Accra, Jan. 22, GNA - Books for Africa (BFA), an international charity organisation devoted to end book famine in Africa, on Friday donated a 40- foot container comprising 22, 000 books to Ghana Book Trust (GBT) in Accra. The books, valued at 165,000 dollars, which comprised novels and tertiary level materials are mainly donations. However, BFT facilitated the shipment of the consignment to Ghana at the cost of 9,500 dollars. Mr Robert Amoako, Executive Director of GBT made this known to the Ghana News Agency during the handing over of the books to the trust by officials of BFT.

He said in 2009 his outfit received six containers of books from the organisation. Mr Amoako said as a major supplier of books to especially tertiary schools in the country, GBT is expecting to receive donations to meet its 20- container capacity this year. "One of our (BFT) biggest challenge is the decrease in the supply of books as against the increase in student population," he said. Mr Amoako said in order to cater for the more than 30 tertiary schools in Ghana, the trust has opened another office in Kumasi to serve the Northern Sector. The trust, which is a non-governmental and non-profit voluntary organisation, was established by the Canadian Organisation for Development Through Education in 1990. Mr Amoako said GBT was engaged in training in library programmes management and teaching of reading.

Mr Patrick Plonski, Executive Director of BFT said the charity was established by Mr Thomas Warth, a publisher, in 1988 who visited Uganda and was struck by the depth of lack of books. He said the organisation, had since supplied more than 22 million books to about 45 African countries, with Ghana topping the list of beneficiaries. 22 Jan. 10