Special Initiatives

In addition to standard book order categories, Books For Africa has special initiatives that target specific needs of recipients. You can learn more about each special initiative below.

Law & Democracy

In Africa, law schools and bar associations often have only a few old, tattered law books. A few have no books at all. Imagine the challenge of creating a civil society when students and lawyers have no access to the fundamental texts on which the rule of law is based. Books For Africa launched the Law & Democracy Initiative to address this emerging continent’s appalling scarcity of law and human rights books, and by doing so to further the rule of law in Africa.

Agriculture Libraries

The goal of the agricultural education, natural resources and vocational skills library project is to meet the demand for primary- and secondary-level books on agricultural education, natural resources and vocational information for schools and libraries across Africa. . In order to accomplish this, Books For Africa has researched and developed a high-school level “core library” of agricultural education, natural resources and vocational materials to offer to recipients of its book shipments in Africa.

French Books

Books For Africa works with recipients in Francophone countries to provide appropriate materials for French-speaking learners in Africa. Books For Africa supplies containers of new French reading and school books to any African country. The books are packed in a 20-foot container, totaling approximately 25,000 books, and ship from France to the African port or interior destination required by the recipient.

Girls Empowerment Collections

The UNESCO Institute for Statistics confirms that in sub-Saharan Africa, one in every three children, adolescents and youth are out of school - with girls more likely to be excluded than boys. For every 100 boys of primary school age out of school, there are 123 girls denied the right to education. The Girls Empowerment Collection was created to provide information and encouragement to African girls. 

BFA Publishing

Traditionally, BFA sends donations of used books in English and occasionally French, Spanish and Arabic. With our new BFA Publishing initiative, however, we will be able to have books published and custom printed in local languages through partnership with a publisher.