The books will be an opportunity for children to see a new world.

BookMark Your Book Aid International newsletter

Spring 2019 Books have arrived in Syria!

Last Christmas, we wrote to you and asked for support to help send more books to children around the world whose lives have been shattered by conflict.

You gave an astonishing £40,000 - that's enough to send 20,000 books around the world to those who need them. Over Christmas, the books we sent to Syria Relief were distributed to schools across Idlib, helping children to keep learning despite the war. Without you, we could not send these life-changing books. Thank you for all that you do!

In this issue Page

Books for a secure future in 4–5

Inspiring children in refugee camps 6–7

Bringing books to rural Bhutan 8–9

The books you have helped to send 10 News and updates 11 Let's keep in touch Stay up to date with how the books you help to send are changing lives: @Book_Aid facebook.com/bookaid Subscribe to email updates: bookaid.org/stay-in-touch Cover image: Discovering books in a Reading Centre in Bhutan

Book Aid International is a charity registered in England and Wales. Charity no: 313869. Company no: 880754. Left: A teacher introduces his pupils to the new books you have helped to send in Registered Office: 39-41, Coldharbour Lane, London SE5 9NR Idlib, Syria. Photo credit: Syria Relief The books you have donated Books for a secure future will be very useful in developing in South Sudan skills for self-reliance. After years of conflict, South Sudan has entered a period of fragile peace. We asked Dr. Jacob Lupai, Professor at the University of Juba, how books will help the world’s youngest nation recover.

In 2013, nationwide We have universities, we have conflict gripped South schools, but we badly need books. Sudan. Many people The books are very important to died, property was give out this knowledge to university destroyed and some students. They will read the books fled for their lives. Today, things are that Book Aid International sent and hard. Inflation is very high and people when they graduate they can impart are facing hardships. this knowledge to farmers or develop In South Sudan over 80% of our simple training programmes with the people live in rural areas and a lot of aim of increasing productivity. people grow their own food. There is We’re optimistic that things will food insecurity and a lot of poverty. improve. When there is peace, However, people are hopeful that there will be vast opportunities for things will get better now. What development – agriculture, forestry, people need most is development, fisheries, livestock, mining and so forth. especially agricultural development. Opportunities will open for young people to improve their quality of life. Our farming is quite basic so we need a profound change and this can be So the books you have donated will gained through books where research be very helpful in developing skills for has been done on improved farming self-reliance. methods. But there is a lack of books. Thanks to your support and the players of People’s Postcode Lottery, we sent 18,684 books to South Sudan in 2018. Those books are already in the hands of students who will use them to build a more prosperous future for their communities.

Left: Students gather under a tree for lessons in South Sudan 4 5 Inspiring children in refugee camps

Through your support, over 24,000 children in Kakuma Refugee Camp in northern have books in their classrooms. Their teachers have also been trained in how to bring those books to life during lessons. We asked three teachers of some of the camp's youngest readers how the books and training are changing lives:

The UK books are good for stories and teaching sounds. Pupils enjoy reading the stories and teachers demonstrate the stories using the books. The children love the books. Even those who have gone to another school come back to borrow books. We are lending the books to teachers and pupils.

Mary, Head Teacher – Tarach Early Childhood Development Centre

The way Book Aid International taught us is changing lives for both the teacher and the child. Teachers now have new methods of teaching, as well as books and classroom management skills. Story time was not in the timetable before. Now we have reading lessons.

Rail Hassan, Teacher – Lake Turkana Early Childhood Development Centre

Before the training I never used to know how to organise books for learners and how to captivate interest among pupils. I now understand the level of children’s understanding. Each of them is different from the other.

