For all of the fall 2009 semester, UNESCO Student Ambassadors for human rights have been collecting books for Books for Bugesera, an international book-drive for the first English speaking public library in Rwanda.
At the end of 2008, Rwanda started an initiative to transform from being a Francophone to an Anglophone nation. Before this, books in Rwanda were rare because of their cost, but now those few books are completely obsolete.
The organization is looking to collect any and all books, ranging from children's books to textbooks. The books will be used to stock the first English-speaking public library, which will be built in Bugesera, Rwanda. The group is also collecting donations.
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Spencer Young, a 7th-semester history and Italian literary and cultural studies major, is a UNESCO Student Ambassador.
"UNESCO Student Ambassadors focus on promoting education and human rights education throughout the world," said Young.
Working with UNESCO on the Books for Bugesera fundraiser are the African American Student Association, Month of Kindness and various off-campus libraries and school systems.
The group's goal is 5,000 books and has collected roughly 150 boxes of books thus far.
In conjunction with Books for Bugesera is the World AIDS Week Kickoff event on December 1 from 3 to 10 p.m. at Gampel Pavilion.
The World AIDS Week Kickoff event will consist of the Books for Bugesera book drive, Hoops of Hope and tabling of different organizations.
Hoops of Hope consists of student-made teams shooting baskets in Gampel to raise money for AIDS in Zambia, Africa.
Those attending the World AIDS Week Kickoff event are strongly encouraged to bring a book to donate. Books can also be dropped off at the UNESCO Chair office in Wilbur Cross room 208 any time that week.
Other events taking place for World AIDS Week are free and anonymous HIV testing, an AIDS/HIV vigil, a two-day blood drive among other things. A complete list of events can be found at UConn's Health Education website.
"The group feels education and increased literacy will encourage healthful behavior and help prevent the further spread of the AIDS epidemic," said Young.
Students interested in Hoops of Hope should contact Erin Laline at uconn.co.hoopsofhope@gmail.com.
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