Our story

Building a future where every child has access to books.

The African Book Challenge was founded by a son of Kwabeng who returned home with a mission: to give his community the educational resources it deserves.

How it started

From one suitcase of books to a movement.

In 2007, our founder returned to Kwabeng, Ghana — the town where he grew up — with a single suitcase full of books. What he found shocked him: a community of over 30,000 people without a single library or bookstore within 25 miles.

Children were sharing one textbook among dozens of students. Talented kids were dropping out of school because their families couldn't afford the $650 annual boarding fees. The cycle of limited opportunity was continuing unchallenged.

He decided to change that. The African Book Challenge was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 2012, and since then we've distributed over 15,000 books, built Kwabeng's first library, funded 47 scholarships, and shipped multiple containers of books and supplies to the community.

Our team

100% volunteer-run, 100% passionate

F
Founder & Executive Director

Founder Name

Born and raised in Kwabeng, Ghana. Returned home with a mission to give his community the educational resources it deserves. Leads all operations on a volunteer basis.

B1

Board Member

Board of Directors

B2

Board Member

Board of Directors

How we operate

Lean, transparent, and effective

Volunteer-Run

Our entire team works on a volunteer basis. No salaries, no overhead. Every dollar you give goes directly to programs.

Annual Shipping

Each year we fill a shipping container with books, computers, school supplies, and sports equipment — and ship it directly to Kwabeng.

Local Partnerships

We work with BookSmiles and other organizations to source books, and partner with local schools and leaders in Kwabeng for distribution.

Financials & transparency

We believe in complete transparency.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we file annual Form 990 returns with the IRS and publish annual impact reports. We are committed to showing you exactly where your money goes.

Form 990 available on request
Annual reports published
88¢

of every dollar goes directly to programs

Our partners

Partnerships that multiply our impact

BookSmiles
Partner 2
Partner 3

Ready to make a difference?

Every gift — no matter the size — puts books in children's hands and keeps students in school.