Members of the Somalia Parliament in St. Paul to thank Books for Africa for donations

Three members of the Somalia Parliament visited the Books For Africa warehouse Thursday in St. Paul to thank the nonprofit for sending more than 1.1 million books to the East African country over the past 35 years.

The Somali representatives also planned to discuss ways to deliver additional books to students. The goal is to end book famine in Africa and arm students with education, in an effort to end the cycle of poverty.

"There's a great need for books in Somalia," said Mohamed Dini, one of the government officials on the Thursday visit. "And this was a good assistance from the American people, and I'm thanking the American taxpayers who have donated their books to assist these helpless students in Somalia."

Dini, a longtime Somali Minnesotan who was elected to office in Somalia last year, said his nonprofit Center for African Peace and Research partnered with Books for Africa in 2021 to distribute books to needy students in many parts of the country, including regions controlled by militants.

The effort, he said, has helped hundreds of thousands of students and changed the perception of the United States in the Horn of Africa.

"We airlifted these books to areas where it's very risky, and places where there are no proper facilities," said Dini, who is among the more than two dozen Somali Americans who belong to Somalia's parliament. "People thought we were bringing Western ideology, but now everyone sees a lot of children are benefiting from the books and aspiring to become doctors, lawyers, scientists and so forth."

Last year, Books For Africa shipped 3.2 million books, valued at more than $26.7 million, and 355 computers and e-readers containing at least 1 million digital books, to 27 African countries. The organization raised more than $2.3 million to ship the books to students in Africa.

Since 1988, when it was founded by retired businessman and philanthropist Tom Warth, Books for Africa has sent more than 58 million books to all 55 countries in Africa. The nonprofit is the largest distributor of donated text and library books to the African continent.

It also supplies computers, e-readers and educational materials to schools, libraries, universities and nonprofit organizations in Africa. To donate books or funds, go to booksforafrica.org/.