News

Local students, the Alliance Française and Books For Africa have joined to collect and send French-language books to students in French-speaking Mali in West Africa.

As a child growing up in rural Africa, Nonku Adumetey did not have access to books. When she became a mom and found herself living in Rogers Park, Adumetey was disappointed to find that while access to books was no longer a problem, she was unable to find books that represented diverse characters like her own toddler-aged kids.

For Northfield’s Charlie Cogan and Cerif Keita, donating French-language books to students in West Africa is all about building amities — friendships.

Two years ago, Amir Doctry and his students in the Global Citizens class at Renaissance at Rand Middle School began a unique project.Known as G.L.E.A.N., the Global Learning Exchange of All Nations, the project is a partnership of schools and students representing nine countries who work together to provide help to schools in Tanzania and get to know each other in the process. 

In an effort to improve the learning environment for pupils at Rwemiyenje Primary School in Rwampara district, the good Samaritans of Butakara Foundation in partnership with Africa Strong from the USA have donated 3000 textbooks and constructed buildings worth $30,000.

In 2009, Kim Harms' 19-year-old-son died by suicide during his first year of engineering school at Columbia University. But Harms' heartbreak turned to hope, unexpectedly delivered by a country that had suffered through tragedy of its own — one of the worst genocides of modern times.