top of page
Search

Book collection at Carlisle School benefits communities in Africa

  • Writer: Luis Romero
    Luis Romero
  • Mar 16, 2019
  • 3 min read


AXTON – Community service is an integral part of the curriculum at Carlisle School and starting in early grades, students are accustomed to performing service projects throughout the year. Projects are often student-led and can range from food and coat drives for the needy to collections of pet supplies for animal shelters, but one project, in particular, has made a positive impact not only on the students at Carlisle but also for families across the globe.

In the fall of 2017 middle school students in Carlisle’s Community Service Club partnered with the African Library project of Pittsburg, California to organize a book drive. The collected books would be used to help start a library at the Ngodhe Primary School in Kenya. During the collection process, the students at Carlisle reached out to their student body, parents, and grandparents to collect more than 1,000 new and gently used books.

After the books were collected, they were packaged and sent to staff at the African Library Project which delivers donated books to help establish libraries across the continent of Africa. Since 2005 the African Library Project has developed more than 2,620 libraries in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Cameroon, Lesotho, Nigeria, Botswana, Swaziland, Malawi, Ghana, South Africa, Sierra Leone, and Kenya.

In June 2018 the books were transported by a team from the African Library Project to Kenya and delivered to students and teachers at the Ngodhe Primary School. Sharon Allen a Project Humanity Volunteer with the organization was among the travel party who delivered Carlisle’s shipment of books. According to Allen, the school is on a small island an hour away from the mainland and on the day that the organization visited, “many students were away from the school participating in a competition.” Since the remaining children were having a free day, Allen reported that they “got to help unpack the books [Carlisle] sent and spend lots of time reading to the kids.” She noted that the students also entertained their travel party and added that the donation of books made a wonderful impact on this school and community.

Allen sent Carlisle School photos and videos of students enjoying the donated books. According to Beth Gammons, Middle School Director at Carlisle School, “the project gave our students a deeper appreciation for our own library and the need to help other children in the world have the same opportunities.”

Carlisle School students will be conducting another drive again this spring for the African Library Project.

The book collection will kick off on April 15th, coinciding with the opening day of Carlisle School’s Scholastic Book Fair which will allow donors to purchase new books to send in addition to donations of gently used books.

There will be collection boxes at the Book Fair and in the Middle School lobby for all donated books. Gammons noted that books donated must be for primary or secondary students and cannot be titles associated with holidays, religions, or American history.

Over the next few weeks, students will learn about the various countries in Africa to determine which school they would like to support this year. In addition to books, the students will also collect donations of cardboard boxes, trash bags to weatherproof the books, shipping tape, and approximately $500 in shipping costs to fund the library. Donors who wish to contribute to the shipping costs and supplies can send checks to Carlisle School, Attn: African Library Project, PO Box 5388 Martinsville, VA 24115.

 
 
 

15 Comments


Nestor Mironov
Nestor Mironov
Oct 14, 2025

I really appreciate how the “Book collection at Carlisle School” project uplifts African communities by improving literacy, access, and hope through donated books. In the same way, assignments writing services are valuable for US students who struggle with heavy workloads or tight deadlines. I once had such a hard assignment at university, so I searched online and found an option to take my online exam and help with coursework. That kind of support ensures I finish tasks on time without compromising quality.

Like

John Wrick
John Wrick
Oct 02, 2025

The book collection at Carlisle School is a meaningful initiative as it not only provides children in African communities with access to reading material but also nurtures their creativity and supports long term educational growth. Books can truly transform lives by offering opportunities for learning that many of these communities might not otherwise have.

Personally when I welcomed a pawtenant into my life it helped me manage stress and focus better on tasks. With an ESA letter from a licensed therapist I was able to recognize the role my companion plays in keeping me balanced and productive.

Like

Semara Hasian
Semara Hasian
Sep 25, 2025

The book collection initiative at Carlisle School, which helps communities in Africa, is truly inspiring—it's a wonderful example of how small actions can have a big impact. A similar sense of community and support can be found at Sixty6 Sweeps Casino in US, where the Sweepstakes format brings people together around excitement and friendly competition.

Like

Alex Hartley
Alex Hartley
Sep 08, 2025

This is such an inspiring initiative by Carlisle School. Seeing students take part in global community service at such a young age is heartwarming. Projects like these remind me how important storytelling is to share their impact. Sometimes schools or organizations even hire a blog post writers to highlight such efforts, and I’ve noticed Paysomeone To doing similar meaningful work.

Like

John Smith
John Smith
Aug 21, 2025

Such a wonderful initiative book collections like this truly empower communities and spread knowledge across the globe. For students, the right support such as TAFE Assignment Help can make a big difference too!

Like
BTW21 Updated  Logo.png

Regular office hours are

Monday - Friday 9 AM - 5 PM

  • White Facebook Icon
  • White Twitter Icon
  • White YouTube Icon

© 2018-2024 BY BTW21, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

bottom of page