Book Wish Foundation - Biographies

Refugee English Program Continues to Grow

logan — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:59:51 +0000

About 2,000 Darfuris are now enrolled in refugee-organized English classes in three refugee camps in eastern Chad, nearly double the number from a year ago. The classes have grown dramatically, from an initial 400, since we started supporting the refugees with Headway ESL textbooks from Oxford University Press. See video from the classes below and learn about our plans to expand this highly successful program.

In this video from Bredjing and Treguine Refugee Camps, Anne Goddard from our partner CORD shows two of the classroom environments in which both men and women are learning English, their "road to freedom." You can see some of the textbooks we sent, Videos section of our website or on our

Because of the success of this program — indicated by increased enrollment (which is not free, the refugees pay the teachers in their ranks), increased proficiency, and voluntary continuation of classes through the summer school break — we have been asked by our partner CORD to expand support in Gaga Refugee Camp and extend support to a fourth refugee camp, Farchana. We will soon be announcing our goals for these camps, likely around 1,000 textbooks. As in the past, publisher Oxford University Press donates the Headway teachers' books and provides the students' books at cost (85% off), meaning that every dollar Other people want to help us, we are not forgotten."

You can help, too, by

Solar Lighting Showdown

logan — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:55:32 +0000

Video below. Our quest for portable, rugged, solar-rechargeable lighting for refugee camp and village classrooms in Chad is down to a two-light showdown. The two contenders are 1) a new lighting system designed in partnership with electronics manufacturer AltusLumen and 2) the winner of our

We sent a prototype of our new lighting system, shown in the video above, and seven more SOLUX-LED-50s to our partner CORD to bring to eastern Chad for the field tests. The equipment is now in place and we expect to have test results soon. The additional SOLUX units will help better determine the number that would be required per classroom and in different environments (indoors, outdoors).

The essential specs of the prototype system:

max lumens: 140

beam angle: 90 degrees

solar panel: 12W (folding)

power source: 6 AA NiMH 2200mAh (enclosed in battery pack)

Each light is designed to provide six hours on maximum brightness per charge, and the solar panel should be able to charge about two battery packs per day. (Although the prototype in the video shows one solar panel and only one light, the production version would come with two lights per panel.)

As shown in the video, the solar panel can easily be mounted directly on top of the carrying case, without using any tools, and can be adjusted to track the angle of the sun. This also keeps the panel off the ground, and provides a shaded place between the panel and case where the battery pack can rest while charge, to reduce the risk of overheating the batteries.

A very important aspect of the prototype's design is that the light itself consists of two separable units: an LED unit and the enclosed battery pack. Being able to separate the battery pack reduces the risk of theft during charging, allows the battery pack to power other electronics (such as a classroom audio system, also in development), and reduces replacement costs should damage occur. The battery pack has a metal bar that can easily be hung overhead or from a nail in a wall at an adjustable angle, as shown in the video. Combined with the wide beam angle and high brightness, this illuminates a very wide area.

The LED unit is based on an existing design by AltusLumen for their super-bright PAD-PRO light. The standard PAD-PRO was modified to increase the battery capacity and place the batteries inside a rugged enclosure that can be connected directly to the solar panel. This reduced development cost and time...

BUT amazingly there was no development cost for us, as AltusLumen has generously worked on this project pro-bono!

If you are in the market for a portable LED light, please keep their kindness and skill in mind and check out AltusLumen's offerings at subscribe to our mailing list.

Featured

Biographies

Logistics

Iraq

Videos Showing Our Impact

logan — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:43:33 +0000

Watch videos below. To help demonstrate the impact our donors are having, and to show what is really happening in education in the refugee camps in eastern Chad, we sent a Flip camcorder and memory stick to our field partner CORD. The many videos that came back far exceed our expectations, and we'll be sharing them gradually over the next several weeks.

We begin with three videos inside English language classes in the Bredjing and Treguine Refugee Camps, showing the Headway textbooks our donors helped to purchase, and an interview with the Head Teacher in one of the schools in Bredjing, who is also a major force behind the English program. Watch below and be sure to subscribe to our CORD's Education Programme Manager with four years' experience in the daily challenges and triumphs of education in these camps.

