When I was in Canada last year, I was invited to speak to students at Elkhorn Public School, in North York. Thanks to the enthusiasm of Nina Hillier, a volunteer at the school, and Mary Salvarinas, School Principal, the school embarked on a Millennium Mission to collect used books to send to Malawi. Books are one of the few things that are worth sending to us here in Africa. Books to help children learn to read are very scarce and VERY expensive here. The Education Department of the church here operates more than 500 primary schools.
Most schools have only a few textbooks, and no storybooks.
Some schools have neither. I am amazed that children do learn to read here. It is credit to their determination that they succeed. Almost everything that they read is off the blackboard, when the teachers are able to buy chalk. So, it was a pleasure and an honour for me to be invited to help deliver the books from Elkhorn School.