An effort to collect books and educational supplies for children in Africa is winding down, but Katy area residents still have a week to get involved.
The Katy Rotary Club has joined forces with the Katy ISD and the Amobi Okoye Foundation to sponsor “Books Abroad,” a drive benefiting the schools of Nri, Nigeria.
The project, which will continue through Dec. 15, is collecting the books and supplies for the children who attend Nri’s 10 schools. According to Ken Burton, coordinator of the project for the Katy Rotary Club, the schools do not provide materials in the way that American schools do, so teachers and students have only what they can purchase on their own.
Nri is the family home of Amobi Okoye, who moved to the United States when he was 12, and is now in his third season as a defensive lineman with the Houston Texans.
The drive welcomes gently used books for school-age readers, educational games and materials and teacher resources, plus new school supplies including paper, notebooks, pens and pencils, index cards and art supplies. Crayons, tempura paints and other supplies that can melt in the heat of shipping are discouraged.
A list of suggested supplies is included on the Books Abroad page at katyisd.org.
Proceeds from the drive will be shipped to Nigeria after Christmas for early spring distribution.
According to Katy Rotary president Graig Harrison, “Books Abroad” is the group’s first international project in Africa. The service previously partnered with Katy ISD to provide more than 60,000 books in Southeast Asia, including an initial library in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam, as well as assistance to libraries in Laos and Cambodia.
“Rotary District 5890 is so excited to be a part of the Books Abroad Project with KISD and the Amobi Okoye Foundation,” said Rhonda Walls, a member of the Katy Rotary Club and Rotary District 5890 Governor for 2011-`12. “This project is a great example of Rotary’s efforts in promoting literacy around the world.”
Community donation boxes are located at:
- Enterprise Bank/Katy, 722 Pin Oak Rd.
- Edward Jones/Katy, 888 Avenue D
- First Community Credit Union/Fry, 1705 Fry Road (inside Kroger)
- First Community Credit Union/Katy, 22150 Westheimer Parkway (inside Kroger)
- Huntington Learning Center, 21945 D Katy Freeway
- Johnny Nelson’s NAPA Auto Supply Store/Katy, 808 Avenue B
- Katy Times, 5319 E. 5th St.
- PC 1 Hair Salon, 3719 Fry Rd, Ste E
- Pediatric Dentist of Katy, P.A., 2840 Commercial Center Blvd., #101.
- Prosperity Bank/Katy, 5733 2nd St.
- Tradition Bank/Fry, 2117 Fry Rd.
- Tradition Bank/Grand Parkway, 1515 Grand Parkway
- Tradition Bank/Katy, 550 Pin Oak
- and Wells Fargo Bank/Katy, 5622 3rd St.
- Katy ISD Education Support Center, 6301 S. Stadium Ln.
The public is also invited to join the Katy Rotary, Katy ISD and the Amobi Okoye Foundation in celebrating completion of the “Books Abroad” at 3 p.m. Dec. 15, 3 p.m. at the Merrell Center.
The Katy Rotary Foundation and the Amobi Okoye Foundation are both 501(c) (3) nonprofit organizations, so donations to Books Abroad are eligible for deduction in accordance with IRS guidelines.