See Who You Are Helping

logan — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:48:45 +0000

If you donated to provide English textbooks for refugee-organized English classes in eastern Chad, or if you are considering supporting the English classes, here is a photo you should see. Taken in May 2009, it shows several hundred of the English students from Bredjing Refugee Camp. These are some of the Darfuris we are directly helping.

Anne Goddard, our partner CORD's Education Program Manager, took the photo and had this to say:

These are some of the learners who came along for our photo shoot today – and there are another hundred out of camera shot to the right of the picture – you will just have to imagine them.

There are people of all ages who learn and parents pay a small fee to a committee who run the programme. All CORD does is give some materials that have been donated by Book Wish. The rest was the inspiration of the Sudanese in Bredjing camp and we do our best to stay away from taking any kind of control of this in the best interests of true development. My dream is that whatever happens in Darfur, the whole education system, including the English learning scheme, will enable men and women from Bredjing and Treguine camps to choose to walk out of the camp because they know that their education has given them a solid foundation that will lead to a bright future.

You can help make Anne's dream and theirs a reality. Read more about our support for the English classes here. Since the publisher, Oxford University Press, discounts the English textbooks heavily (and donates the teachers' books), every dollar donated purchases nearly seven dollars worth of books.

To see more of the Darfuris who need your help, visit our Gallery.

Solar Lights and Dictionaries Distributed

logan — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:26:11 +0000

Our recent shipment of 1,750 pairs of reading glasses to Darfur refugee camps and villages in eastern Chad also included a variety of solar lights and bilingual English/Arabic and French/Arabic dictionaries – all tools needed to support reading. Below are photos showing the arrival of this aid and some of the Darfuris who will play a critical role in integrating it into the camps' educational system. For a detailed discussion of the ongoing field testing of the solar lights, with videos, click here.

English teachers in Bredjing Refugee Camp, themselves refugees, examining a sample of the solar lights and dictionaries. They will use these tools not only to teach many hundreds of others, but also to educate themselves to become better teachers in self-study groups that meet at night.

Teacher Mahamat Nourein testing a solar-rechargeable light (D.light's Nova S100) in his office. Our partner CORD writes that he "is the inspiration behind Unity English School, which meets daily with approximately 600 learners in Bredjing camp. They meet in Osman Primary School before school starts from around 5.30am and in the evening as well (the name changes to Unity while they are having English classes). Mahamat Nourein works all hours and is tireless in his enthusiasm to get an English language system that is balanced, with exams and graduation ceremonies. He is also a teacher in the primary school."

Another view of the solar test equipment, and a few of the dictionaries generously provided by Hippocrene Books (New York), Librairie du Liban Publishers (Beirut), Elias Modern Publishing House (Cairo), and Al-Ahram (Cairo). We are especially grateful to Hippocrene for donating 75 beautiful brand new English-Arabic/Arabic-English dictionaries, full- and pocket-size. The large tube contains a rollable thin-film solar panel that is sufficiently rugged for the desert environment and the hazards of transportation and daily use. To learn more about the importance of solar lighting in the camps and villages, click here.

Solar Lighting Field Tests

logan — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:26:57 +0000

Field tests in eastern Chad are under way to determine the best solar lighting solution for schools and outdoors literacy classes in refugee camps and villages there. This page will be an ongoing summary of results, which we are sharing not only with supporters of our project, but for the benefit of other aid organizations. We have found very little public literature comparing lights that meet our needs: ultra-portable, rugged, wide-beam for group reading, inexpensive, easy to use and maintain.

will now be compared to a custom design.

Tests in Chad are conducted by our partner CORD, with lights supplied by us. The following lights have been tested so far:

model	manufacturer	power source	solar panel	max lumens
SOLUX-LED-50		SLA	plug-in
PAD-PRO	4 AAA NiMH	none	80
TRI-L		3 AA NiMH	integrated
Ecolight	4 AA NiMH	none

Prices are not listed since they depend significantly on quantity. Our ultimate deployment will hopefully include hundreds of units.

