Sunday Ist November

Change of plan and visited libraries in Hargeisa today including three schools, one community library and the Africa Educational Trust (AET) resource centre.

The schools had good-sized rooms for their libraries and science books were very popular, especially those that matched the syllabus. Readers had left behind on the reading tables Treasure Island, Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket novels, so there is also some reading for pleasure.

The AET resource centre was very popular - it is likely to have been visited 17,000 times this year. University students and secondary school students were using it whilst I was there.

Two I spoke to wanted to go on and become a pharmacist and engineer, whilst another, now studying at University, had been using the centre since he was in grade 3 at school. Lots of Book Aid International books were in use. There was only one female though - partly because not many girls go beyond primary school, but in the schools, up to a quarter of students were female.

Helping to rebuild Somaliland

Hi, this is Rob Sarjant, Head of Programmes and Operations at Book Aid International, reporting directly from Somaliland on our work here.

After a day spent in traffic-choked Nairobi visiting Kenya National Library Service and the Slums Information and Development Resource Centres (sadly, their main library burnt down earlier this year and needs a lot of support), I took a small EC plane or ECHO flight this morning to Hargeisa, Somaliland. Whilst here, I will assess our book donation support and deliver a workshop for teacher librarians. Book Aid International works closely with the Africa Educational Trust who heve a local office here and have helped establish many libraries.

This is my first visit to Somaliland which, though officially a part of Somalia in the eyes of the world, sees itself as very much an independent state. It has been operating that way fairly successfuly and peacefully for over 15 years, but it is a fledgling state. Libraries are seen as one way to help rebuild and support the country.

Over the next couple of days I will be travelling out from the capital, to two towns, Berbera and Borama, to see the libraries there. Although Somaliland is peaceful, it is still recommended to travel with armed guards - when studying to become a librarian many years ago, I would never have expected this!

it's complete!

The deed is done and I live to tell the tale!

If I had to choose one word to describe the experience? Excruciating! In all honestly if I had known how painful it was to be, not sure I'd have been able to see it through. Sometimes blissful ignorance is the best strategy I suppose! But now I can look back at the experience from the comfort of my desk, with nothing but some aching limbs to remind me of yesterday's challenge, so it's actually now just a sense of pride and RELIEF that prevails!

It was something of a scorcher, 23 degrees and I even managed to get sunburnt - not something you'd think to worry about in October! Other than that the conditions were pretty ideal, and there were regular water stations too to fend off dehydration. The first few miles flew by in a haze of adrenaline, but by mile 6 I was flagging - and the knowledge I wasn't even half way through did little to lift my spirits!

The course itself was absolutely stunning - I may not have been in the best position to enjoy it, but just having such beautiful surroundings was inspiring in itself. Mercifully enough it was pretty flat too which was a godsend!

I was so lucky to have friends colleagues and family there to support me. Just knowing they were in the crowds was such a lift. And pigheaded pride alone did not want them to catch me walking! But also thinking about everyone who has sponsored me in good faith, there was no way I could let them down! The realisation that my sponsorship tally will enable over 300 brand new books to go to sub-Saharan Africa is very rewarding in itself.

So a big big thank you to everyone who has supported me - financially, personally and professionally - it was a day that I will never forget!

It's official - sub one week til the Big Day!

The last few weeks have been tricky, mainly due to trying to track down my perfect pair of trainers (perish the thought of lasting the distance in shoes that are anything other than perfect!) The first pair resulted in some of the severest blisters I have ever laid eyes on. At first I attributed this to 'wearing them in' and proceded to ignore them as best I could. This of course only served to aggravate the existing wounds and saw me out of action for a week! Disastrous. Fortunately enough, I took them back and, causing something of a scene (!) was rewarded with a new pair which have proved far more successful and are ready for the onslaught that awaits.

This final week I have been told it is inadvisable to stretch yourself too much, so am only planning one short run and a couple of walks to keep me ticking over before Sunday. I look forward to reporting back once the deed is done... I like the idea of thinking of it in retrospect!

Hi again!
Sorry for the prolonged silence here - training had to be somewhat sidelined during my three week holiday in Morocco (desert runs in 45 degree heat isn't something I quite feel up to just yet.) Since my return 2 weeks ago however, I have been slowly building up my stamina and trying to counteract the effects of three weeks holiday idleness!

At present I am managing to run for an hour, which sees me covering half the 13 mile distance that awaits. With 7 weeks still to go, I hope this puts me on track. I have a friend also running it, which is a huge help. At the weekend we do runs together, including interval training (short sharp stints interspersed with walking) which I find very helpful for leg strength and stamina.
Varying the routes is key I think, I am lucky that I live right between Clapham and Wandsworth common so there is plenty of greenery to get me going. The river along Putney up to Hammersmith is another of my favourite routes.

