update



		September 2010 Update Hurray! The container finally arrived at 4:00PM on 22 September, a Wednesday. We recalled the hired workmen, who had been waiting since the morning and had been paid for the morning of waiting and sent home. The men were raring to go and had the container of 650+ boxes unloaded in record time of 1.5 hours! truck arriving and the workers Pam hired to unload They used hand trucks to move the boxes into the Baobab School Hall, heaving them up over the one step, where they placed them in long rows width wise in the Hall. Christine Lobile, Head of Baobab School and a few of her teachers, assisted me to slit open the tape on every box. Baobab staff were given a chance to make their selection of library books, while I separated the books sent specifically to Coaching for Conservation in Maun and the books specifically sent by Doug Lee to Bana ba Metsi School in Shakawe. This proved to be a time consuming job as many of these books had been transferred to BOOKS FOR AFRICA boxes so as to help reach our weight goal (odd sized boxes do not stack well and take up precious space). Volunteers slitting open boxes, the Baobab tree in front of Baobab School and Pam and Christine Lobile moving boxes By 8:30PM, the books had been found, the Hall locked up and with smiles of satisfaction, we all headed home. The Baobab staff were ecstatic over their selection of primary level books. For the past 12 years of the Book Project, the book containers were always unloaded at Maun Sr Secondary School, northern home of the Project. The books were primarily distributed in Ngamiland area, so most teachers in Southern Botswana have never been a part of the Project. “What a great selection” was the comment I heard most often. boxes are open and ready for selection, a Baobab School teacher selecting books Baobab teachers and students select books 7:00AM on Thursday, I opened the Hall doors for most of the Predestinated book Recipients who were eager to select books for their school or charity. Many Peace Corps Volunteers were present and they selected books for the PC volunteers who were not able to come to select. Day 2 book selection......Mr Quill Herman, a friend of BBP, helping with selections.......Peace Corps volunteers Sandra Stonehill and Kim Sales from the Rotary Club of Greater Gaborone volunteered their time to select books for various charities such as Kagisano Society Woman’s Shelter Project in Gaborone and Women Against Rape safe house in Maun. Peter Dow of Coaching for Conservation in Maun and Waxy Letubo of Tachila Nature reserve in Francistown selected books for their Environmental Programs. Student volunteer... Lisa Jamu,director of Stepping Stones Int'l.....Marang JS school in Gaborone Baobab School Hall after 48 hours and 25,000 books have been selected The scene was repeated on Friday and then on Saturday, 8 volunteers from Baobab School staff assisted me all day in selecting books for area primary schools until our arms and backs were aching and the Hall was full of packed boxes. family of book lovers....tiny book worm Sunday we rested and on Monday, I put the last 1000+- books in cartons to be moved against the back wall so the Hall could be set up for an Independence Day concert on Tuesday morning. Selected, boxed and ready for delivery.... student volunteers moving packed boxes I was stunned to realize that we had unpacked, selected, reboxed and labeled over 28,000 books in less than 4 days!! On Tuesday, the remainder of the books were boxed for schools, leaving only a few boxes of Spanish books, unmatched copies of encyclopedia sets and a few boxes of books that had no relevance in Botswana (ex. The History of Georgia, vol.1). I’m so pleased with the event and the spirit of cooperation among the recipients! Note that I will be busy in the USA, fund raising for a 2011 book Container and hope to have it full and on its way to Botswana in mid March. ************** SCHOOLS AND CHARITIES THAT RECEIVED BOOKS FROM BOTSWANA BOOK PROJECT IN SEPTEMBER 2010 Baobab School / Gaborone Stepping Stones International / Mochudi Tapologo Daycare / Mochudi Motswadi Rehabilitation / Mochudi