We may yet test

Except for the TRI-L, lights lacking a solar panel have been tested with a rollable 10W solar panel from

We are grateful to

Not shown in the videos are AltusLumen's PAD-L and TRI-L, and Glenergy's HL-1, which can be seen in the photos below:

AltusLumen PAD-L (left) and TRI-L (right)

Glenergy Hanging Light HL-1

Prior to shipment to Chad, we observed the following about possible strengths and weaknesses of these lights:

SOLUX-LED-50: Compact, lightweight, bright, relatively wide beam, and easy to charge. Not the most compact, lightest, brightest, or widest-beam, but near the top in all categories and, overall, a strong design. Loop for hanging seems like it could break or break away from the ABS plastic body, though. Price seems a little high (but it is made in Germany).

Nova S100: Very rugged, long-lasting light due to the large battery, and easy to charge. However, much heavier and larger than other options, which might be prohibitive.

PAD-PRO: By far the brightest, the widest beam (90 degrees), also the most compact, and among the lightest (with the PAD-L and TRI-L). Will probably be among the least expensive to ship, and may require fewer units because of the brightness and beam angle. Seems to be very rugged (well-sealed metal construction). Flexible means of mounting to a wall, hanging overhead, or standing on a table. However, uses only 4 AAA batteries, so the lifetime might be too short. Also, batteries must be removed to be recharged, which is not ideal for daily use.

PAD-L: Very similar to the PAD-PRO, except for the LEDs, which produce a beam that is a little narrower (although still wide compared to most other lights, at 60 degrees) and much less bright. If this is sufficient, however, the lower cost could make it preferable to the PAD-PRO.

TRI-L: A few differences from the PAD-L, but of primary interest for a comparison are the flashlight mode and ability to recharge without the battery being removed.

SunLight SL-2: Rugged and easy to charge, but the beam might not be bright enough or wide enough, requiring the purchase of too many units. However, the low cost could outweigh this. Unsure whether having an integrated solar panel is an advantage or disadvantage in a refugee camp, as the self-sufficiency might make it a more attractive target for theft.

Ecolight: The singular advantage for our application is that batteries do not have to be replaced after a few years of daily use, because there are no batteries (uses a supercapacitor, instead). This alone makes the light worth testing, since it can be deployed without maintenance potentially for decades. It could justify the higher cost, considering the cost of purchasing and shipping batteries. However, the light might not be bright enough or last long enough. Also, the beam is much too narrow for our application, but the manufacturer indicates that a different reflector can easily be used to produce a wider beam. Might be difficult to mount/hang. Would probably prefer to see the supercapacitor, beam width, and solar panel all enlarged.

Hanging Lamp HL-1: Very inexpensive per unit and relatively few units probably needed because the beam is very wide due to the arrangement of the many LEDs. Also quite compact (disk-shaped) and lightweight for shipping. However, the overall construction does not seem especially rugged, and the battery compartments are quite snug, requiring minor modification with a file (the manufacturer indicates that this defect will be fixed).

The results of ongoing field tests in Chad (last updated 11/30/09):

11/30/09 update:

SOLUX-LED-50 is the winner among these off-the-shelf lighting solutions, and will now be compared to a custom design.

6/26/09 update:

SOLUX-LED-50: Overall leader so far. Bright and long-lasting light. Lightweight enough to be hung from a nail on a wall, and the beam can be directed as needed. Estimated that 6-8 units would be needed per 9m x 5m classroom of 70 people. No problem yet with the ruggedness of the thin hanging loop on the back of the light.

Nova S100: "Easy to charge and lasts forever." Relatively high weight (from the internal sealed lead acid battery) a problem, though, as this will make shipping very expensive, and possibly pose a risk for injury, if the light falls down from being hung overhead (especially, if hung carelessly, as could easily happen). However, the ruggedness could make the light economical in the long-term. If the light weighed half as much and lasted only half as long per charge, it would be more attractive for our application. A lighter weight model is available, but not quite that lightweight. Being further tested in an aid worker's field office as an overhead desk light.

