Picture: Refugee Yvonne (centre) changed her life through the power of books. She is now studying for a degree in Canada and is an inspiration to the refugee girls in the camp.
Please receive my hearty gratitude for your support. I know you donate out of your heart to change lives – and I am one of the mirrors of your work. The books you donate help refugees like me build a brighter future. Thank you so much!
Yvonne
Book Aid International would like to say a massive thank you to all the Radio 4 listeners who generously donated to our appeal presented by Booker Prize-winning poet and novelist Ben Okri. In March 2019, collectively you donated an astonishing £25,067 to help send brand new books to refugees and to people affected by conflict, displacement and instability around the world.
Our appeal shared the story of Yvonne. A refugee all her life, she was living in limbo in one of the world’s largest refugee camps in Kenya. Yvonne used the books donated to her school library by Book Aid International to rewrite her own story and build a new life outside of the camp. The books she read every day helped her successfully finish secondary school and win a scholarship in Canada where she is now studying engineering. She is an inspiration to other refugees who want to follow in her footsteps.
As it costs us around £2 to send each book – Radio 4 Listeners have helped to send 12,773 brand new books to people across the world like Yvonne who are determined to build a brighter future for themselves despite facing conflict and displacement. From transit camps in Greece to refugee camps in Kenya to schools in Syria, each one those books is sent to a library where it can be read time and time again – leaving a lasting impact on the readers and communities we reach.
We are tremendously grateful to Radio 4 listeners for supporting our work. Thank you for helping to send books, give hope and change lives for refugees like Yvonne and many more in her position.
You can find out more about the charity .