for shipping the books to Lesotho arrived with 520 cartons which is sufficient for over 2 years of packing. The driver from Visy Boxes and More can be seen preparing to unload while “volunteers”, Hank and Ray, called out on “double time” stood by to handle the load. Thank you, Ashley and team from Visy for your generous support of B4L. The cost of the cartons was covered by our long term supporters, Chris McEvoy and Preschem Pty Ltd from Melbourne. In the past several years they have provided cartons from Melbourne. The new arrangement saved lots of arranging and was a much better financial arrangement. Thanks Chris.
Three Sun Possums (LINK) donated cash sufficient to fund one pallet of books from Adelaide to Lesotho. Thanks, Michelle, for your ongoing support. I hope our readers will support your online business!
A VISIT TO LESOTHO
Liz and I are freshly back from almost one month visiting Namibia (6th visit) and Lesotho (16th visit). We stated that this was a “farewell tour” (and not intended to be like famous artist’s “farewell tours”), but everywhere we were told “that we would be back”. We are grateful for the way we were welcomed In Lesotho and thanked for
the project. We responded by recognising the deep friendships we had made with many people over the years and the important links with the 3 B4L partners. We acknowledged that B4L was NOT just Liz and me, but was supported by a Board, regular volunteers at The Barn, financial supporters and the many and varied suppliers of the books that end of on library shelves in Lesotho.
The 3 Lesotho partners held a combined “reception” in the office grounds of one of them, Transformation Resource Centre. It was a beautiful day and the project and partnerships was duly recognised.
Partner Reception
Later, a meeting with the Rotary Club of Maloti:
Above: I addressed the meeting and presented T-shirts for needy kids donated from Oz, while Liz presented a huge book of images of Australia; B4L was presented with a Rotary honour certificate; members present at the meeting (which was followed by fellowship
Then, a meeting with the Rotary Club of Mantsopa:
This was the first time for a face-to-face meeting with RC of Mantsopa. I addressed the meeting and answered questions. It was a meaningful time with our latest partner.
There are many other “book” initiatives happening in Lesotho – it is truly amazing to learn about them. For example, a friend, Monica …. has started the Molete Reading Club. We visited one Saturday morning: Molete Reading Club
Near the end of our visit to Lesotho, we drove into some of the very high mountains (they are everywhere!) over 3 days for events with the Rotary Club of Maloti and the Ministry of Education in Thaba Tseka and in Mokhotlong for another event with the NGO, NewToro Books, established as a courier-delivered book lending service. To get there, we drove on the A3 “highway” which in parts is as rough/tough as almost any track we have encountered in Australia during our 4×4 holidays. However, the country is very beautiful and the people are wonderful and deserving of all the support we can muster. NewToro Books Reading Club children sang, danced and spoke (confidently) at this lovely event.
Book worms!!! This is an expression we have not previously encountered in Lesotho, this time meeting it at least twice. These are students who read books assiduously, and from any source. One Grade 9 student at St Rose High School told me that she had read every book that she liked that was in the school library and had read them at least twice – therefore, they needed more books. Her English was clear and spoken naturally – what an example for other students, and an encouragement for B4L to maintain the supply. Another student told me she liked “spooky” books, and that she, too, had read all such books in the library. Two students from Mafeteng spoke at the Partner Reception, one giving a short speech while the other recited a poem about the value of education. It was another sign of the value of education and the B4L part in supplying library books.
Not retiring…. Some people thought that as this was intended to be our last visit to Lesotho that we were “retiring” or even that Books for Lesotho was closing. Neither is the case. The Barn has a year’s supply of books to sort, pack and send. As I write there are 2 very big loads of books to collect in the coming week! (All we need are funds to pay the shipping costs to get them to the waiting schools.)
Liz and I have been very privileged to visit again, to see and experience so much, and to meet so many people. We came home very tired!
BOOK DONORS in the past 3 months:
Angaston and District Lions Bookshed, Glenside Lions Bookmart, Mitcham Motor Garage (from several sources), Mitcham Rotary Book Shop, Clovelly Park PS, Red Geranium Opp Shop (supporting Medecins Sans Frontieres – Doctors Without Borders, Woodend PS, Ardrossan PS , Mt Barker PS and several private donations. We thank you ALL! (I’m sorry if I missed someone!)
I REPEAT….A BIG THANK YOU
I trust the above reports warm your hearts and let you know what good work we are all doing for this wonderful country, the “Kingdom in the Sky”.
Thank you to everyone who supports this “nation building” project through donations of books, money and “in kind”.
David Linn Chairman, Books for Lesotho Inc.