PAD-PRO, PAD-L, TRI-L: Bright enough and wide enough beam, but the light does not last long enough per charge for teaching in schools. Because of other positive characteristics of the PAD-PRO (see above), we have accepted an offer from the manufacturer to develop a modified version with a longer-lasting light and the ability to charge directly from a solar panel. The tripod of the TRI-L is not useful in this application, as lights would probably be hung overhead or from a nail in a wall or post.

SunLight SL-2: Bright enough light, but the AA NiMH batteries supplied with it are of such low capacity that they do not provide a sufficiently long light per charge (no more than 2 hours). Will try higher capacity AA batteries and see if the solar charging time does not become prohibitive. Being further tested in a teacher self-study group in Treguine Camp.

EcoLight: The light is probably not bright enough and does not last long enough. Being further tested in a teacher self-study group in Treguine Camp.

Hanging Lamp HL-1: The light is bright enough and illuminates a large area, but nearly all the five units sent for testing malfunctioned within a few weeks in the field, perhaps due to the extreme heat or dust. Each lamp has 31 LEDs, and individual LEDs progressively failed or units stopped working entirely.

As a result of the testing so far, the top candidates for scaled-up testing prior to a full-scale deployment are the SOLUX-LED-50 and a modified version of the PAD-PRO. However, ongoing tests could change this, especially if units fail due to the harsh environment or rough handling. Each of the other lights probably would be suitable for other applications, just not ours.

Reading Glasses Reach Refugees Despite Carjacking Attempt!

logan — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 08:04:21 +0000

Major news from eastern Chad! Our shipment of 1,750 pairs of reading glasses has reached Bredjing Refugee Camp! This despite an attempted carjacking on May 26 en route from Hadjer Hadid to Abeche, Chad, which our partner CORD's drivers narrowly escaped. With shots fired at point blank range, it is fair to say that the brave aid workers have risked their lives in delivering the glasses to the refugees. We are tremendously thankful that they were not harmed, and inspired by the incredible photos below of the glasses being distributed.

We have a lot to say about this shipment and many donors to thank, but we'll begin with the photos (courtesy Anne Goddard, CORD), which really tell the story.

A Darfuri woman has her vision tested by teacher Mahamat Nourein to find the right power of reading glasses. She is enrolled in a literacy class in Bredjing Refugee Camp – can you imagine what a difference glasses will make? Note the color coordination between the glasses and her clothes.

A group with new reading glasses in Bredjing Refugee Camp. Note the books in their hands. By providing books and reading glasses to the same people, we are enhancing the value of each. How many lives in this photo have just taken a giant step forward, even if they are still in the refugee camp? The school and children in the background remind us of the lost educational opportunities for adults who need, but don't have reading glasses.

Senior men from the community with their new glasses – the most colorful of the lot! Intense reading in the background. (Incidentally, the stickers on some of the lenses are only temporary to ensure that the powers are marked and not lost in transit.)

Another group shot showing glasses being "broken in" by reading!

A small selection of the 1,750 pairs of reading glasses, with literacy material used for testing, and special multi-lingual near vision test cards created by Book Wish (English, Arabic, French, and symbols).

In all these photos, you are seeing less than 10% of the 500 glasses that will be distributed in Bredjing. 500 more will go to each of the Treguine and Gaga Refugee Camps, and the remaining 250 to nearby Chadian villages affected by the massive influx of refugees from Darfur. We think it is amazing to see these happy faces, the books in hand, and all the hope this means for the refugees, but the total impact will be much, much larger once all the glasses are distributed.

Our partner CORD's Education Program Manager, Anne Goddard, described the scene that unfolded when the glasses arrived:

"It was an amazing atmosphere. Once people realized the difference the glasses made to their sight, they were thrilled. For many in our literacy program, this will transform their ability to progress – it has given everyone involved a real and lasting boost."

Note how Anne said "once people realized." Many had never encountered glasses before, they are a new technology.

Reading glasses are even more of a necessity for the Darfuris than for us in the developed world. Those of us who need glasses are probably already literate, but they cannot become literate without the glasses.

