The Grace Rwanda team has been busy this week loading up our shipping container with generous donations from our local community.

The container is getting stocked with books and other supplies and will arrive in Rwanda this winter, ready to stock two more YEGO Youth Centre Libraries in needy communities. With these books, and with the generous donation of a matching grant from our Rotary partners and donations toward shipping costs, we are well on our way to establishing our next two libraries. These are planned for the communities of Kimisagara near the capital and Nyanza in the southern province.

Our dedicated volunteers — many from local Rotary clubs — have been helping load the container at the Rotary Help Warehouse at Riverview in Coquitlam. The container is nearly two-thirds full. We’re almost there!

Our next packing session is being held this coming Saturday Nov. 14. We’d love to see you come out and pitch in!

Among the goods we are shipping to students in need are thousands of books donated by local Rotary clubs and Langley and Abbotsford Schools, including 3,000 dictionaries. We have several computers donated by the Rotary World Help Network that will go to provide internet and computer access in our libraries.

In addition, there are more than 100 team soccer jerseys and sports equipment for youth in our YEGO youth library communities, donated by the Canadian National Women’s Soccer Team. A number of sewing machines and fabrics were donated by the Mennonite Central Committee to help Rwandans earn a living. Also included are some 800 hygienic sanitary pads made by the Riverside Calvary Chapel Sewing Bees group. And some office supplies to help establish our new Grace Rwanda office in Kigali.

All this precious cargo is scheduled to leave Vancouver on Nov. 21 and arrive 60 to 75 days later in Rwanda.

A heartfelt thanks to all our Rotary partners: from Rotary International to Rotary District 5050 and the Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise. Many thanks to individual Rotary volunteers and members of the Riverside Calvary Church who have come out to help us back the container.

Come be a part of loading up for literacy! To learn more about volunteering on Nov. 14 email elizabeth@gracerwanda.org.

You can get regular updates on our work by following @GraceRwanda, liking us on Facebook, adding us in your Google+ circle, and watching our videos on YouTube.