People's Postcode Lottery donates £175k to Book Aid International

The People’s Postcode Lottery will donate £175,000 towards Book Aid International’s work with libraries in Africa.

The money will help support literacy and development in the region.

Alison Hubert, director of Book Aid International, said: “Book Aid International will be even more ambitious in our work to transform library services for children in sub-Saharan Africa thanks to this generous support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery. In a region where so many children live below the poverty line and literacy levels are amongst the lowest in the world, this work is of vital importance to empower young people to build better futures for themselves and their communities.”

Head of charities for the People’s Postcode Lottery, Clara Govier, added: “We had the privilege of being able to see Book Aid International’s work in action in Blantyre, Malawi with its partner the Malawi National Library Service.  We were so struck by the enthusiasm of children for the new Children’s Corner - they really were thrilled that the library had this fabulous new space for them – a bright airy room, filled with murals, children’s furniture and of course, hundreds of brand new books from the UK – all made possible by Book Aid International. The charity’s work is so obviously practical and empowering – it really changes lives in Africa.”

Book Aid International will be prioritising its programme of improving children’s services across sub-Saharan Africa and five libraries in Malawi will be the next to benefit from new Children’s Corners, which Book Aid International has already successfully established with local partners in Uganda, Tanzania, Cameroon and Kenya.