This incredible story now unfolding has only been possible because of the generosity of our sponsors and individual donors. These glasses are not from a dollar store, they are high-quality readers that any of us would happily wear. Optical companies in the U.S. and U.K. that contributed: Sight Station, Smart Eyes, Hilco, Peepers Reading Glasses, For Eyes Optical, Davis Vision, ClearVision Optical, and Equation, LLC. Donor organizations: Northern Virginia Optometric Society, Partners in Restoring Vision and Improving Lives. We are grateful for the support of optometrists who donated from their stocks, such as , and to the Air France. If you have an extra pair of reading glasses you would like to donate, please do not send it right now. Instead, please subscribe to our email mailing list, so we can notify you the next time we need glasses. Right now, we have met the needs we know about, but we suspect that needs in these or other refugee camps or villages are actually greater, and will want to meet them once the proper logistics and funding are in place.

In the first two photos, you can see that the readers all have cases, which is very important to protect them from the harsh desert environment. We are grateful to Astucci, a manufacturer of designer eyeglass cases, for sending us an ample supply to ensure that every pair of glasses is protected.

Not visible in the photos is another means of extending the longevity of the glasses, repair kits. The Northern Virginia Optometric Society included small screwdriver/screw kits with their nearly 400 glasses (and eye charts). The practical value of these kits is huge when you consider how difficult it would otherwise be to obtain replacement screws locally, and how devastating the loss of a pair of glasses could be to someone who cannot replace them.

The Northern Virginia Optometric Society's donation is also notable for its inclusion of unusually high magnifications and very sturdy frames, which will be greatly appreciated in the camps. We would like to thank Drs. Finney, Jalota, Giles, Sparrenberger, Allen, Unwalla, May, Hettler, Caplan, Meccariello, Bloom, Hoang-Braley, Zelman, Dresely, and Melton, plus, especially, Dr. Joedicke and her family, for organizing such an important contribution to this effort.

As the distribution of the reading glasses continues, we hope to bring you more photos and stories of the impact they are having. 1,750 fragile lives will soon be given new opportunities and new hope.

English Classes Successful in Refugee Camp

logan — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 03:11:53 +0000

Exciting news about the success of English classes for Darfur refugees in Bredjing Refugee Camp, eastern Chad! The English teachers, themselves refugees, have reached an important milestone thanks to the Headway curriculum we supplied, which has now been used for about eight months. Everyone who contributed should take pride in this accomplishment. From Anne Goddard of CORD, Education Program Manager in Bredjing:

"Today I spent a couple of hours in Bredjing with some of the English teachers going through how to use the Headway books to their best advantage. They were really encouraged and so was I. Very simple stuff, but quite a revelation to them. It was the first time I have ever taught in English without an interpreter - the first time they have ever been of a sufficient standard to cope with this. You and your donors have helped achieve this significant step and further build their confidence."

This is so significant because the teachers, as their level of English improves, pass on that skill to hundreds of others. There are about 800 Darfuris learning English in Bredjing, one of three refugee camps where we sent Headway. Learning English is viewed there as a "road to freedom."

This achievement has only been possible because of the generosity of the public, publisher Oxford University Press, and cargo carrier Air France. Every individual contribution has helped, and helped a lot, since the corporate discounts allow us to deliver nearly seven dollars of textbooks to the refugees for every dollar donated.

We would like to send a third Headway shipment soon, possibly including the audio component for the first time (because electricity to play the audio has not yet been available), and welcome further support. Please earmark your and remember, $1 from you = $7 of books for the refugees.

Featured

ESL

Field Reports

Biographies

Logistics

Bakhita Village Primary School Needs Your Help

logan — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 06:07:12 +0000

In this brief report from eastern Chad, Anne Goddard, Education Programme Manager for our partner CORD, describes how villagers in Bakhita are chipping in to build their new primary school. To complete construction, though, they need your help. Please consider donating for school construction to help the villagers help themselves through education.

