Changing the World One Book at a Time

IBP featured in Lexington Herald Leader

intlbookproject — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:53:41 +0000

Book Project another weapon against terror

HERALD LEADER, December 17, 2009– In about six weeks, there will be a connection between Fayette County Public Schools and the Zindagi Trust Schools in Pakistan. And, through that connection, many people hope the U.S. will have as much success in fighting terrorism as with the drones our military flies into that country.

Lexington will be sending new and used books that will educate some of the younger victims of poverty terrorists target. It’s another way of chippings away at the Taliban.

The International Book Project is partnering with two agencies to provide needed text and library books for elementary-age children in Karachi, Pakistan.

IBP purchased many of the 10,000 books it is sending from a surplus Fayette County schools no longer used. Others were donated by individuals or by the store, Half Price Books. Added to that will be 10,000 new textbooks donated by Pearson Education, an educational publishing company.

Then the 20,000 books will be distributed to the poorest regions of Pakistan where the Zindagi Trust and the Central Asia Institute makes sure they get into the hands of children wanting to learn.

Better educated children might resist the Taliban. And all that starts right here in Lexington at IBP.

“Lexington should be very proud,” said Rachel Lewis, IBP executive director.

Headquartered in Lexington, IBP ships more than 150,000 books to schools, community centers and organizations worldwide each year. Since it was founded in 1966, the organization has sent more than six million books across the globe.

This particular shipment will be sent to schools run by the non-profit Zindagi Trust, founded by Pakistani pop star Shehzad Roy, and the Central Asia Institute. Zindagi Trust provides basic literacy education to children who have to work to help support their families. The charitable organization takes a group of children in certain neighborhoods and pays them a stipend to attend classes in the afternoons, five days a week, so that their families won’t miss out on their earnings.

The Central Asia Institute, co-founded by Greg Mortenson, author of the bestseller, Three Cups of Tea, focuses on educating females, primarily, in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Mortenson has said that along with sending more troops into Afghanistan, we in the U.S. should also concentrate on educating the young people.

Education seems to be key no matter where we live.

But why English language books in Pakistan? Lewis said that is the first question many people.

“Pakistan has a strong English tradition,” she said. “Pretty much, it is the secondary language of commerce. The books will help the children learn English at an early age.”

She said this particular project began in the summer. Through the end of the month volunteers will load books into sea containers — large metal boxes designed for overseas shipping — which then will be trucked to Norfolk, Va., and then shipped overseas.

The process will take about six weeks and shipping costs have been donated by the Virginia Clark Hagan Foundation in Lexington.

IBP was founded by Harriet Van Meter who, when she visited India, had seen university students standing in line to read books that were so scarce they couldn’t be checked out. She began shipping books from her basement. “We send about eight sea containers each year,” Lewis said, to places like Liberia, Cameroon, and Tanzania about once every quarter. The agency not only ships the large 32,000- to 40,000-pound containers, but also about 400 small shipments year round, Lewis added.

IBP, located at 1440 Delaware Ave., accepts donated books from individuals as well. In fact, they need more books written in French and Spanish.

Not all the books will be sent overseas, however. Some with references to holidays, religion, or vampires cannot be sent. Neither can cookbooks or books about Kentucky.

But those books and others can be found in the IBP bookstore which sells books for not much more than $1. Bookstore hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Through the work of IBP, we in Lexington are helping to fight terrorism as well as illiteracy throughout the world without leaving the Bluegrass.

Students at the Zindagi School, Pakistan

Reach Merlene Davis at (859) 231-3218 or 1-800-950-6397, Ext. 3218, or mdavis1@herald-leader.com.

Boy Scouts Volunteer at IBP!

intlbookproject — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:58:42 +0000

Boy Scouts of Lexington, KY volunteered at the IBP warehouse last week to help pack a sea container of books that will be sent to Pakistan. They did an awesome job and were a huge help!

