ABOUT AFRICAN LIBRARY PROJECT

African Library Project changes lives book by book by starting libraries in Africa. Our grassroots approach mobilizes volunteers, young and old, in the United States and Canada to organize book drives and help establish small libraries in rural African communities. Our method makes a concrete and personal difference for children and communities on both continents.

Our volunteers in the United States and Canada organize book drives by rallying their communities to collect gently used children’s books and raise funds for shipping. Thanks to our international network of partners, volunteers, and community supporters, these donated books are transformed into sustainable community-based libraries.

So far we have established 3,086 libraries within 12 countries, shipped over 3.1 million books, and established 1500+ partnerships.

Learn more at: https://www.africanlibraryproject.org/

WHY ARE WE HOSTING HACK FOR AFRICA

In Sub-Saharan Africa

• More than 1 in 3 adults cannot read.
• 182 million adults are unable to read and write.
• 48 million youth (ages 15-24) are illiterate.
• 22% of primary aged children are not in school.
• That makes 30 million primary aged children who are not in school.

Literacy is an essential human right. A good quality and basic education equip pupils with literacy skills for life and further learning. Literate parents are more likely to keep their children healthy and send their children to school. Literate people are able to better access other education and employment opportunities; and collectively, literate societies are better geared to meet development challenges. Illiteracy is a condition that denies people opportunity. One of the largest barriers to increasing literacy is the lack of books, especially in rural areas. African Library project aims to end the cycle of poverty and illiteracy by

• Starting libraries - African Library Project establishes partnerships with African-based organizations that specialize in education, library or community development. Together, we change donated books into life-changing libraries.
• Training local teacher-librarians - Our African partners train local teacher-librarians on effective library management practices and help create a support network for continued learning.
• HIV/AIDS education - We work in countries that have been hit hardest by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and where millions of children have been orphaned. To support HIV/AIDS education in local communities, we send additional learning resources to libraries in our partner countries that have some of the highest incidences of HIV such as Lesotho, Malawi, Uganda, and Kenya.
• Promote African Children’s Literature - African Library Project is proud to do its part in expanding access to books in Africa one library at a time. However, we know that tackling this issue requires supporting the growth of local publishing within Africa. 

Organized by Saurav Gandhi, Tatiana Santos, Nanki Sekhon, and Divya Prakash

$6,220 in prizes

• Ideation
  Is the idea well thought out? Is the idea original? Will the project idea have an impact? If not, is it useful in some regard?
• Implementation
  Does the implementation follow the idea? Does the implementation function (i.e. in a demo)? Does the implementation show thoughtfulness and thoroughness?
• Presentation
  Are the presenters professional? Are the presenters confident in their product? Does the presentation show teamwork and collaboration?
• Scalability & Impact
  Is your product scalable? If given the right resources, can your idea have the ability to impact the billions of people who live on the African continent?