Nalerigu is a small village in rural Northern Ghana. The roads are dirt, and a few cars share them with pedestrians, donkey carts, goats, and chickens. Most people are farmers. Lucky children get to go to school. Many people cannot read. Those who can read have very few books. There are no bookstores. Amazon does not deliver. But four years ago, members of the community gathered together to pursue a dream: a library.

This library committee has managed to construct a new building, bit by bit, with volunteer labor and locally donated funds. Now the structure is nearly complete. While the community is raising money to pay for bookshelves, light fixtures, and ceiling fans, which will take the place of air conditioning, they are also turning their attention to the next major hurdle. They need books, and they have very few.

Do you have books? Maybe a good novel you won't read again. Or picture books your children have outgrown. That gardening book you meant to read but never did. The books you've forgotten could open up whole new worlds to people who may never travel far beyond their native village.

What you can give:

• Used books in good condition: fiction and nonfiction, picture books through
  adult-level reading. Members of the Nalerigu community have specifically
  requested Christian books designed to help young believers grow in their faith.
• New books from the Nalerigu Library Project wish list available at Amazon.com
• Money for the purchase of new books and to help cover the cost of shipping
• Time, sorting and boxing books to prepare them for shipping

For more information, to arrange a donation, or to inquire about organizing a book drive, click here.