Meheba UNHCR settlement

The Book Bus arrives in Meheba UNHCR refugee settlement. The Book Bus and its volunteer crew will be marking "World Refugee Day" today in Meheba where more than 17,000 refugees from Angola, Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Somalia are housed by the UN in preparation for repatriation or passage to a new home. Whilst conditions within the settlement are reasonably comfortable by African bush standards, opportunities and education are severely limited. You can imagine then the joy that the Book Bus brings every time we visit Meheba. 2011 marks our third year of cooperation with UNHCR and Book Bus coordinator Jackie Wigglesworth and her crew of volunteers will be providing reading assistance and story telling sessions at 5 schools within the camp. Living in the settlement presents its own challenges - some of the crew will be spending 6 weeks there under canvas with few of the domestic amenities that we all take for granted at home. The project runs form 20 June until 29 July 2011, follow their story on Facebook and on this Book Bus Blog.

Great week for the Malawi book appeal!

An extraordinary week for the appeal; thanks to an enormous donation of 2,700 story books from Allen and Mark at The Book Barn International www.bookbarninternational.co.uk the total now stands at 4,544.  It’s amazing!  I felt very emotional packing the books, knowing that we were so close to our target.  As a huge thank you, The Book Bus held a fun-filled storytelling event and invited local children to paint a mural on the café wall.  A big thank you to The Period House Shop, Warwick for matching the paint supply, we wouldn’t have had enough.  If you’re in the local area to Hallatrow, Somerset – a trip to the Book Barn is well worth the visit; millions of books, a coffee in the café and friendly staff.

We have 456 books to go.  Locally in Warwickshire the children of St Nicholas C of E Primary School in Kenilworth and St Paul’s C of E Primary School in Leamington have joined the appeal.  At 10.30 and 11.15 on Saturday 25^th June we will be holding storytelling sessions at Kenilworth Books, Talisman Square, Kenilworth.

456 books to go!  456!  We can absolutely meet this target and more so than before every single book given will bring us closer.