Who We Are
Bookfriends International is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization committed to helping educate students in secondary schools in Africa by providing books, supporting educational materials and services. Bookfriends International was founded on the belief that every child deserves a chance to learn and to develop his or her individual abilities.
Since our inception in 2005, more than 200 high schools in Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda have received text books and library books. In recent years, Bookfriends has also provided menstrual hygiene kits for the teenage girls in these schools to encourage them to remain in their classrooms consistently.
What We Do
Bookfriends gathers books and school supplies donated from area schools* and libraries*, and by individuals, and ships them to East African high schools. Most of the students in African schools, especially those in rural areas, have NO BOOKS from which to learn or advance their education. Bookfriends also has a project in place through which ladies are creating hygiene products for the teen girls in African schools - - this is a WINNING effort as those girls are now able to stay in their classrooms consistently and complete their education alongside their peer group!
We have MANY more requests in our files for books and for the hygiene supplies.
Bookfriends is a volunteer-run organization. At our warehouse in Wauconda, IL, our volunteers process the books received, sort for subject matter, and prepare for shipping. Donor funds go directly to shipping and program expenses.
* Bookfriends has received many books donated from Barrington area schools and Library in the past dozen years.
