Think of your favourite books as a child – Winnie the Pooh, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Little Prince. Now imagine never being able to read these books or even have them read to you. There are thousands of children in Mali who will never have this joy.

Let’s get thousands of children's books sent to Mali, one of the poorest countries on Earth.

After visiting Mali for the first time in 2008, falling in love with its delightful people, and witnessing the hardships that people there have to face - lack of good education, poverty, and chronic health problems - I decided that I would do my best to help improve people’s chances, by providing resources for schools, where there simply are none. I have been joined by a lot of people who feel the same and together we have started to make a difference.

Books, both reading and exercise books, are like gold dust in Mali. I have literally been chased down the street by excited young children begging me to give them the exercise books I was carrying.

Why send English books to Mali?

English is now seen as THE language to acquire, internationally. English has become the language of the Internet, of global communication. English language is not heard often in Mali (the official language is French) and whenever I am there, I tutor an increasing number of girls in basic English conversation, pronunciation, etc.
Educating and empowering girls is the most positive thing I can do to help them and their families out of poverty.

Please send French books too!
English/French dictionaries, French/English audio learning books, CD’s with French and English Nursery songs and rhymes are needed. (Remember old and battered are better than none at all)

Mali has the worst literacy rate on the planet.
The reality is that many Malian children will never hold a story book in their hands.

Why Books?

Books that help to teach reading and writing are fundamental to a person’s development.
People in developed countries have more opportunities in life, more ability to earn a higher income, more capacity to make choices and a broader world vision.

We have a surplus of books in this country, and as Kindles and Sony Readers, audio books, etc, are used more and more, good condition, old books are being recycled, and horror of horrors, thrown away. I know they can be used again elsewhere.

After revisiting Timbuktu, a legendary and very remote town during the Tuareg Festival of the Desert at the beginning of this year (2011), and having met the Mayor, Aziza, I feel very positive that the books are both needed and will be used well there.

This year, I plan to collect a larger amount of books to send to Timbuktu and into the far corners of the Sahara desert, using Timbuktu as a hub from which to send the books while the far desert remains unsafe for Westerners to travel within.

Mali is unlikely to get many English speaking visitors this year.

All the Western Government‘s advisors say it's a no go area, and have been for several years now. However, I think it’s important that we don’t forget the people living there, and continue to either travel there ourselves (like I do, to areas where despite the blanket ban, I know people and I feel incredibly safe), or to help to make changes and get things done, by sending our support in other ways. I know we westerners are suffering an economic down turn, but by relative standards, we are still far better off.

Goals this year, 2011 -2012

I want to send a thousand or more books to Timbuktu and the people in the Sahara desert. Libraries are being shut in the UK. The books are being thrown away. Isn’t there a way we can ship a load and save these books from the landfill? With generous donations this is possible.

Create a Nomadic Library. It is my ambition to set up a nomadic library - think Tuareg Tent, books, book art and solar powered audio language learning. I am hopeful that the Nomadic Library will feature in the Festivals of the Desert and Niger 2012. Both are meeting points to which many Malian’s will come.

Publish my first book, The Unfinished Book Story. A limited edition of tiny exquisite handmade books telling the Send a Book to Mali Story, written and made by me, Wren Miller, sold in aid of Send a Book to Mali.

Raise awareness. Get the message out to a wider audience, including Book Groups, Schools and Libraries.

Raise funds. Start fundraising in earnest, and encourage others to do so.

So the problem - how do we get old and useable paperback books to Mali?

This is how......
I am asking for people to each send one old (or new) children’s book, direct to Mali, which won’t cost much more than a fiver in total, and probably less.

For instance to send the inspiring Greg Mortenson Paperback "Three Cups of Tea", which weighs 374gm including a recycled packaging envelope, by 5 day Airmail small package =£5.43

An average 200 page teen book in a recycled Jiffy Mailmiser padded envelope weighing 190gm, by air, £3.20.

A Mr Men book inside a recycled manilla envelope....56 gms £1.98 air.

Quite reasonable, hey? One can even cost calculate and print out stamps on the post office site, if you look at http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/jump1?catId=400023&mediaId=11200122 and click the red price finder button on that page. How handy is that?

How do you choose your book?

• You might like to send one that inspired you. Perhaps choose one that you have never forgotten.
• Or you might want to send a copy of the favourite book of child you know.
• Or a new or used book via Amazon. (It’s easy and won’t take more than a few minutes)
• You might want to think about ordering a book by an African Author if you are ordering new.
• Or if you have two copies of a French/English dictionary, or phrase book, or are simply clearing a shelf ready for the Easter/Christmas decorations, please think about sending one.
• You can send any book suitable for an early reader

Please support me. You can do this by:

Sending a book to Mali, and letting me know you've sent it

Ask your friends/Book group/School to gather books and think of fun ways to collect funding to send them.

Recommend the Send a Book to Mali Page to your Facebook friends or pass this page link on widely through your own social networks to gather further support.

Please send your Children’s book to this address:

Send a Book to Mali c/o Mali Mystery Expeditions
BP 103,
Quartier Abaradjou
Tombouctou
Mali
West Africa/ Afrique de l'Ouest

Facebook and Twitter

OK so you want to know what happens to the books, right?
I will be updating two social networking sites with info frequently, tracking the projects response, comments, book choices, and numbers of participants for all to see. I will be photo documenting these books to their final resting place, and watching them in use too.

Thank you for your support.