Shipment Welcomed by Minister of Education in Djibouti

Earlier this year, Books For Africa sent a shipment of books and solar lamps to Djibouti, in honor of H.E. Mohamed Siad Doualeh, Ambassador of Djibouti to the U.S. This shipment was sponsored by BetterWorld Trust and the Henry E. Niles Foundation. Our partner CRIPEN (the Center for National Education Research, Information and Production) received and cleared the books for import into Djibouti.

The books were welcomed and distribution begun at a ceremony in November led by the Djiboutian Minister of Education. This ceremony was covered by Djiboutian press as well.

After the ceremony, the CRIPEN team began distributing to various institutions within Djibouti city, including the Collège de Boulaos and Lycée de Gabode.

The shipment also included 300 solar lights, supplied by BFA partner Solar Buddy free of charge. These lights enable reading in areas where electricity may be scarce or subject to power cuts.

The shipment was sent to thank H.E. Mohamed Siah Doualeh, who spoke at an event Books For Africa cosponsored in Minneapolis earlier this year. The Ambassador also spoke at a Books For Africa fundraiser in fall 2025.

Below are a couple of photos from the shipment distribution, as well as a photo from the event where the Ambassador spoke!