Isaac Ubur, Head Teacher – Kalobeyei Early Childhood Development Centre

6 Right: Children in Kakuma Refugee Camp exploring their new books 7 Reading together in the Discovering books in the Panbang Centre Chuzagang Community Library

Bringing books to rural Bhutan

In the Himalayan country of Bhutan, many children have no access What has the impact been of Is it only children who are to books. READ Bhutan works to offer all children the chance to having new books? benefitting? read – and last year thanks to you they received 5,106 brand new The books donated by Book Aid Gaining free access to subject books! We asked Kezang, the READ Bhutan Programme Manager, International are very helpful! Most related revision books will to tell us more. of our users are children who are be much relief to the parents learning to read and youth who financially since these books are have begun to enjoy reading. very expensive and difficult to Can you tell us about the situation in Bhutan? The books help them develop find in Bhutan. The students and The only public library is situated We now have nine community analytical skills, enhance their teachers now have free access to in the capital, Thimphu and most libraries. Many children cannot vocabulary and build networks the revision books. among friends who enjoy reading. children living in other districts travel outside Bhutan so the books We also used the vocational guide have no access to the public will be an opportunity for them More users from different books during sewing skills training library. READ Bhutan is the only to see a new world, build their communities were attracted to that we conducted for women in organisation in the country working creativity and imagination and the libraries after the new books the community. Through these to build community libraries. learn about different cultures. for children and adults were books, the women were able to displayed. In the last two months, gain more information and ideas

Above: Engrossed in reading in the Khotakpa Community Library the centre has checked out more for material designs. than 125 books! 8 9 The books you News and updates help to send The Duchess of Cornwall opens a library filled with We All Went on Safari: A counting journey books you’ve helped to send. through In November, as part of the Royal This beautifully illustrated book joins a group of visit to West Africa, Her Royal children on a journey through Tanzania. Along the Highness The Duchess of Cornwall way, they encounter a variety of African animals, visited St Therese’s Upper Basic counting them in Swahili as they go. Copies of this School in The Gambia where she book are now on their way to the Tanzania Library opened the school’s new library. Services Board where the familiar illustrations will The school library is the first in The resonate with children. Gambia to be supported by our charity and it is full of books you helped to send! Storage of agricultural products This simple and practical guide on various aspects We join The Gambia National of small-scale, sustainable agriculture in tropical Library Service Authority (GNLSA), climates combines new scientific research with the staff and pupils of the school local practises and hands on experience to in thanking Her Royal Highness for strengthen farmers’ skills. It will be welcomed by her visit to the library and we look rural farming communities in many of the countries forward to working with the GNLSA which receive the books you help to send. to create access to more books for thousands of Gambians from all

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall visited walks of life. Arabic Club for Kids St Therese’s Upper Basic School in The Gambia

This colourful and fun series of books for young Ben Okri to host Radio 4 Appeal for Book Aid International learners of Arabic is designed to nurture reading confidence. Created by experienced Arabic We’re pleased to announce that BBC Radio 4 will broadcast an appeal for teachers and authors, titles are grouped into our charity’s work on Sunday 31st March at 7:55am and again at 9:26pm. The colour bands for different reading abilities. Copies appeal will be presented by Booker Prize winning Nigerian poet and novelist are on their way to displaced children in , Ben Okri – one of Africa’s best known authors. In the broadcast, you will hear Lebanon and Jordan as well as young readers in more about how books helped one young refugee turn her life around – and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. how, together, we can reach more people who need books most. Please mark your calendars and encourage your friends and family to tune in.

10 11 Help us to write the next chapter

I am getting on well with my Out Island Library which is now quite substantial... It is so important that I make a success of this. It’s the most important thing I am doing.

Diary entry dated 25th April 1954, Lady Ranfurly, founder of Book Aid International. Taken from her book ‘Hermione’

Lady Ranfurly founded the charity that would become Book Aid International in 1954. Over 60 years later, we are still continuing the work she began. By remembering Book Aid International in your Will you can help countless children and adults access the books they need to write the next chapter in their own lives.

To find out more about leaving a gift in your Will please: Email: [email protected] Call: 020 7326 5802 Visit: www.bookaid.org/donate/ leave-a-gift-in-your-will/

Lady Ranfurly packing books