GSP Spotlight: Books For All

Anu Aina, a 2024 Fellow, turned her "Glocal" Service Project into a 3-day literacy program for 20 children from the Kaura Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp in Abuja, Nigeria. The initiative, called Books For All, aimed to spark a love for reading and empower children through education, mentorship, and community connection. The program took place from August 26-28, 2025, and was an inspirational, informative, and impactful experience for the children who participated.

Over the course of three structured days, the program combined story mapping, spelling bees, phonics sessions, leadership talks, and arts activities to make learning both engaging and fun. Children practiced reading comprehension, creative writing, and public speaking, while also exploring broader life lessons around self-confidence, hygiene, and goal-setting. Each activity was intentionally designed to ignite curiosity, build foundational literacy skills, and remind every child that their voice and ideas matter.

Anu says, "The Books For All Initiative would have been impossible without the collaboration of many hands for a good cause." Below is an outline of the many different volunteers involved in bringing Anu's project to life:

• The program's young volunteers were in charge of catering snacks and meals, photography, and helping coordinate group reading and writing activities for the children.

• Mrs. Ebohen, Ms. Odunayo, and Mrs. Ochunogor led sessions with the children that ranged from talks on life lessons and academic skills. Ms. Okaka, Mrs. Alicho, and Ms. Jonas-Obasi helped with all of the behind-the-scenes tasks and coordination necessary to carry out the project.

• Mrs. Amale-Onidare of the Mass-Star-Minds Organization acted as a remarkable intermediary between the children, their communities, and the project.

• Ms. Luka, a teacher at the local primary school located in the IDP Camp, and Mrs. Saul, a member of the children’s community, sacrificed their time to support the children by chaperoning.

• Mrs. Chisom Aina, Anu's mother, aided in all aspects of the program, including planning, organization, and execution.

Books For All was a wild success that involved an extensive amount of programming and collaboration, and its impact extended far beyond its three days. Each child who participated in Books For All received a one-year scholarship and a backpack filled with books and school supplies, while funds were provided to cover teacher salaries for the new term. The local school also received additional learning materials, ensuring that students who didn’t attend the program could still benefit from its resources.

Anu says, "The Books For All program successfully expanded literacy engagement, provided scholarships to underprivileged children, and fairly compensated all contributors, including volunteers, chaperones, and service providers. Through transparent and accountable use of funds, the program delivered a lasting impact by uplifting the children, schools, and the community."