Having grown up in the West African nation of Ghana, Selasie
Krampa knew what books could mean to a student in a developing country. So after
graduating from Amherst College and taking a job at Aetna in Hartford,
Connecticut, he started a book drive for Africa at his office.
“Easy access to books can help increase literacy rates in
developing countries,” Selasie says. “This firm belief is what led me to start
a book drive.”
A fellow Amherst College alumnus told him about Reader to
Reader’s commitment to international literacy, and Selasie contacted us early
this year to see if we could boost his collection efforts.
We helped Selasie bring the books down to his collection
site in Hartford this weekend. Reader to Reader’s donation to the effort
consists of 1200 books, ranging from pre-K to adult, in both English and
French. These books, along with donations from his co-workers at Aetna, will
head for Africa in April, shipped courtesy of Aetna.
Selasie’s optimistic outlook, as he works to develop
resources, reflects exactly what drives our efforts: “I know how difficult it
is to get access to books, especially as a child,” Selasie says. “I believe
that reading a book can completely change a child's outlook of life.”
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