Saint John’s Abbey contributed $1,500 to help pay for shipment of several tons of text and other books which will be used in classrooms in Tanzania. Here, with the pallets of books in the background, are Patrick Polonski, Executive Director of Books for Africa; H.E. Mr. Andrew M. Daraja, Tanzanian Ambassador to the U.S.; Fr. Robert Koopman, O.S.B., of Saint John’s Abbey; and Dr. Cyril Chami, Tanzania’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Saint John’s Abbey contributed $1,500 to help pay for shipment of several tons of text and other books which will be used in classrooms in Tanzania. Here, Fr. Robert Koopman, O.S.B., who presented the check, visits with Dr. Cyril Chami, Tanzania’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Saint John's Abbey donates $1,500 to Hanga Abbey in Tanzania

09/27/2006

The Rev. Bob Koopmann, OSB, presented a check for $1,500 on Wednesday, Sept. 27, from Saint John’s Abbey and the Saint John’s Benedictine Volunteer Corps (SJBVC) to pay for the shipping of books to Hanga Abbey in Tanzania.

The check was presented in St. Paul at the warehouse of the non-profit organization Books For Africa, which is a run by 1985 SJU graduate Patrick Plonski.

Tanzanian Ambassador Andrew Daraja presided over the grand opening of Books For Africa’s newest warehouse facility in conjunction with a Tanzanian delegation visit. Books For Africa’s warehouse facility is located at the Stroh’s complex at 715 E. Minnehaha Ave. in St. Paul.

Three Saint John’s University graduates - Paul Conroy '05, Nick Kleespie '06 and Tim Serie '06 - serve as volunteers at Hanga Abbey, which has four schools.

The monks of Saint John's Abbey initiated the SJBVC in 2003. SJBVC provides graduates of SJU the opportunity to join in the work and prayer of a Benedictine community. SJU alumni spend nine to 12 months in volunteer service at a Benedictine monastery while participating in the daily life of the community.

In conjunction with the warehouse grand opening, Books For Africa shipped two 40-foot containers of textbooks (44 tons approximating 70,000 textbooks) to Tanzania, and announced the shipment of additional containers sponsored by Saint John’s Abbey, the U.S. Agency For International Development (USAID) and Cargill.

The scheduled shipment to Tanzania inaugurated a new Books For Africa partnership with USAID that will result in the shipment of 16 containers of textbooks valued at approximately $2.7 million to seven African countries. Minnesota-based Peace House Foundation, very active in Tanzania, co-hosted this event.

Books For Africa is a non-profit organization based in St. Paul that serves as the largest shipper of donated textbooks to the African continent. The mission of Books For Africa is to “end the book famine in Africa.” Since 1988, Books For Africa has shipped over 14 million books to 27 African countries.  Books For Africa ships donated primary, secondary, post-secondary, and community library books.  Last year, Books For Africa shipped approximately two million textbooks valued at approximately $13 million to 19 African countries.