Bakgatla Bolokang Matshelo (BBM) / Mochudi Maria Moagi Daycare / Mochudi Mochudi Hospital Pediatric Ward / Mochudi Ramokgonami village Library / Ramokgonami Mother Theresa Resource Centre- Kings Foundation / Francistown Coaching for Conservation / Maun Tachila Nature Reserve / Francistown Lifeline Youth Group / Ramotswa Ramotswa Library / Ramotswa Emmanuel Counseling Centre / Ramotswa Modipane Primary School / Modipane Marang CJSS / Gaborone Kopong CJSS / Kopong Letsholo Primary / Kopong Molefe Primary / Kopong SOS Tlokweng Children’s Village / Gaborone Naledi SS School / Gaborone Believer’s Destiny Academy / Gaborone Seramena Primary School / Metsimotlhabe Guardian Angel Society (GAUS) / Gaborone Ramotswa SS School / Ramotswa Kamogelo Orphan DayCare/Preschool / Gabane Sorilatholo Primary / Sorilathalo Motse Wat Tsholofelo (Village of Hope) / Maun St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church / Maun Losale Youth Initiatives / Maun Thari- E Ntsho Storytellers / Maun Mmanoko Primary School / Mmanoko Mmanoko Community Library / Mmanoko Moshupa SS School / Moshupa Tlhabologo Primary School / Gaborone Galaletsang Primary School / Gaborone Masa Primary School / Gaborone Bontleng Primary School (Special Needs Unit) / Gaborone Tshwakagano Primary / Gaborone Dihutso National School / Gaborone Mmopane Primary School / Gaborone Metsimotlhabe Primary School / Gaborone Ramotswa Centre for the Deaf / Gaborone Khuduga Primary School / Gaborone Camp Primary School / Gaborone Diphetogo Primary School / Gaborone Bana ba Metsi School / Shakawe Kagisano Society Woman’s Shelter Project / Gaborone Tumasers-Seleka Village Library / Tumasers-Seleka Moeti CJSS / Maun Sedie CJSS / Maun Tshwaragano CJSS / Maun Tsodilo CJSS / Maun Makalamebedi CJSS / Makalamebedi Motopi CJSS / Maun Sehitwa Primary / Sehitwa Sehitwa CJSS / Sehitwa Boseja Primary / Maun Okavango Pharmacy Maun Health Library / Maun Diverse & Holistic Health Care Project For Ngamiland /Maun Maun SS School / Maun Botshelo Trust / Shakawe Gaborone Private Hospital Pediatric Ward / Gaborone Princess Marina Hospital Pediatric Ward / Gaborone Sekoma CJSS / Sekoma Ngami CJSS / Etsha Okavango CJSS / Gumare Shakawe CJSS / Shakawe Molopolole Life Skills at Dithejwane / Molopolole Bogogobo Primary / Middlepits Gaborone West CJSS / Gaborone Tloga Tloga CJSS / Gaborone St. Joseph’s SS School / Gaborone Ledumang SS School / Gaborone Gaborone SS School / Gaborone Thuto Isago Trust and Hope Mission / Ghanzi Pilikwe Reading Room / Pilike Maun Hospital / Maun Regional Health Program / Maun Leshibitse Village Library / Leshibitse Kauxi CJSS / Shakawe Women Against Rape safe house / Maun Thuso Lutheran Rehabilitation Centre / Maun Lehgwaphang Primary School / Molopolole Borwa CJSS / Bokaa Hope Mission / Bokaa Tlhomo CJSS / Kanye Kanye Library / Kanye DAC Office Library /Kanye Kalamare ARBT Day Care Centre / Kalamare Pule Memorial Primary Centre / Gabane Gabane CJSS / Gabane Kanye SS School /Kanye Bona Lesedi Orphan Care / Kanye Manyana Primary School / Manyana Boswelakosi CJSS / Manyana Mogobane CJSS /Mogobane Moselewapula CJSS / Gaborone Maikano CJSS / Gaborone Galaletsang Primary / Gaborone Ikageng CJSS / Metsimotlhabe Odi CJSS / Odi Bonnington CJSS / Gaborone Mogoditshane CJSS / Gaborone Teen Reading Club at Baylor Centre / Gaborone Preschool Program at Baylor Centre / Gaborone Children’s HIV antiviral program adds “Give a book too” 107 recipients!! Thank you to all my volunteers and supporters!!** I can never end this week without thanking the American charity that supplies, boxes and organizes the container for me! Thank you, Books for Africa! The BFA Atlanta warehouse staff assisted me for 3 months to get this container filled and ready to go....thanks so much! Books for Africa (www.booksforafrica.org) is responsible also for accepting the donations to make this consignment possible....if you are interested in donating to our 2011 shipment, check out their website ...look under "projects" and select BOTSWANA BOOK PROJECT, please. We need to raise $13,000 and we are only part way to our goal. Every dollar of donation helps! Thanks, Pam past updates....click here