Help IBP Send Books to Peace Corps Volunteer!

intlbookproject — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:15:55 +0000

Below is a letter from Peace Corps Volunteer, Peter Mach, in the Dominican Republic:

My name is Peter Mach and I am a Peace Corps volunteer living and working in the province of Maria Trinidad Sanchez in the small town of El Higuero, Nagua in the Dominican Republic. I am writing to you today with the hope that you may be able to help us acquire books for the community library we are constructing.

First, I’d like to give you a little background on my community. El Higuero is a small community with a population of about 200 people; a high percentage (up to 40%) under the age of 18. The local economy is based almost entirely on agriculture, primarily cacao and rice farming. Because the school is located almost an hour away by foot, many of the children simply do not attend during the rainy season. There are no newspapers, reference books, or fiction books available and approximately 20% of the community is illiterate.

The community has a women’s group, which is dedicated to the improvement of the education and lives of the community youth. Together, we have gotten a grant approved for the construction of a small library and are beginning construction in October. The goal of our library project is to give the community access to reading materials, promote literacy among both adults and children, and provide the youth a quiet space to do homework and study. We are also enthusiastic about the idea of providing children with summer reading programs and weekly story time. At the completion of the library construction, the Library Committee will hire one of its own members as the Director of the Library to guarantee the proper functioning of the library as a full-time job.

In order for our project to be a success, our library must house an assortment of engaging and educational books. Since most of the funds from our grants are going towards the construction of the library building we hope that you and the International Book Project will be able to help us expand our library resources. We would appreciate any and all reference, fiction, and children’s books you could provide.

Peter Mach

Peace Corps Volunteer

El Higuero, Nagua

Dominican Republic

Please help us send books to Peter by donating at www.internationalbookproject.org or contacting us at director@intlbookproject.org or 859-254-6771.

The Cheapest Bookstore in Town is Having a Sale!

intlbookproject — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:13:43 +0000

WHEN: FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16th and 17th 9AM-6PM

RAIN OR SHINE!

WHERE: IBP WAREHOUSE

1440 Delaware Avenue Lexington, KY 40505

DETAILS: All books in the bookstore will be half-price. Boxed books outside and in the side warehouse will be sold for $2 per plastic grocery bag. Plastic bags will be provided. Invite your friends! Over 10,000 books will be on sale for under $2! Proceeds from the book sale support IBP’s book sending mission.

Small Shipments

intlbookproject — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:51:45 +0000

IBP sent 45 Small Shipments (or M-bags) yesterday! They will be sent to Sri Lanka, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Cameroon, Somalia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Uganda, Zambia, Macedonia, The Gambia, Uzbekistan, St. Lucia, Argentina, India, Tanzania, the Dominican Republic, and Pakistan.

Pictures Received From Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan

intlbookproject — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:22:07 +0000

IBP received photos today from Peace Corps Volunteer, Philip Montgomery, in Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan!

Another Great Day at the International Book Project

intlbookproject — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:30:54 +0000

IBP Rearranges Bookstore

intlbookproject — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:49:18 +0000

For the past month, IBP staff and volunteers have been working hard to clear out and clean a storage area for the purpose of creating a new section of our bookstore. The project is finally FINISHED and we would love for customers to stop by and see the changes. Books are now better organized and much easier to find. The back part of the bookstore will now serve as additional office space.

Donated books that are not requested overseas and/or are not appropriate for different cultures are sold in the bookstore to help offset overseas shipping costs.

UK FUSION Volunteer Day

intlbookproject — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:26:58 +0000

IBP would like to thank all of the wonderful UK students that helped IBP clean our warehouse and separate books for future shipments. Here are some photos of our great volunteers.

IBP and UK Student, Mosoka Fallah, Featured in Business Lexington

intlbookproject — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:34:31 +0000

No Ordinary Graduate Student
Liberian UK student makes sacrifices to help students back home

by Rachel Lewis

August 20, 2009

Lexington, KY – For any “ordinary” graduate student at the University of Kentucky, pursuing a Ph.D. in biomedical science is a challenging endeavor. Mosoka Fallah is not your ordinary graduate student. Using his meager graduate stipend, he not only supports two family members here in Lexington, but also five students in his home country of Liberia. His 2005 arrival at the University of Kentucky rekindled a historic connection between Lexington and Liberia.

