handmade books

Sierra Leone: Shipping Container (transports and converts into): Library and Education Center

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Blog post courtesy of USACF

Our friends and partners, US-Africa Children’s Fellowship (USACF), recently formed an important partnership with Hands On Sierra Leone. The head of HOSL is Sheku Mansaray, pictured above, and below. Sheku first came to America as a teenager to receive prosthetics to replace his lower arms which were cut off during the civil war in Sierra Leone. Sheku did not go back to Sierra Leone immediately after his surgery. He began a new life in Staten Island. He became a Legal Technology Specialist and now works for Paul Weiss.

Over the last few years, Sheku has turned his attention back to Sierra Leone. He is building a home in Freetown and is working to help the people of Sierra Leone in every way he can.

The focus of HOSL has been to help children of amputees. For the last ten years, HOSL has been paying the school fees for 53 children. The children attend 15 schools around the towns of Makeni, Kono, Luing and Masiaka. But much more needs to be done. None of their schools have libraries. We are all working together and have recently filled a container with children’s books and other needed donations. This 40-foot HC container is now on its way to Sierra Leone. The container has been purchased and will be converted into a library/learning center once it is put down in the town of Makeni.

The Book Fairies in Freeport, Long Island donated 600 boxes of children’s books.

We, from Wonderland BookSavers, donated 125 boxes of books, numerous bags of clothing, and a case of French-language children’s picture books handmade by the students of the Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center in Chicago.

USACF donated 300 boxes of books, schools supplies, soccer gear and clothing for this shipment. Crutches and soccer uniforms have also been collected for a one-legged soccer league. This shipment will change thousands of lives.

There are exciting plans to convert the shipping container into both a library and a learning center. Teachers will attend workshops to learn to use the digital Bridge Pi library which will greatly enhance their student’s access to information.

Sheku’s dream of helping the people of Sierra Leone is taking shape. With your support, we will turn his dream into reality.

French Booklets are a Great Success

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Once again we are so grateful to teacher John and his French 2 students from Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center in Chicago.  The students have created a set of 100 beautifully written and illustrated books and sent them to us to share with Haitian children.

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Our friend Susy, of Haitian Education Initiatives was headed to Jacmel, Haiti.  She promised to bring the books directly to her students in Haiti.

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Susy writes,

Many thanks to John, your students, and the members of Wonderland BookSavers for creating, donating and distributing the charming illustrated stories for the children at Haitian Educational Initiatives’ Cayes-Jacmel campus.

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The children absolutely loved them!

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It was a hot, sunny Saturday morning in early May at our weekend craft, feeding, and job training program and the Papillons (30 kids aged 3-9) had just finished making headbands as their craft project. They were charged with sitting quietly for 15 minutes until lunch was served and you can imagine how hard that was for them to do! Fortunately, I had your books with me and distributed a pile at each table.

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The children opened them up at once. Some at the far end were worried they might not get one but there were plenty for everybody. They marveled at the stories and illustrations, reading aloud rather than silently, as is their custom. There was a lot of trading around so the children could sample several, then they took turns reading their book to the whole group. 

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Book-making is a novel idea in Haiti: kids are not offered creative challenges like John’s students are. Since most Haitian students learn by rote and don’t have creative materials at home or at school, they don’t get to draw and write imaginatively. Your books truly astounded them. Thank you for providing such pleasure and inspiration! Congratulations to all the American students, teachers, and organizers who made this project possible. It was a great success.

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John wrote,

Thank you so much for the photos and kind letter. I read it to all of my French 2 classes yesterday. I also showed it to my principal and it made her cry 🙂 I am so happy we have continued this relationship and hope to have even better books next year!

If your class is interested in participating in this amazing project, we know children all over the world would enjoy your novel creations! Send us a note, and tell us what language you would like to explore!