Library construction

Of all the items on the Chad Wish List, library construction has the potential to impact the most people. A library can be used by everyone in the community, young or old, in school or not, with interests as diverse as its collection. To provide nearly 70,000 Darfur refugees with broad access to books for education, mental health, and occupational training, we are asking for your help to build three libraries, one in each of the Bredjing, Treguine, and Gaga Refugee Camps.

Update 12/17/2009: Please visit our library builder website to donate bricks for a library at just $2 each.

The libraries will be built from brick, with estimated dimensions of 15m x 7m (49' x 23'), using materials and labor purchased locally. Inside each, 10 tables (1m x 2m), 80 chairs, 12 locking metal cupboards, and 5,000 books are envisioned. Our partner in the camps, UK charity CORD, estimates a language breakdown for the books of 4,250 Arabic/500 English/250 French, as appropriate for these communities. The books will be sourced locally, where possible, saving on shipping and helping to obtain the most culturally relevant material. CORD has experience purchasing books from the market in Abéché, and tells us this will be possible, but will likely be a gradual process, because of the large number of books involved. There might be specific needs, especially for English-language books, that cannot be met locally — in that case, the Book Wish Foundation will launch a collection effort to meet those specific needs as precisely as possible.

In the scorching heat and blowing sands of the desert, where tiny huts and tents are the norm, but where the desire to learn is strong, imagine how well used these brick libraries could be. Every patron who enters has the opportunity to improve his future, and a temporary refuge from the present. If you have ever found comfort in the pages of a book, you can begin to appreciate the importance of the latter in this region in crisis.

Donations of all sizes will be appreciated — brick-by-brick the libraries will be built. To guide your giving, please keep in mind the following cost estimates for each library (XAF=Central African CFA franc, the currency used in Chad, currency conversion updated with 7/31/09 rates):

To make your donation earmarked for library construction, please click here.

If you are interested in special recognition for a large individual, corporate, or governmental donation, please contact us to discuss possibilities.