Books from Auckland, New Zealand were handed over July 4, 2017 to “Furniture for Schools," a charitable trust, and will soon be headed to Samoa.
FFS, founded by John McLean and Callum Blair, both members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was recently asked by the Auckland Council in New Zealand if they would support the main library in Apia, Samoa by facilitating second hand books being shipped to Samoa. They offered to do this at no cost because their regular shipments of school furniture, funded by LDS Charities, soon headed for Samoa, had space for the books.
At the Panmure Library, the Auckland Council prepared 24 boxes of books culled from Auckland stocks to make room for new books.
Furniture for Schools gives schools the opportunity to participate in philanthropic projects by donating their good quality, second hand school furniture and other items to a deserving Pacific Island school.
According to Callum, “it’s a win, win, win for everyone. There are environment wins. The school wins, the Church wins and the kids up in the Pacific islands win.” There are occasions when it takes a lot of time, money and effort but the payoff is “the fact that you see those kids’ smiling faces. It just makes it all worthwhile and you come back with a new spring in your step.”
FFS is made up of volunteers and it’s been operating for about 2 ½ years. John said that close to fifty containers have gone to the islands and feels that it’s been a positive outcome for everyone. He “loves seeing the smiles on the youngsters’ faces as they sit at a desk that they’ve never had before at each stage in their schooling.”
John continued, “Education is pivotal to the advancement of any youngster wanting to progress in life and we want to encourage them to take up schooling and take English to a heightened level. That’s why the Auckland Council has wanted to donate the library books.”