The event will take place on the 19th of March 2015 in the Enschede library and is co-organized by Nthabi Mohlakoana, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Twente.
‘Schools in South Africa are often not well equipped and can’t provide children with a motivating environment to learn. I know that books bought with the donated money will open many possibilities to a lot of children. Research shows that children, who get a stable educational foundation from the very beginning, develop better,’ says Mohlakoana, who originally comes from South Africa.
Breadline Africa
‘Books for life’ benefit event is closely related to Breadline Africa, a South African NGO that specializes in renovating old shipping containers and transforming them into local libraries, educational centers or community kitchens that serve food to the poor.
Mohlakoana, who volunteers as a member of the organization's advisory board, explains: ‘Many children in South Africa have to study in very unwelcoming conditions. Some schools don’t even have tables or chairs. That is why Breadline Africa is currently focusing on creating school libraries and early childhood development centers. And these centers need books to provide children with proper education.’
Poetry and music
‘Books for life’ is therefore entirely focused on raising money for buying books. All of the donations will go straight to Breadline Africa that will purchase books for a school in a farming area of the Western Cape. At the benefit event children and adults will be reading poetry in many different languages, including Zulu, Swahili, Hindi, Persian, English or Dutch. The guests can also enjoy Chilean guitar music.
Donations
Anybody is welcome to join the event, which will be hosted in the Enschede library. It will begin at 20:00 on the 19th of March 2015. Donations will be collected during the event, but people can also donate money online through the websites justgiving.com or Breadline Africa.
