About Books For Africa

The mission of Books For Africa is to end the book famine in Africa. With your help, we will help create a culture of literacy and provide the tools of empowerment to the next generation of parents, teachers, and leaders in Africa.

Books donated by publishers, schools, libraries, individuals, and organizations are sorted and packed by volunteers who carefully choose books that are age and subject appropriate. We send good books, enough books for a whole class to use.

They are shipped in sea containers paid for by contributions from people like you. It costs about 50 cents to send a book from the United States to Africa. Since 1988, Books For Africa has shipped more than 24 million books to 46 African countries. They are on once-empty library shelves, in classrooms in rural schools, and in the hands of children who have never before held a book. Each book will be read over and over again. When the books arrive, they go to those who need them most: children who are hungry to read, hungry to learn, hungry to explore the world in ways that only books make possible. 

BFA Board & Staff

2010–2011 Board of Directors

Tom Gitaa, Board President   President and Publisher, Mshale Newspaper
Norm Linnell, Board President-Elect   Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Donaldson Company, Inc.
Fiona McCrae, Board Treasurer   CEO, Graywolf Publishing
Luanne Nyberg, Board Secretary   Senior Policy Analyst, Hennepin County (retired)
Thomas Warth, Founder (Ex Officio)   Owner, T. E. Warth Esq Automotive Books
Patrick Plonski, Executive Director (Ex Officio)   Books For Africa
Henry A. Bromelkamp   President, Bromelkamp Company
Adam Ciresi  Manager, Central Sourcing, Target Corporation
Mike Essien, Esq.  Counsel, Essien Law Office
Tammie Follett  Senior Account Manager & Business Development Specialist, Thomson Reuters
Donna M. Ford  Vice President, Business Development, Johnson Controls
Sabrina L. Jackson  Consumer Affairs Manager, Coca-Cola North America
Robert Marx   CEO, MT Global Wines
Paul Miller   Analyst Team Lead, Better World Books
Rosemond Owens   Health Literacy/Cultural Competency Specialist, Centracare Health System
Asratie Teferra   Zebra Consulting International
Michael Wirth-Davis  CEO, Goodwill Easter-Seals
 

2010–2011 Ambassadors Circle Members

The Honorable Daniel Ohene Agyekum  Ghana's Ambassador to the United States and Honorary Chair of BFA's Summit Society
Abdurashid Ali  Somali Family Services
Frank Babka  World Population Balance
Adolf Berhane  U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Shannon Brown  AT&T Leadership Atlanta
Alice Butterfield  Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Illinois
Carl Christensen  Christensen Law Office PLLC
Gena Doyscher  Former Board President of Books For Africa
Seth Eggessa  Rotary Club of Roseville
Carol Engebretson Byrne  Minnesota International Center
Vince Farley  Honorary Consul of the Republic of Mali in Georgia
Elizabeth Franchini  Charleston County School District
Christian Goergen  Health, Social & Behavioral Sciences, College of DuPage
Alemayehu Haile  Government of District of Columbia
Pat Harris  Saint Paul City Council
Don Hawkinson  Minneapolis Uptown Rotary Club/Attorney at Law
Michael Henley  Former Board President of Books For Africa
Jeannie Kant
Abebe Kebede  A&T State University
Rang Hee Kim  Counterpart International
Jim Klobuchar  Writer/Speaker
Ruth Knoll  The Andrah Foundation
Margaret Li  International Consultant
Lee Lynch  Carmichael Lynch Public Relations
Vuvu Manseka  Coca-Cola
Chris Marsh  International Foundation for Education and Self-Help (IFESH)
Victor Mbaba  Africa’s Children’s Fund
Beth McClurg  NCR Corporation
Meredith McQuaid  University of Minnesota, Office of International Programs
Megan Meyer  A Hand in Health
Joseph A. Miller  Follett Educational Services
The Honorable Anna Mkapa  Equal Opportunities For All Trust Fund
Stan Moor  The Westminster Schools
David W. Murphy  Better World Books
Solomon Negash  Kennesaw State University
Doris Pagelkopf  Former Board President of Books For Africa
Pam Pappas Stanoch  Athena International
Tom Pfeifer  Thomson Reuters
Irene M. Qualters  Computer Scientist
Barbara Rose  Aid for Africa
Laurie Schmidt   The Collabrium
Margaret Sents
Shaun Skelton  Visions in Action
Valerie Staats  Peace Corps Cape Verde
Allison Walker  GE Capital
Gary Zelko  Merck and Co., Inc. 

Staff

Office

Patrick Plonski, Executive Director
Alfreda Asbury, Development Assistant
Rachel Brady, Development Associate
Deb McDonald, Assistant Director
Maggie Meyer, Communications Specialist
Carole Patrikakos, Manager of Corporate Relations and Grants

Warehouse

Brad Mattson, Warehouse Manager
April Gilbert, Assistant Warehouse Manager