We Work Where Other Groups Don't Work
In most of the countries where we work, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) generally work within an hour’s drive of the international airports. On the other hand, where we have worked the most in NW Uganda (the corner made up of borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan) is 6-8 hours from Kampala. Similarly, we work in North Central Kenya, Northern Malawi, rural Jamaica and in NW and SW Zambia. All are places others NGOs don’t work-making the need much greater there.
We work hard to reach those most in need. For example, we have started a program to establish libraries in prisons (we have ten started in NW Uganda). These are a really remarkable addition—teaching men and women to read and they also humanize the institutions-giving hope in otherwise terribly under-resourced places. We are also working in the largest refugee camps in the world, also found in in NW Uganda. This is a special program we have just started where we are working with the local UN representatives to establish mobile libraries (thin metal sheet boxes known as “book boxes”) with 50 or so books each-capable of moving on the backs of motorcycles. Again, these are people who especially need the hope that books can provide to them and their children.
We are very efficient-we get the absolute most out of every dollar we receive. We are 100% volunteer run, so that everything we raise goes to our mission. When you combine that with the fact that almost all the books we send are donated, you can see how despite a humble budget, using leverage, we get a lot done. We also like the idea, as do many of our donors, that we save lots of otherwise good books from the landfill and therefore are environmentally responsible.