Headway Books Received from Oxford University Press

The educational dreams of hundreds of refugees from Darfur came one step closer to reality on May 14, 2008. In Oxford, England, at the headquarters of renowned publisher Oxford University Press, Book Wish Foundation's UK-based partner CORD received the first group of Headway English language learning books destined for refugee camps in eastern Chad. Headway's publishing manager, Judith King, participated in the handover. The 269 books will be used in the refugees' English classes, which currently struggle with a small assortment of decades-old texts.

Headway is the best-selling English course in the world, and we are thrilled that Oxford University Press has discounted and donated this material. Thanks to Oxford's generosity, Book Wish can purchase Headway material at cost, meaning that every dollar donated can buy nearly seven dollars worth of books.

This shipment is made possible by individual donations to the Book Wish Foundation, especially from teachers of English as a Second Language who learned of our project through esl.about.com Additional shipments will be organized as soon as sufficient funds have been raised. We are already well on our way to a second shipment of the same size, and welcome donations to speed it along.

The next step in the books' journey is a flight via Air France to Chad, which we hope will occur next week. Additional information will be posted on www.bookwish.org at that time.

Below is a press release from our partner CORD, detailing the handover at Oxford and importance of the Headway books.

NEWS FROM CORD: BOOK WISH FOUNDATION- FIRST SHIPMENT ON ITS WAY TO CHAD

The first consignment of Book Wish’s English Language learning books began their journey to the Sudanese refugee camps in Eastern Chad today. The Headway Books, published by Oxford University Press, were paid for by donations to the Foundation, and will make an enormous difference to CORD, the UK charity which aims to get its brightest students from the camps to university in Juba, Southern Sudan.

Many of the refugees have spent the last four years in exile from their homeland, having fled for their lives from the genocide in Darfur. Of the 84,000 refugees in four camps where CORD runs education and livelihood programmes, more than 60% are children and young people under the age of 18. Education is their lifeline, but entrance to university requires a firm grasp of English. To date the students have been relying on a handful of books produced in the 1950’s.

The Headway Books were heavily discounted for Book Wish by OUP and today’s handover in Oxford was made by Judith King, Headway’s Publishing Manager, at the company’s headquarters.

"I am delighted we are able to help the refugees and the Foundation in their endeavours," said Ms. King. "The Sudanese students deserve everyone’s support, books and education are a vital component in future peace building; that they have chosen Headway is very gratifying."

CORD’s Wendy Nelson received the ten boxes which will now be flown out to Chad via Air France, who are also sponsoring Book Wish by waiving their freight charges.

Pictured Wendy Nelson from CORD (left) and Judith King (right) in the grounds of Oxford University Press, Oxford, England.