Report by: The Book Drive for Africa Committee.

It is with pleasure that we have the opportunity to report on the success achieved by this year's annual Book Drive for Africa.

The Book Drive for Africa is a project that was initiated and launched by Muntazir Dhala in the year 2001 while still a student at Hiram College in Ohio. He set up a core group with Mahjabeen Yusufali and Nisar Sheraly based in Toronto. The Toronto Jamaat agreed to sponsor the project by  providing storage, transportation, and contributions towards shipping. The  project became a success with the help of Aly Sheraly, Sameer Karim, Fatima Kanji and Sukaina Jaffer among many other volunteers.

Last year we collected and shipped over 6,200 books to Tanzania.  These books were distributed throughout the country in Arusha, Dodoma, Zanzibar and Dar-Es-Salaam.  This year, by the grace of the Allah and with the community's support, we have shipped over 37,000 books to East Africa for distribution in Kenya and Tanzania. In fact, the numbers could climb to as high as 50,000 by the end of the month, inshallah.  The books were collected over a period of three months from March to June of this year  from schools and libraries throughout the greater Toronto area. Similar to last year, the books were stored at the As-Sadiq Islamic School.

The sorting and packing for all these books was done on a large scale operation outdoors at the new Islamic Education and Community Center (IECC) at 9000 Bathurst in the city of Vaughn in Toronto on the 6 and 7 July 2002.

The 65 volunteers put a tireless amount of work over two days to sort out  and package over 37,000 of books into more than 1,100 boxes.

For pictures, please visit our website: http://www.picturetrail.com/bookdrive

There are three contributors who deserve special recognition. Gathering hundreds of books from various schools and libraries around the Greater Toronto Area is no small task.  We had however, one very big helper.  We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to Primetime Delivery Service for collecting and transporting over 900 boxes of books to Islamic Education and Community Center at 9000 Bathurst.

Second, the Toronto District School Board provided us with over 1,000 boxes of textbooks.  This collection was coordinated by Mieke Foster Recycling/Waste Management Coordinator. Special thanks to Mieke Foster for the coordination of the collection of the books from the 45 various schools.

Third, on the weekend of July 6 & 7, over 65 members of the community, the majority of them youth, assisted in the labourious work of sorting, packing  and stacking over 1,100 boxes of books.  To those who dedicated time on  their valuable weekend, some from as early as 8.30 in the morning, a heartfelt thank you.  May Allah reward you for your hard work and dedication.

In conclusion, with all of your help, we have been able to give back one of the greatest gift to a region that many of us call our homeland.  In many  ways sending books is greater charity than fundraising and sending dollars overseas.

To quote Ameerul Moimineen Ali Ibn Abu Talib (as): "Knowledge is superior to wealth...Wealth decreases with expenditure,  whereas knowledge multiplies with dissemination.  A good material gift vanishes as the resource vanishes, whereas to knowledge we are indebted forever."

We hope that we can count on your support next year.  Save your books, and send your youth to come and help, inshallah!.

For more information contact us at: bookdrive2002@hotmail.com