KIGALI - 41 schools countrywide are set to benefit from ‘Books for Africa’ project, by receiving 22,000 textbooks published in both English and Kinyarwanda for pre-primary and primary school children.

Books for Africa is a US based non-profit organisation that collects, sorts and ships books to children in Africa with the ultimate goal of ending ‘book famine’ in Africa.

The first batch of the books was distributed yesterday at Groupe Scolaire Mukamira in Nyabihu district, Northern Province.

Officiating at the ceremony, the U.S Ambassador to Rwanda, Stuart Symington, urged students to read and share the books amongst themselves for academic excellence.

"Learning is good and interesting when you share with others, make sure you read those books to your brothers and sisters,” he advised.

He hailed Rwanda for the 9-Year Basic Education (9-YBE) initiative, adding that what makes a nation great, is not the land and resources, but its great ideas.

"Rwanda’s initiative to offer her children 9 years basic education free of charge is a great idea that will make a great country,” he noted.

The Headmaster of the school, Oscar Kamufozi, thanked the project for the donation, saying that this will inevitably impact positively on the performance of the students.

He also thanked the Peace Corps for having sent a volunteer to teach their children English.

"We are very happy for the donation and we promise to put in more efforts in encouraging our students to read English,” he said.

Since 1988, Books for Africa has shipped more than 22 million books to 45 countries in Africa.

Ends