Books and Barrels

Like me, you have probably never thought of barrels of books. Wine, beer, pickle or cracker barrels–but never books – that is, unless you are a former Peace Corps Volunteer and early childhood educator like Sia Barbara Kamara. She has sent multiple barrels of books to the WE-CARE Foundation. Modern resin barrels, we learned, are watertight and sturdy; the perfect shipping container.  The blue ones are are food-safe. Therefore, these are especially valuable to hold drinking water for rural households. 

We were fortunate to have had Sia Barbara introduce us to the WE-CARE founding couple, T. Michael Weah and Yvonne  Capehart Weah. They graciously met with us at their compound in the suburbs of Monrovia. We observed a training session for new teachers and saw copies of the culturally appropriate reading readiness books they are now publishing.

Thirty years ago they began a book chain to keep friends occupied with reading during the curfews and lockdowns of the Liberian Civil War. This became a free lending library. Now WE-CARE has. multiple programs throughout the country to support early childhood education. 

Still, books are rare in the countryside and expensive in the city. So, they truck books to rural schools, open book give-away tables at sporting events and teach parents how to teach their children. Each empty barrel then goes to a family to hold safe drinking water.

It costs roughly $450 to buy and deliver a blue barrel to Liberia.

We have lots of books to deliver to Liberia in blue barrels! Please consider contributing to our cause!