Over 1.3 million brand-new, publisher-donated books reach readers in 2024
By Jill Dando News
Book Aid International is pleased to announce that in 2024, with the generous support of the UK publishing industry, it sent a record 1,344,059 brand-new books to readers in 23 countries around the world.
The charity’s mission is to give people, who would otherwise lack access to books, the opportunity to read for pleasure, study and lifelong learning; every year sending books to thousands of schools, libraries, universities, hospitals, refugee camps and prisons in low and low-middle income countries in Africa and beyond.
At the heart of the charity’s work is the network of partners who request the books the charity provides and who work to ensure that people have the opportunity to read in their own communities.
Last year the charity welcomed 40 new partners into its network and supported a total of 193 partners around the world.
In 2024 Book Aid International continued to prioritise supporting partners whose mission is to improve education, giving people the opportunity to learn; in total the charity donated 363,496 brand-new books to their education partners across the world.
The charity’s 2024 project programme also enabled them to set up 222 reading spaces in 192 schools, and to train over 380 teachers and librarians to manage libraries and engage pupils in reading activities.
2024 was particularly marked by the devastating impact of conflict. Book Aid International worked to reach those affected by crisis, in Ukraine and in Lebanon in particular.
The charity sent a second shipment of over 27,000 books to partner PEN Ukraine to support their ‘Unbreakable Libraries’ project, which aims to restock hundreds of libraries which have been damaged in the war.
And in Lebanon last year the charity donated books to its partner the Lebanese Board on Books for Young People (LBBY) to support LBBY’s reading project ‘Children in Crisis’, which organises volunteers to take packs of books and art materials to support displaced children and refugees in their local communities.
Book Aid International also supported partners working in Cameroon, Ethiopia and Somalia, where ongoing conflict continues to impact people.
In 2024 Book Aid International also sent a final shipment of 21,532 books to Mosul University Library in Iraq which was destroyed by IS.
This University Library has now been completely rebuilt, and the charity has to date sent over 50,000 brand-new books to help restock its shelves.
2024 also saw the second year of Book Aid International’s Generation Reader campaign, which aims by 2030 to reach 10 million young people in Africa who lack access to books and quality education.
The campaign has gifted over 300,000 books to date, helping young people to unlock their potential, training more teachers and librarians to support the next generation of readers and creating inspiring new spaces for reading and learning. These new spaces have included a Children’s Corner in a public library in Takoradi in Ghana supported by long-standing partner The Ghana Library Authority and ten Classroom Libraries in The Gambia, in partnership with local NGO Unique Foundation.
The Charity’s Chief Executive, Alison Tweed, commented on the year saying:
“It has been a year marked by many challenges, particularly for those living in, or affected by, conflict. We stand ready to support our partners who, despite these difficulties, continue to do such amazing work on the ground. It is inspirational to see the impact that the books we send are having on communities, helping them to find hope and opening doors to brighter futures. We could not do what we do without the publishers who so generously donate the books, the individuals, trusts and companies who support us financially and the many friends who help us spread the word about the power of books. We look forward to continuing to support readers together in 2025.”
Shereen Kreidieh, President of the Lebanese Board on Books for Young People (LBBY is a Book Aid International partner) said:
“As the President of LBBY, I am proud to highlight the immense importance of our collaboration with Book Aid International. Through their generous support, we have been able to supply children with high-quality books – resources that would have otherwise been out of reach. Access to these books, particularly in schools amid crisis, is crucial not only for education but also for helping children cope with the trauma caused by war and conflict. Thanks to Book Aid International, we have been able to reach and empower more children, offering them the opportunity to heal and grow through the power of reading.”
None of Book Aid International’s accomplishments in 2024 would have been possible without the support of the UK publishing industry.
83 book donors supported Book Aid International’s work and the charity would like to extend a special thank you to Bloomsbury, Cambridge University Press and Assessment, Elsevier, Hachette, Oxford University Press, Macmillan, Pearson, Penguin Random House, Sage Publishing and Wiley for their particularly generous support.
To find out about how you can be a part of sharing the power of books with readers around the world, visit Support us – Book Aid International.
