The Ihezie Foundation was set up to work with UK book retailers and resellers to distribute books to schools across Africa and the UK to improve the adoption of reading and literacy rates for children growing up in deprived areas across the UK and Africa,
We receive over 1.8m books a year donated by UK booksellers to distribute to schools in dire need of books, and target areas of poverty, both in our local areas in the UK and in West Africa. We are the only book donating charity donating high-quality textbooks to Africa, and whilst some charities claim that they do, Headteachers have claimed that the books that they receive are irrelevant to their learning stage (for example secondary school's receiving early years books) or so badly damaged they quickly become useless, as they have already been discarded by libraries in the Western World.
Buckinghamshire, UK
London, UK
Sierra Leone
Nigeria
Liberia
We receive over 1.8m books a year, of which around 1.1m meet the quality grade we expect of all our book donations, and are closely matched to the subject relevance of taught subjects at each age as well as in each region or country the books are being sent to. Books deemed not high quality enough to be donated are recycled.
We are deeply committed to South-South development and therefore do not send storybooks to Africa as we think that these are culturally inappropriate, instead, we focus on sending textbooks covering Maths, Science, Medicine, law and the subject list continues, but we check that these are in date and relevant before distribution. We work on enabling the next generations of doctors, engineers, Astronauts through to zoologists to have every book they need to fulfil their ambitions.
Storybooks we receive are donated to Primary Schools in areas of deprivation across the UK and to schools who need them the most.
Why donate books?
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A survey found one in five teachers said their school library budget had been cut by at nearly half since 2010, with the same teachers (1 in 5) responding there is nothing left in the budget for reading for enjoyment.
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One in five children in England cannot read well by the age of 11 (Department for Education)
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The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) survey showed England to be the only country where 16-24 year olds have lower literacy skills than 55-65 year-olds. The incoming workforce has a lower literacy rate than the retiring workforce.
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Other research shows that low literacy attainment costs the UK an estimated £81 billion a year in lost earnings and increased welfare spending.
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More OECD research shows that reading for pleasure has been linked to a reduction in the symptoms of depression and to a reduction in the risk of developing dementia in later life.
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Children who read books regularly are on average more satisfied with life, happier and more likely to feel that the things they do in life are worthwhile.
Why should children read?
Research for literacy has established that reading is a fundamental backbone of all aspects of education. We can steer you towards many brilliant pieces of research into the power of reading, so instead of citing all research we will sign post to you to some of the best. At Ihezie Foundation we accept that to read is one of life's great gifts.
Improved vocabulary
Improved understanding of grammar
Deepened subject knowledge
Increase in skills in independent learning
Creating lifelong learning skills
Allowing pupils to move beyond statutory subjects into specialisms of their own.
Acquiring more knowledge then teachers
Supports gifted pupils to learn at their own pace.
Decreased loneliness
Increased social mobility
Increase in lifetime earnings
Better quality livelihoods
Decreases in childhood depression
Better abilities as a writer
Improved confidence in storytelling
Increase in economic output
Happier children
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