Book Aid International
Every purchase of our Book Aid International Book Token helps the charity share the power of books with people around the world who would otherwise have few books, or even no books at all.
Other ways we support reading
Around the world, there are millions of people who have never seen or held a new book. There are millions of schoolchildren who can learn only by sharing a single threadbare textbook. There are millions of people who have never been encouraged to read, or to escape into the pages of a book.
Books encourage people to question the world around them. They light up imaginations and ambitions. With books, the quality of education soars, families fighting poverty learn new skills to grow businesses that thrive and a better future feels more achievable than ever.
That is why Book Aid International works for a world where everyone has access to books.
The charity provides over one million new books every year in the places where they will make the biggest difference, and sets up libraries, trains people to run them and works with a global network of partners to spark a love of reading.
Together with its partners worldwide, Book Aid International works everywhere from refugee camps, prisons and hospitals to remote schools where there has never been a library before. In the places where it’s hardest to become a doctor or where teachers struggle to encourage children to dream big, that’s where they’re determined to put the books into people’s hands.
To find out more about Book Aid International visit bookaid.org.
Find out more
So far you've helped send more than 7,000 new books to people who need them!
Every time you buy one of our special Book Aid International charity gift cards, the charity receives 1% of its value.
All of the books the charity sends are donated by publishers, so it costs just £2 to send the next brand-new book. Thanks to your support, we've given almost £15,000 to Book Aid International. That’s enough to send 7,500 brand-new books.
Each book the charity sends is a bridge away from inequality and towards a more equal future for all. They are a life-line for readers like like Fabiola, Ridwan and Faustina.
Want to get involved? There are many ways you can support the charity’s work, from donating to fundraising or volunteering.
Our special gift card can be bought in your local bookshop or online.
Supporting education in Malawi
By 2030, over a third of the world’s young people will live in Africa. But millions will not realise their potential because they lack access to books and quality education.
That’s why Book Aid International have launched their Generation Reader campaign which aims to use the power of books and reading to help 10 million young people, including girls like Fabiola, to fulfil their dreams and unlock their potential.
“When I finish school, I want to be a nurse. I want to be a nurse because I want to help the sick. As a nurse I can earn money to help my poor relatives. Doing well in education is important because it will help me get a job when I finish school.”
“Borrowing library books has really improved my English. Since borrowing these books, I have learnt a lot. When there were no library books, I could not understand my teachers and I was sleeping in class. But since the library books came, things started sinking into my head. I have learned things I didn’t know. Now I can raise my hand and answer questions.”
Read Fabiola's storySharing knowledge in Somaliland
Ridwan is a midwife and lecturer in Somaliland. When she was studying it was hard for her to access the books she needed.
“When I was a student at Edna Adan University Hospital, I wasn’t able to find enough up-to-date books to study from. The books we had access to were old editions and there weren’t enough for the numbers of students.”
But the brand-new books you help Book Aid International to send are making a huge difference to Ridwan and the medical students she now teaches.
“Because of the books provided by Book Aid International, it has become easier for the students I teach to find enough quality books and their reading has increased. As an educator I always refer back to the books for each class I’m preparing and as a student I use them to study for assignments, to gain more knowledge. If I didn’t have the books provided by Book Aid international, my knowledge wouldn’t be at this level. Books give people the power to share knowledge.”
Reading to feel free in Ghana
15-year-old Faustina lives in northern Ghana. She loves the feeling she gets when she reads.
“Reading makes me feel free. If I’m sad or upset, books make me happy again. I love storybooks because I can read them to my younger sisters, so that they fall in love with books too.”
In Faustina’s community it is more difficult for the girls to study and get an education than it is for the boys. But thanks to your support Book Aid International can fill the community libraries that enable girls like Faustina can carry on reading, even if they can’t go to school.
“As girls, there are many things that can stop us staying in school. But leaving school doesn’t have to stop girls like me from learning. Because if we have access to books, we can always keep reading. Books make girls I know feel free too. Because books can give us the chance to learn about the world and imagine a future of our own.”?
Read Faustina's story
Supporting reading for everyone
We've been proud sponsors of World Book Day for nearly 30 years. We also support other literary charities and prizes, work with schools to promote reading for pleasure, and invest in high street bookshops.
Who we work with
