Sudan-American Foundation for Education, Inc: Donating Educational Materials to SAFE

SAFE seeks to help improve educational opportunities for Sudanese children and youth by supplying desperately needed text and reference books and other educational materials, supplies, and equipment.

Each year SAFE sends a shipment of approximately 10,000 donated text and reference books plus other educational materials, supplies, and equipment to the Sudan for distribution among schools, universities, and libraries. Over sixty organizations have received books form SAFE.

We eagerly seek books in a wide variety of disciplines and fields for use from the
elementary to the university levels and for adult readers. We ask you to consider the following selection criteria as you think about books you may donate. Also, we offer some suggestions for sources of books for donation to SAFE. In making a book donation, you can either ship or deliver books to our warehouse in Beltsville, MD. In either case, please contact Dr. Burchinal, executive director of SAFE, for instructions.

Books in almost every academic discipline or field are needed. Because of the expense in shipping books to Sudan, we ask donors to adhere to the following selection criteria:

The following fields have been identified by Sudanese faculty and librarians being the most needed.

We are still in the process of developing criteria for selection of books for use at the elementary and secondary levels. You may know of specific book needs in various areas of southern Sudan. Please send your suggestions to Dr. Lee Burchinal for use in formulating a working set of criteria. Following is our initial, provisional criteria:

With your help, we hope to establish a set of criteria to get books that are most needed by teachers and students in southern Sudan.

We are now accumulating books for our shipment in the coming year (2008). You can help by donating books and by asking colleagues, friends and your university library or book store for books. The value of books donated to SAFE can be claimed as a tax deduction. More importantly, you will help reduce the "book famine" in Sudanese libraries.

To designate a specific destination, simply put the name of the institution on each box so that these boxes can be set aside for pick up by representatives of the designated institution. For example, Dr. Kenyon, Butler University, donated 1,400 books for use at Sennar University; and Dr. Galal Yousif, Michigan State University, and colleagues collected approximately 2,500 books for delivery to Khartoum University. To designate a specific destination, simply put the name of the institution on each box and these boxes aside for pick up by representatives of the designated institution. Otherwise, books are sent by SAFE are distributed by our Sudanese partner to appropriate educational organizations.

Look at your own bookshelves. You probably have a number of books that you no longer use. Why not send them to SAFE for delivery to faculty and students who will eagerly use them?
If you are a student, ask your professors if they have books they don't use and would be willing to donate for use in Sudanese university libraries.
See what your bookstore or student Co-op does with books no longer listed for any courses. Maybe, like we found at The George Washington University Bookstore and at the Catholic University Bookstore, the manager will be happy to donate the books rather than have them reduced to pulp.
Ask if your bookstore or Co-op will set up a drop-off site for books that the bookstore or co-op is not buying back from students.
At the end of a term or semester, set up a bin where students can toss books they can't sell. Many students will be glad to see that their formerly expensive, now valueless books, will have a further useful life.
Inquire whether a service or discipline club (economics, anthropology, etc.) at your university will sponsor a book drive. SAFE has received books in this way from clubs at Alvenia College, Berry College, and Ohio University, to name a few examples. Getting an article in your student newspaper on a book drive you and other students organize will help boost donations.
Also, see what your library does with books they declare as surplus. Often, libraries get donations of books from faculty, many of which the library does not want. The manager of the acquisition or collections department of your library may be glad for you to take these books.

In all cases, however, we ask that you review titles and select books that match the criteria set by Sudanese faculty and librarians. We don't have the manpower to review books sent to our warehouse. We have to trust the judgment of the donors. We want to avoid spending precious dollars for shipment of books that are not wanted or will not be used by Sudanese faculty and students. Each book you send will become a valuable addition to a library collection somewhere in the Sudan.

Persons living in the Washington, D.C. area may deliver books to the warehouse used by SAFE. Those living further away will have to rely on mail or a delivery service. Unfortunately, SAFE is unable to pay for the cost of shipping books to the Beltsville, MD warehouse. In either case, we ask donors to contact Dr. Burchinal prior to donating books or other materials.

While focusing on the delivery of books, valued for their lasting value for many students, SAFE also welcomes donations of:

Since SAFE is a registered 501(c) (3) organization, the value of books and materials donated to SAFE can be claimed as a tax deduction. For your tax records, you might wish to photograph your in kind donation to support of the assessed value. Dr. Burchinal's "thank you" reply may be used to document your contribution as a legitimate tax-deduction. In addition, your donation will help many students gain knowledge and skills needed for improving their lives.

Dr. Lee Burchinal
SAFE
4141 N. Henderson Road, Suite #1205
Arlington, VA 22203 USA