Ever wanted to travel to the most exotic, most beautiful, most exciting and vibrant areas of the world? OK, so I speak with a bias towards my favourite continent… but Africa is one place in the world with exactly those things to offer.

An easy way to enjoy and experience the beauty that is Africa is through contact with its people, and more importantly - through helping them with problems induced by poverty and poor education.

A simple solution with an enormous effect is that of Read International - a charity organisation that started in Nottingham, the UK, and has spread throughout England to deliver educational material to schools across Tanzania. Today, 17 universities already have a Read book project established. students can get involved to help promote the project, collect books from schools, and fundraise to set targets. Universities can now also donate university level books which can help raise money for the projects.

If you’re not at the university level yet, schools and colleges are able to get involved by donating books (Mainly Keystage 3 and GCSE) as well as fundraising for Read, as well as collecting essential school items like sports equipment and stationery.

In return for your hard work, the university project staff of Read can do presentations about volunteering, and what their books are going to do, and how they are helping to make a massive difference - who knows, maybe they’ll take you along on one of their trips to Tanzania to see the difference YOU are making to educate and alleviate some of Tanzania’s problems. Click the link below for more information on their official site:

Donate educational books to African schools