Many homes in Europe and North America have large collections of books which have been read and loved but are no longer needed. People wonder if they could have a second life supporting education in schools in Africa. Logic suggests that this would be an obvious way to overcome the dearth of books in African schools. However, our experience suggests that shipping books is often not helpful and can even be detrimental.
Just a few years back Isaac Newton received an unsolicited delivery of many boxes of books from North America. With no shelving space to display the books and, given their peripheral relevance to the curriculum, the boxes of books remain to this day lining an entire wall of the already cramped headteacher’s office.
Over the years, UHST has received many enquiries from supporters to see if we can make use of their old books. Shipping costs and logistical problems have generally got in the way but there are a number of good reasons why it is not a good strategy.
Inappropriate content
In the immediate post-colonial period, the Ugandan curriculum and examinations reflected those in the UK and British textbooks were widely used. However, in the 63 years since independence great strides have been made to create a curriculum that is relevant to children growing up in Africa. Today, courses have been tailored to meet local needs. History focuses on Africa before and since colonialism. Geography has a strong emphasis on African landscapes and land use. Economics looks at the work of African banks and regional trading blocs such as the East African Community. English emphasises the works of African writers. Even Mathematics and the Sciences sets problems and applies concepts in African contexts.
Page with locally relevant content from a Ugandan English course book
European and North American textbooks are often of little relevance in Ugandan Schools. There is a growing body of impressive novels by modern African writers such as: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Chinua Achebe, Miriama Bå, Aminatta Forna, Wangari Maathai, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Wole Soyinka. These take primacy in Uganda schools over mainstream modern and classic European and North American works.
At primary level, there are many wonderful books that might appear to be appropriate in Uganda but few have African role models or images and many make cultural references that mean little to children brought up in a village in rural Uganda.
2. Shipping Costs and Logistics
As a small charity with no paid staff, we do not have the time or resources to take in and ship books to Uganda. The logistic of packing and shipping are difficult enough at this end, but arranging sorting, collections and transport in Uganda is beyond the capacity of the Humanist schools. Furthermore, the expense of shipping makes it more practical to buy books from Uganda bookshops.
3. Impact on Local Publishing
Uganda and East Africa has a small but growing publishing sector. It commissions books of all kinds from local authors and provides income in the form of royalties. Furthermore, local publishers supply bookshops in Uganda, East Africa and beyond.
Sending second-hand and remaindered books from outside the country risks undermining this important embryonic sector.
4, Condition and Suitability of Books
As well as being irrelevant to schools, donated books can be outdated and, if soiled and damaged, do little to stimulate a love of books.
Organisations such as Book Aid international are no longer willing to accept donations of second-hand books for the reasons given above. Other charities, such as Oxfam, welcome donations of books, which they sell in the UK and use the proceeds to fund their development work. These days in Uganda it is possible to buy attractively produced full-colour textbooks, children’s story-books, novels and factual books written by local authors and tailored to the national curriculum. At UHST we feel that it is better to put funds in school accounts in local bookshops so that they can purchase these more appropriate books and support the emerging Ugandan book industry.
Why sending second-hand books to Africa is unhelpful
Posted: July 24, 2025 by Steve Hurd
Many homes in Europe and North America have large collections of books which have been read and loved but are no longer needed. People wonder if they could have a second life supporting education in schools in Africa. Logic suggests that this would be an obvious way to overcome the dearth of books in African schools. However, our experience suggests that shipping books is often not helpful and can even be detrimental.
Just a few years back Isaac Newton received an unsolicited delivery of many boxes of books from North America. With no shelving space to display the books and, given their peripheral relevance to the curriculum, the boxes of books remain to this day lining an entire wall of the already cramped headteacher’s office.
Over the years, UHST has received many enquiries from supporters to see if we can make use of their old books. Shipping costs and logistical problems have generally got in the way but there are a number of good reasons why it is not a good strategy.
In the immediate post-colonial period, the Ugandan curriculum and examinations reflected those in the UK and British textbooks were widely used. However, in the 63 years since independence great strides have been made to create a curriculum that is relevant to children growing up in Africa. Today, courses have been tailored to meet local needs. History focuses on Africa before and since colonialism. Geography has a strong emphasis on African landscapes and land use. Economics looks at the work of African banks and regional trading blocs such as the East African Community. English emphasises the works of African writers. Even Mathematics and the Sciences sets problems and applies concepts in African contexts.
European and North American textbooks are often of little relevance in Ugandan Schools. There is a growing body of impressive novels by modern African writers such as: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Chinua Achebe, Miriama Bå, Aminatta Forna, Wangari Maathai, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Wole Soyinka. These take primacy in Uganda schools over mainstream modern and classic European and North American works.
At primary level, there are many wonderful books that might appear to be appropriate in Uganda but few have African role models or images and many make cultural references that mean little to children brought up in a village in rural Uganda.
2. Shipping Costs and Logistics
As a small charity with no paid staff, we do not have the time or resources to take in and ship books to Uganda. The logistic of packing and shipping are difficult enough at this end, but arranging sorting, collections and transport in Uganda is beyond the capacity of the Humanist schools. Furthermore, the expense of shipping makes it more practical to buy books from Uganda bookshops.
3. Impact on Local Publishing
Uganda and East Africa has a small but growing publishing sector. It commissions books of all kinds from local authors and provides income in the form of royalties. Furthermore, local publishers supply bookshops in Uganda, East Africa and beyond.
Sending second-hand and remaindered books from outside the country risks undermining this important embryonic sector.
4, Condition and Suitability of Books
As well as being irrelevant to schools, donated books can be outdated and, if soiled and damaged, do little to stimulate a love of books.
Organisations such as Book Aid international are no longer willing to accept donations of second-hand books for the reasons given above. Other charities, such as Oxfam, welcome donations of books, which they sell in the UK and use the proceeds to fund their development work. These days in Uganda it is possible to buy attractively produced full-colour textbooks, children’s story-books, novels and factual books written by local authors and tailored to the national curriculum. At UHST we feel that it is better to put funds in school accounts in local bookshops so that they can purchase these more appropriate books and support the emerging Ugandan book industry.
Category: News