U.S.-based university and nonprofits to send 50,000 books to Kenya
The stacks of libraries across Kenya will soon be a little thicker, thanks to a collaboration between a U.S.-based university and two nonprofit organizations to send 50,000 books to the East African country. 
Little Free Library and Books For Africa, two nonprofits based in Minnesota, collaborated with students and faculty at San José State University (SJSU) in California to send children’s books to the Kenyan National Library Service (KNLS), a government agency that runs public libraries. Some of the books from the initiative known as “Soma Safari” (Kiswahili for “Reading Adventure”), will be distributed to free book-sharing boxes known as “little free libraries,” which are led by volunteers.
“I can tell you that Africa needs more books, and you’ll hear more about that from other speakers here,” said Patrick Plonski [at Books For Africa's 2025 Spring Fundraiser], the executive director of Books For Africa. “Every day in our office, more requests for more books come in.”
Plonski said that Books For Africa, which sends books to every country in Africa, was on target to ship 3 million books, 457,000 digital books, and in collaboration with Thomson Reuters, 15 law libraries to 37 countries in the continent in 2025. In addition to shipping books from its warehouse in Atlanta, the organization would also ship out of partner warehouses located in London, Paris, Montreal, New York, San Francisco, and Dubai, Plonski said. Books For Africa will also collaborate with Ethiopian Airlines to ship books to Ethiopia from Seattle this year when Boeing delivers the airline’s new aircraft orders, he said.
“Today is all about Kenya,” Plonski said. “I’m pleased to report that Kenya is the number one country served by Books For Africa in our 37-year history, [with] 7 million books shipped.”
Plonski said Kenya had been the leading country in the number of books sent to Africa in the last three years, with more than 370,000 shipped last year. He said Kenya was going to be number one again in 2025. Plonski was quick to point out that it was not his or the board’s decision to make Kenya the top destination for books. He attributed it to the ability of Kenyans, both here in the United States and back home, to mobilize book donations. “Some of you representing other countries, you also can push your country to the top,” he said.
Students and faculty at the SJSU School of Information helped organize the shipment of the 50,000 books going to Kenya. They also raised money and coordinated with the KNLS to organize the distribution of the books. “The Soma Safari project exemplifies our mission to promote global literacy and equitable access to information—helping build stronger communities, one book at a time,” said Dr. Anthony Chow, the director of SJSU School of Information.
Books For Africa had collected the books and was helping to organize the shipment, Plonski said. Thomson Reuters, which sponsored the event in Roseville, also provided funds for the shipment and donated one reference law library.
Click on this link to read more about this event in Mshale.