This is the school for the village of Bakhita, 6km south of Hadjer Hadid [the village home to many aid organizations working in the nearby refugee camps]. In the background you can see the shelter made of natural materials, which is the current primary school. The villagers made this from their own resources. In the foreground you can see the villagers building their new primary school, which will have two classrooms for the students. The villagers have each purchased 40 bricks so that this can take place – it takes around 7,500 bricks for a school of this size. They are "cementing" the bricks together with mud and you can see the donkey with its water sacks, along with the barrel that were distributed by CORD in 2007. When the school is completed in a couple of weeks, CORD has agreed to provide the frame for the roof and plastic sheeting. The pre-school will then move into the shelter and the primary school will have the brick building.

To ensure the longevity of the building, 15 bags of cement are needed to finally cover over all the bricks inside and out [otherwise, the mud mortar gradually washes away in the rainy seasons]. A zinc roof is stronger and longer lasting than plastic sheeting. To keep the inside of the school in good condition [i.e., to keep out messy animals], metal doors and windows would be required. The cost of all this is about $1,870.

102 students are enrolled in the primary school, 40 in the pre-school, with 350 adults from this and 5 smaller satellite villages learning French and/or Arabic literacy. Progress is slow, but step by step they are moving forwards and we hope that a love for education will result from participation through partnership with CORD for the villagers of Bakhita.

If you have ever dreamed of helping to build a school in Africa, this is a great opportunity, because you can see that the villagers are themselves doing a lot of the work. They just need your help to properly finish the school. To make a contribution of any amount specifically for school construction in Bakhita or other nearby Chadian villages, please click here. To read more about the importance of school construction in these villages, click here.

Featured
ESL
Biographies

Every Picture Tells a Story: Refugees Receive ESL Books

logan — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 04:23:20 +0000

Our second shipment of Headway English textbooks has just reached the Darfur refugee camps of eastern Chad. The following report and photos from our on-the-ground partner CORD capture the moment the refugees received this "lifeline." We are now half way to meeting the needs of the English classes in the camps, and ask for your support to enable additional shipments.

It was smiles all round in Chad as the second consignment of English text books from Book Wish were distributed to the teachers and students of CORD’s Education programme.

Ladies' class studying new English textbooks at a home in Treguine Refugee Camp, eastern Chad. (PHOTOS: Anne Goddard)

The books, heavily discounted by Oxford University Press, flown free to Chad by Air France and donated by supporters of the Book Wish Foundation, are guaranteed to make a huge difference to the lives of the Darfuri refugees.

Most have spent the last four years in exile after fleeing for their lives the atrocities in their homeland; and with no hope of returning home, education is a vital component in building themselves a future.

The books, given to students in Bredjing, Treguine and Gaga camps, are a real lifeline; they replace the few inadequate texts, produced in the 1950s, which were being shared by many and which were hopelessly outdated and well thumbed.

Men from the evening classes celebrate the arrival of the Headway English books in Treguine Camp.

"The joy these books bring has to be seen to be believed," said CORD’s Education Manager, Anne Goddard. "We are so grateful to our Book Wish supporters, and to everyone who played their part in ensuring the books got to us so speedily and safely. The new academic year has just begun, and to have these books arrive has given us all fresh hope and impetus to succeed in our study programme."

The camps are in the remote east of Chad near the Sudanese border, where life is harsh, temperatures are punishing, and where the global credit crunch is hitting hard. Major donor budgets are being squeezed as the Darfur crisis slips off the political agenda, while increased fuel and other prices mean that agencies like CORD are finding their budgets stretched to meet essential needs.

"It is hard to explain how fantastic it is to receive support and help from people around the globe," said Anne. "CORD’s work with the Sudanese refugees and to the local Chadian villagers remains as vital as ever; and we owe the Foundation a huge thank you for their help and commitment."

Book Wish Foundation, in turn, owes a huge thank you to all our individual donors and, especially, the two corporate sponsors for Headway, Oxford University Press and Air France. You are directly improving the refugees' lives, providing them hope and skills for future prosperity.

Older students examining the new Headway books in Treguine Camp.

Some of the English teachers in Treguine Camp with their new curriculum. The teachers are themselves refugees, trained by CORD.

Vision
Featured
ESL
Field Reports
Biographies
Logistics