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The beginning of Bookfriends International, NFP is best told in the words of it’s founders, Steve and Paulie Kutschat who in early 2004 had taken a vacation trip to Tanzania that turned into something much more than they had expected.
Our first encounter with the education systems of east Africa was in early 2004 while in Tanzania. During the second week, our travel was among several Maasai villages meeting wonderful spirit-filled families who were ready to converse and share. These are very bright, friendly people eager to know more about us and our lives back home. |
An afternoon at a secondary school in northern Tanzania changed our lives. While touring the school building with Alais, a new friend, we saw lots of kids but few books. The shelves in the library were nearly bare, and few books were seen in the classrooms. We must have looked shocked because one of the teachers with us said, “Yes, we don’t have many books. They are just too expensive.”
Here we were among friendly, intelligent, eager students who thirst for knowledge but are seriously hobbled by a shortage of books. We soon learned that the books that are most desired and useful are American books; text books for the classrooms and library books.
We immediately said to the teachers, “We’ll get books for you”. Looking back at that moment, we know that it was an emotional reaction to how we felt about these people and their situation but also feel that it was the correct response. We didn’t know then how this would happen but we had faith that we would be led in the right direction.
Since then, we have “walked the path” and have developed an organization that is able to accomplish the important mission of providing building blocks for education in Africa.
Growing numbers of very capable volunteers have committed time and energy to strengthen the Bookfriends long term mission. The future here is bright. Help us make it brighter for those in need.
Please join with us.
The need is great and urgent.
Steve and Paulie Kutschat |
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Secondary School in Northern Tanzania
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