Mission Accomplished: Books Delivered to Nkhanga Library Dec. 20, 2011
December 2011
All the publicly donated total of 3,092 used books packed in 65 carton boxes were successfully delivered to the new Nkhanga Village Library in Lundazi in Eastern Zambia in Southern Africa on December 20, 2011 at 5:15PM local time and 10:15AM Eastern American Standard time. The book shipment faced numerous obstacles which many people helped resolve along the way from July to December 2011. The last leg of the book shipment from Lusaka to Lundazi was not without challenges.
Read more about the process and delivery:
http://issuu.com/bridgewatermagazine/docs/bm-winter12
http://issuu.com/bridgewatermagazine/docs/bridgewater_magazine_fall_2011
http://www.bridgewater.edu/AlumniAndFriends/AlumniProgramsAndServices/BridgewaterMagazine
On December 5 Maersk Inc. delivered the books free of charge from Beira to Lusaka the Capital City of Zambia. Mr. J. J. Mayovu successfully transported the books to safe custody at his farm home in Ibex Hill. After a week of investigative research we were to use two buses to transport the books. My 22 year-old niece, who is a Sophomore at Evelyn Hone College of Applied Arts and Commerce, was going to the village for Christmas. She volunteered to catch the Botswana Zambia bus to Lundazi with 32 boxes of books. I was to catch the Juldan bus also destined for Lundazi on the same night with the other 33 boxes of books in bus’s undercarriage. This arrangement had tremendous risks with the rainy season. We were to travel 412 miles or 664 Kms. on the night of December 18.
This was until Dr. Overs Banda on the same day came to lunch at Mr. J. J. Mayovu’s house as he was flying back from vacation in South Africa with his family. Dr. Banda owns a law practice in Lusaka and offered his 5 ton Canter truck, a tent, and a driver to transport the books to Lundazi. The last minute donation by Ms. Sara Shorin of Lake Tahoe for transporting the books was used to pay for gas or petrol, food, and accommodation along the way. When we arrived with the truck at the village, there were more than 40 enthusiastic men, women and children from the villages waiting to offload the books at the library premises.
What the shipment of the books and the entire Nkhanga library project has shown is that there are so many selfless people both in the United States and Zambia who are genuinely dedicated to the success of this very truly unique grassroots project. On behalf of the project I would like to thank everyone in the community here and in Zambia for their contribution.
Sincere thanks to Mr. J. Russell Bruner, Chairman & CEO of Maersk Inc., which shipped the container, in resolving the problems. President Phil Stone, retired President of Bridgewater College, offered his assistance.
Ms. Mbumwae Suba-Smith happened to be shipping her personal possessions to Zambia. She had graciously offered to ship the books to Zambia for free in her 20 ft. container. Mr. J. J. Mayovu received and kept custody of the books in Lusaka in Zambia. Ms. Sara Shorin of Lake Tahoe made a timely donation to cover the costs of transporting the books on their last leg by road from Lusaka to the Nkhanga Village in Lundazi. Please kindly spread this good news.
Photos of Progress
The completed construction of the Nkhanga Village Library
Large shelves and a few tables inside the library.
The tall cell phone tower that was just installed about 100 hundred yards in front of the library. Although the library has no current plans for electricity, the cell phone tower has potential future use of the internet in the library.
Over 65 boxes with 3,982 books which are ready for cataloging and shelving.
Some titles of some of the books; from children to books for adults.
Mwizenge Tembo chatting with two residents from near the village library.
Family members volunteer loading the 65 boxes of books into the 5 ton truck in Lusaka before the 400 mile drive.
Another family member volunteer puts a box of books into a plastic paper bag to prevent rain from soaking books during the long drive.
Mr. J. J. Mayovu standing by the 65 boxes of books stored in a large metal container.
After relentless tropical torrential rains on the 400 mile drive, large pools of water gather in the tent between the boxes books. It was a good thing the boxes were put in plastic boxes.
We arrive with the books in front of the Nkhanga Village Library.
Dr. Overs Banda helps in tying up the tent on the truck.
We drove through so many tropical storms during the 400 mile drive.
Children watch as residents of the surrounding villages unload the books from the trucks.
Men and women helped unload and carry the books into the library.
About the Author
The author obtained his B.A in Sociology and Psychology at University of Zambia in 1976, M.A , Ph. D. at Michigan State University in Sociology in 1987. He was a Lecturer and Research Fellow at the Institute of African Studies of the University of Zambia from 1977 to 1990.