by Cris Italia
The School 5 book club was about to throw away perfectly good books when Sharpe asked whether she might be able to take them off their hands instead.
"They were just going to toss them in the dumpster," Sharpe said. "I know children in Kenya can still use these books.
With that idea in mind, Sharpe approached Superintendent Dr. Herb Brown, who not only granted her permission to take the books, but offered any spare books the school district had to offer. "He told me I could have all the books I want," the Rockville Centre resident said.
With more than 200 boxes of books now in her garage, Sharpe began the process of shipping. She already had the connections in Kenya. President Mwai Kibaki is a personal friend, she said. "I got in touch with the Kenyan president and asked him if the children could use these books," Sharpe explained. President Kibaki forwarded her request to the Ministry of Education, and Sharpe was told the books would gladly be accepted.
Now comes the hard part: getting the books to Kenya. Although there is no timetable for delivery, Sharpe hopes she can ship the books earlier than later. "My garage is not the biggest, so I'd like to get them out soon," she joked. "I never really thought about getting the books there at first; I just knew they could use them."
She contacted a non-profit organization that ships books to impoverished countries. The only problem is, she has to transport the books to Chicago. "It's free, so maybe during Thanksgiving break I might be able to drive there," Sharpe said. "But if I can raise the money, I'd rather know exactly when and where the books are going."
A Florida-based shipping company has offered a reduced price of $3,000, and the books would be sent directly to Kenya. Sharpe is going to put together a fund-raiser and, she hopes, involve students in Oceanside. "There are 4,500 students in Oceanside, and if we get a dollar for each student, we will have more than enough money," she said.
Leaning toward raising the money herself, Sharpe came up with the idea of starting "Textbooks to Kenya." She said that in some of the poorer villages of Kenya, the books would be "treated like gold." Kenyan public schools have minimal to no facilities or supplies. "The poorest schools learn to write on dirt, and they read any books they can get," said Sharpe who was raised in the village of Marigoli. "They have no computers or pencils."
Some of the books have been in the system since the early '90s, and they range from English to math -- perfect for children eager to learn but deprived.
Sharpe and her husband plan to donate $1,000 of their own money, and the rest, they hope, will come from students with big hearts. If you would like to donate or find out more, write to "Textbooks for Kenya," 80 Graystone Road, Rockville Centre, N.Y. 11570.
