News / Education
New Zealand students send container of books to Zimbabwe
23 Jun 2016 at 12:50hrs | Views
Sophia Harrison, Paige Te Huia, Bayden Oliver, Elijah Rowling, Connor Hughes, Deano Roberts and Driden Kunaka, with some of the books soon to be sent to rural schools in Zimbabwe.
A shipping container carrying "luxury" items which will help educate hundreds of children will soon set sail for Zimbabwe.
The 20ft (6m) container is at Melville High School in Hamilton where it's hoped well-wishers will donate books, enough to fill it to the brim, before it heads to Africa in July, Driden Kunaka says.
Kunaka is the New Zealand chairman of the Zimbabwe Rural Schools Library Trust which is organising the gift. The books are destined for rural schools in Zimbabwe which do not already have reading material.
"Books are a luxury. Reading is very important and children should get exposed to books at a young age," he says.
Melville High School became involved with the trust through one of its students, Deano Roberts.
The year 13 student is an ambassador for the trust and said he wanted to help kids in need.
So far the school has collected books from neighbouring schools including a wide range of picture books, novels and resource books.
But Kunaka said the school has not yet reached the container's capacity. He's asking people to drop off any books in good condition, written in English for children aged five to 18.
"We appreciate the efforts to enable access to reading material for children in another part of the world, and we are prepared to receive the books on behalf of the trust", said Melville High School principal Clive Hamill.
The trust was established in Zimbabwe in 2012 and registered in New Zealand in 2013.
Kunaka said work was in progress to register the trust in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.
"We are employing new methods of library advocacy which have not been tried elsewhere. Another unique innovation is the use of music to promote and fundraise for library development. We are currently working on a musical album which is facing funding challenges, but we will certainly get there."
Books can be delivered to Melville High School or to the office of Sue Moroney on Ulster St, Hamilton, by July 1.
The container is expected to arrive in Harare, Zimbabwe on August 15.
The 20ft (6m) container is at Melville High School in Hamilton where it's hoped well-wishers will donate books, enough to fill it to the brim, before it heads to Africa in July, Driden Kunaka says.
Kunaka is the New Zealand chairman of the Zimbabwe Rural Schools Library Trust which is organising the gift. The books are destined for rural schools in Zimbabwe which do not already have reading material.
"Books are a luxury. Reading is very important and children should get exposed to books at a young age," he says.
Melville High School became involved with the trust through one of its students, Deano Roberts.
The year 13 student is an ambassador for the trust and said he wanted to help kids in need.
So far the school has collected books from neighbouring schools including a wide range of picture books, novels and resource books.
But Kunaka said the school has not yet reached the container's capacity. He's asking people to drop off any books in good condition, written in English for children aged five to 18.
"We appreciate the efforts to enable access to reading material for children in another part of the world, and we are prepared to receive the books on behalf of the trust", said Melville High School principal Clive Hamill.
The trust was established in Zimbabwe in 2012 and registered in New Zealand in 2013.
Kunaka said work was in progress to register the trust in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.
"We are employing new methods of library advocacy which have not been tried elsewhere. Another unique innovation is the use of music to promote and fundraise for library development. We are currently working on a musical album which is facing funding challenges, but we will certainly get there."
Books can be delivered to Melville High School or to the office of Sue Moroney on Ulster St, Hamilton, by July 1.
The container is expected to arrive in Harare, Zimbabwe on August 15.
Source - stuff.co.nz