Lexington and Liberia share a link that dates back to Henry Clay’s involvement in the establishment of Liberia in the 1820s. Today, Liberia is struggling to recover from the destruction caused by a decade of civil war. As the people there start a new chapter in their country’s history, rebuilding the educational system is a key component to establishing peace and economic growth. In April, Lexington had a role in this rebuilding, thanks to a partnership between Mosoka Fallah, the International Book Project (IBP), and Firestone Natural Rubber Company. This partnership provided more than 8,000 English, math and science textbooks to a wide range of Liberian schools, from primary through university level. Most of these schools have no library and very few have more than one textbook per 10 students. Courses are taught through verbal instruction and the use of a single chalkboard.

As with most of IBP’s projects, many of the books provided for Liberia were donated by local schools, individuals and bookstores. Dozens of volunteers from the Lexington community, including many Liberian and Ghanaian immigrants, helped sort and pack the books to be shipped abroad. Lexington-based Virginia Clark Hagan Foundation provided the financial support for the project.

The success of each project IBP undertakes in the developing world hinges on two things: a reliable overseas partner and adequate funding. This project would never have come to fruition without the passion and Liberian connections of Mosoka Fallah. The story of his journey to Lexington sheds light on why he cares so deeply about education and helping those back in Liberia.

Fallah remembers his father often saying, “It is so hard for you, because I am not educated, but I will make sure that you are educated, so your children should not have to worry.” When the choice was between education and food in Mosoka’s family, education took priority. Fallah recalls the time when he needed a scientific calculator for school and his father took the most recent harvest of okra to town to sell and returned with the $87 scientific calculator and only $3 left for food for the entire family.

Just three months into starting his bachelor’s degree at the University of Liberia, the first civil war broke out. Rebels ransacked the campus and the school closed indefinitely. Mosoka’s family fled for their lives to a displacement camp. His father, a police officer, was captured by the rebels, but later managed to escape with his life. Throughout the next few years, Mosoka struggled to finish his undergraduate chemistry studies in a university that was barely functioning.

His chemistry classes were taught by a Pakistani businessman who the students begged to teach them even after the university could no longer pay him. He agreed, with the condition that despite their circumstances the students would commit to academic excellence. In the upper level chemistry classes, there was only one book for 15 students. Each student had to take a turn copying from the book by hand.

Many days Mosoka would walk over seven miles through the warring city to school, uncertain whether or not it would be open or if he would be killed by a stray bullet. Because of multiple school closings, it took 10 years for Mosoka to finish his bachelor’s degree.

In 2001, he enrolled in the College of Medicine at the University of Liberia, but three years later he was only able to complete one and a half years of coursework because of continued civil war. Frustrated, he gladly accepted the opportunity to take a fellowship at Kent State University in Ohio to earn his M.A. in education. It was during this time that he applied to the University of Kentucky’s Integrated Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. program. Dr. Jane Harrison, assistant provost, remembers reviewing his application.

“His application was reviewed several times without a decision, mainly because he was finishing up a master’s in education and nothing in his background suggested he would succeed in biomedical research,” remarked Harrison. But she kept coming back to his application because of his remarkable persistence in seeking his goals, despite unimaginable hardship. He was offered admission in 2005 and is now defending his dissertation on biomedical research to improve vaccines for streptococcus pneumonia and meningitis. “He is an unusual human being who mostly travels under the radar unless he is stirring up ‘trouble’ to help Liberia,” remarked Dr. Harrison.

When Harriet Van Meter started the International Book Project more than 40 years ago, her mission was to improve the lives of people throughout the world by providing quality books and building international friendships. Today, this mission continues by providing bright, motivated students, like Mosoka, the opportunity to give back to their local communities throughout the world.

Books are loaded for shipment at the International Book Project in Lexington