The MoneyGram Foundation grant funded the transportation of three 40-foot ocean-going containers to Ghana, Cameroon and Ethiopia. Each container, carefully curated by Books For Africa, was filled with 22,000 books, as well as library enhancement supplies such as essential solar lights, e-readers loaded with digital content, computers, maps and projectors. The books and learning materials are intended to enhance the capacity of community libraries, with long-term outcomes of improving school retention and literacy crucial to each country’s ability to produce an educated workforce. The Catholic Universityof Buea in Douala (CIUB) was chosen as the recipient of the books and materials designated for Cameroon.

An event to celebrate the donation of the books was held at the Douala campus of the Catholic University Institute of Buea. CIUB is an entrepreneurial university, whose goal is not only to train professionals, but also to endow them with spiritual and moral values. Forty secondary and primary schools were invited to participate in the festivities, and more than 200 students received their own box of books.

“It is an honor to have the opportunity to support literacy efforts in Africa, and we are delighted to select Cameroon as a beneficiary for this program,” said John Gely, MoneyGram’s Head of Africa. “We are proud to join Books For Africa in their mission to improve the availability of books and learning materials, and fulfill the MoneyGram Foundation’s goal of empowering lives through education.”

Carole Patrikakos, Deputy Director of Books For Africa, explained, “Books For Africa is demand driven- we routinely receive orders from groups who have fundraised on behalf of African schools and libraries. However, there are children in locales that do not have sponsors abroad, and those children will not receive books without the intervention of funders such as MoneyGram Foundation, who recognize and support their right to an education.”

In addition to MoneyGram representatives, ceremony attendees included Mr. Job Théophile Kwapnang, Mayor of Douala, Professor Fr. George Nkeze, President of CIUB, and Dr. Fabrice Tonfack Djikeng from the CIUB Douala campus. Also in attendance were key MoneyGram partners, representatives from Afriland First Bank, Express Exchange Transfer, Banque of Atlantic (BACM) and Wafacash.

Similar events have been held this year to celebrate the distribution of books and library supplies in Ethiopia and Ghana. The MoneyGram Foundation grant is expected to provide 30,000 students per year with access to books. To date, the MoneyGram Foundation has awarded over $1,150,000 in grants to support education for children in Africa.

Source: Yahoo Finance