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 22 million books to 45 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

Board of Directors

Tom Gitaa, Board President   President and Publisher, Mshale Newspaper
Michael Henley, Past President (Ex Officio)   CEO, Hansen Henley Yoder & Lamb
Fiona McCrae, Board Treasurer   CEO, Graywolf Publishing
Luanne Nyberg, Board Secretary   Senior Policy Analyst, Hennepin County
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
Donna M. Ford  Vice President Business Development, Johnson Controls
Mike Essien, Esq.  Counsel, Fondungallah, Kigham & Essien, LLC
Sabrina L. Jackson  Consumer Affairs Manager, Coca-Cola North America
Norm Linnell  Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Donaldson Company, Inc.
Robert Marx   CEO, MT Global Wines
Paul Miller   Analyst Team Lead, Better World Books
Hussein Samatar   Executive Director, African Development Center
Asratie Teferra   Zebra Consulting International
Michael Wirth-Davis  CEO, Goodwill Easter-Seals
 

2009-2010 Ambassadors Circle Members

Abdurashid Ali  Aaran International
Frank Babka  World Population Balance
Carol Engebretson Byrne  Minnesota International Center
Don Hawkinson  Minneapolis Uptown Rotary Club
Jeannie Kant
Rang Hee Kim  Counterpart International
Jim Klobuchar  Writer/Speaker
Margaret Li  International Consultant
Lee Lynch  Carmichael Lynch Public Relations
Victor Mbaba  Africa’s Children’s Fund
Beth McClurg  Cushman & Wakefield
Meredith McQuaid  University of Minnesota, Office of International Programs
Joseph A. Miller  Follett Educational Services
The Honorable Anna Mkapa  Equal Opportunities For All Trust Fund
David W. Murphy  Better World Books
Solomon Negash  Kennesaw State University
Tom Pfeifer  Thomson Reuters
Irene M. Qualters  Computer Scientist
Laurie Schmidt
The Honorable Ombeni Sefue  Tanzanian Ambassador to the United States
Margaret Sents
Shaun Skelton  Visions In Action
Chris Smithco  World Vision
Valerie Staats  Peace Corps Country Director, Niger
Pam Pappas Stanoch  The Athena Group
 

Staff

Office

Patrick Plonski, Executive Director
Deb McDonald, Assistant Director
Carole Patrikakos, Development Associate
Andrea Neff, Projects and Development Specialist
Sara Schwiebert, Development Director
 

Warehouse

Brad Mattson, Warehouse Manager
April Gilbert, Assistant Warehouse Manager