Well I will keep you posted on all developments as October 12 looms large!

Clara's running a half marathon!

Hi! Let me introduce myself – I am Clara and work as a Trusts Fundraiser here at Book Aid International.

When the subject of the half marathon came up a few months ago, my initial reaction was one of both horror and disbelief. How could anyone even contemplate tackling such a distance! Who would voluntarily put themselves through the blood, sweat and tears of gruelling training sessions? ‘Me’ was the last word on my mind at this stage!


> Photo: my underused trainers - they won't know what's hit them!



And yet here I am, bracing myself for the 13-mile race on Sunday 12 October. Despite my original worries, the reasons I’m so happy to be taking part in it are in fact multiple. Improved fitness, the sense of achievement, but most importantly raising much-needed funds to get books out to sub-Saharan Africa where they are most desperately needed! Literacy is something we fully take for granted from childhood here, which makes the statistic that 1/5 of the world’s adults are illiterate all the more staggering.

To live life without being able to read a map, a medicine bottle or a voting ballot is something we Westerners can hardly even fathom. By sending out over 500,000 new and carefully selected books each year, Book Aid International is trying to help solve the chronic book shortage and empower Africans to make informed decisions about their everyday lives. At a cost of just £1.25 to send a brand-new book, each and every donation really does go a long way.

I hope you will share my marathon journey with me. If you feel inspired to encourage me through the pain barrier with some sponsorship, I have set up a Just Giving page here.

This weekend I am to be dusting off my trainers for a run around Battersea Park – look forward to updating you on how I fare!

Clara

Clive's visit to Eritrea, Day 4

> Photo: breaking the bread at our traditional Eritrean dinner

Today we’re in Asmara where Beth is running a workshop on the targeting and distribution of books. I’m here to listen and learn, but Beth and the participants who include our colleagues Gebrenegus at the Ministry of Education and Michael at the British Council, three secondary school librarians who work on the distribution of the Book Aid International books, the Chair of the Library and Information Association of Eritrea, and three curriculum development officers from the Ministry, work hard for the whole day. The workshop covers the targeting and distribution cycle focussing on needs assessment, deciding priorities, selecting and promoting stock, and monitoring and evaluation. There is heated debate on whether we should give priority to books for primary or secondary libraries. After more than an hour’s debate, primary wins the day by a small margin, but the arguments continue over lunch.

> Photo: Beth Murphy's presentation on reading promotion

The other hot topic was the issue of weeding books which are no longer or may never have been used. Where books are in short supply librarians find it difficult to throw out books which may find a reader one day, and they don’t want a library with very few books on the shelves. But others strongly press the case that having unread and out-of-date books puts readers off. By promoting good books, even if there are not that many, readers will be attracted to and use the library. Beth suggests that promoting the books and making the libraries more attractive will bring in a wider spectrum of the community. She points to a display of big books for children in the Dembe Sembel School in Asmara and the display of CD Roms in the British Council as examples of good promotion. The workshop ends with a session on monitoring and evaluation and, of course, an evaluation of the workshop itself which is very positive. I’m hugely impressed by the commitment of the participants and the high level of the discussion, and the professionalism and skill with which Beth has prepared and run the day. After the workshop we have a brief meeting with the new Minister of Education, Semere Russom, a former diplomat and Mayor of Asmara. The Minister gives us an outline of the problems facing Eritrea in building an education system from scratch and thanks Book Aid International for the contribution it has made to overcoming the shortage of books in the country. He will comment on the existing agreement and we will work with officials to agree a new partnership with the Ministry as quickly as possible. We are struck again by the commitment of people from the top down to libraries and reading as a central element of education at all levels.

> Photo: Beth Murphy in conversation with workshop participants

In the evening Mesfin Habtetsion of the British Council hosts a traditional Eritrean meal for us, and colleagues from the Ministry and the Library Association at a wonderful restaurant in a converted house decorated with an extraordinary collection of artefacts from all over the country covering the walls. We talk widely about the country, it’s history and traditions, and the challenges it faces in developing its education system.

A traditional Eritrean fermented honey beer accompanies the meal and a shot of white coffee liquor sends us off into the night after another exhausting, but very satisfying day. Tomorrow is a holiday and we’re planning to watch part of the Meskel festival and make a quick trip down to the coast down what is apparently a spectacular drive, dropping 2,800 meters in less than 100km.