Lunchtime Speaker-Nana Opare Assistant District Governor

Books for Africa.
Nana Opare, Assistant Governor and member of the Staines Rotary Club, presented on the Books for Africa project, a joint effort between the Staines Rotary Club in the UK and the Rotary Club of Accra-Ring Road Central in Ghana, District 9102’s largest club. Initially, the Staines Rotary Club aimed to send children’s books to Zimbabwe, but high import duties impeded this effort. As an alternative, Nana established a partnership with Accra’s Rotary Club.

In this project, books are collected, sorted, and shipped from the UK, with costs covered by the Staines Rotary Club. Volunteers remove unsuitable books, such as those in poor condition or with inappropriate content, ensuring only educational, recreational, or children’s books are sent. Upon arrival in Ghana, local Rotaract members further sort the books, which are then distributed to schools, children’s hospitals, charitable homes, and libraries.

The project’s goal is to foster literacy and make educational resources accessible to young people. There are future aspirations to expand the program to other African countries that accept donated books without import taxes.