Used textbooks can change lives for South Africans
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ISSUE: 11/29/07 > News > Used textbooks can change lives for South Africans
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Belmont junor Chris Dorsey, center, stands among a group of African children on a study abroad trip last summer. As the group of 20 students and three faculty members traveled to South African and Botswana, Dorsesy learned of a need for textbooks at the Living Hope Community Centre, which provides health care and educational resources for the people it serves. Dorsey returned and is organizing a book drive. He is asking Belmont students and others to donate used textbooks to be sent to the center. |
Most old textbooks are sold to the bookstore or put on a shelf never to be opened again. Junior Chris Dorsey and others who traveled to Africa last summer are giving students one more option: donate books.
“You might get $10 to $15 back for a $100 book,” Dorsey said. “If you don’t mind giving up $10, you can give your book for something greater than yourself.”
Twenty students and three faculty members became the first study abroad group from Belmont to travel to South Africa and Botswana on a 19-day trip. While in Cape Town, they served Living Hope Community Centre, a faith-based organization that focuses on the prevention, care and treatment of HIV and AIDS patients in their area. The organization told the Belmont students of their need for educational resources.
“They are 15 years behind our country technologically speaking,” junior Rachel Harlow said. “Internet access is really hard to come by. Textbooks are the best way for them to learn, and a lot of textbooks we saw were outdated.”
On a whim, Dorsey came up with the idea to do a book drive at Belmont and give the books to Living Hope. The founders of Living Hope were ecstatic. Not only would the people of Cape Town have the opportunity to read from new books, but they would also have the chance to increase their job skills.
Living Hope, which already works with the homeless, youth, sick and underprivileged, can use donated textbooks to train people in a career, which will help them get on their feet.
| Helping Out |
| Go to belmontbookdrive.blogspot.com for more information about Living Hope Community Centre, suggested books to donate and pictures from the Belmont group’s trip to Africa. Drop-off locations for Belmont’s book drive will be available Dec. 5-Dec. 12. Book drop-off locations have yet to be determined, but fliers will be posted around campus. |
“These people are literally in shacks,” Dorsey said. “They don’t have computers. They don’t even really have libraries. The homeless in the United States are welcome to the library and can access books, but they don’t have that. They’re stuck.”
After communicating with the directors of Living Hope, Dorsey created a list of majors and corresponding books from the Belmont bookstore that would be especially helpful for the training Living Hope provides. Those include childhood education, nursing, business and music. However, all books are welcome. For the African organization, it is hard to buy even a few textbooks at $100 or more.
“I’ve never met people more dedicated to something than the people at Living Hope,” Dorsey said. “It made me want to do something, anything. One of the things that we could do is to fulfill a need of books. They’re incredibly excited about it.
“We can’t force people to give books, but if everyone knows about it, it’s up to them to choose,” Dorsey said. “Our role is to get the word out.”
