Namibia
Where books are Treasured
Each day before entering the BEAR Room, students line up and wash their hands so that they will not soil the books donated by the IDEA Foundation. Namibian teachers are insistent that the learners treat book with the utmost care and they readily comply. IDEA books are often the first real books ever held by a student since most classroom materials are mimeographs.
Namibians achieved independence in 1990 after a bush war of almost 25 years. Inter-racial reconciliation encouraged the country's white people to remain and they still play a major role in farming and other economic sectors, but the country has the widest disparity between white and black income in the world.
While the government attempts to deal with issues of land reform and the HIV/AIDS pandemic, major problems continue in education and agriculture.
The youth of Namibia are in desperate need of books, intensive training in English (the official language), and training in agriculture and agribusiness – programs IDEA has helped support and hopes to continue.
Click here for more information on Namibia.