Give a Book, Change a Life

Do you have old books gathering dust on your shelves? Is your school or college updating its curriculum this year? What happens to those old books? They might not hold much value to you, but for young students in Tanzania, they can be life-changing.

Gaining an education is a vital step towards escaping poverty. In Tanzania, the secondary school syllabus mirrors that of the UK, yet resources for optimizing students’ educational experiences are scarce. The average pupil-to-textbook ratio is 5 to 1, a stark contrast to the UK, where textbooks are routinely replaced every few years.

READ International is a volunteer-driven organization working with over 500 volunteers from 22 universities and schools across the UK to collect, sort, and donate books. Each year, over 300,000 books are distributed to 200 schools in Tanzania, transforming the lives of half a million young people. With your help, we could reach a million!

On Thursday, March 1st, READ International will host a National Donation Day to celebrate World Book Day. In partnership with 19 Big Yellow Storage sites across the UK, we will collect second-hand books to change the lives of schoolchildren in Tanzania.

You can donate books at any of the 19 Big Yellow Self Stores participating in the scheme across the UK, including locations like Birmingham, Brighton, and Manchester. Visit our website for details of each store location.

WE NEED YOUR BOOKS! Our dedicated volunteers will sort all received books to ensure only the best quality makes it to East Africa. Books that don’t fit will be sold to fund shipping, or recycled—nothing goes to landfill.

Join us in this mission. Together, we can change the lives of millions of young people in Tanzania. Volunteering not only changed my life - it saved it.

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