group work of a proposal essay

Aztecs for Literacy

Name Name Name

Problem

As students of San Diego State University, we believe education is fundamental for everyone around the world to acquire. Books are what build us. We gain knowledge through reading, whether it is educational or for leisure. Here in the United States, we can borrow books from libraries for free. We were given books in elementary school. However, in Africa, children do not have the same opportunity. Africa is filled with many poor communities, many of which do not own books. There are nearly 128 million schooled-aged children. Of that number, 17 million have never attended a school. What is more shocking is that another 37 million African children will learn so little while they are in school due to the lack of books. For many children in Africa, receiving a book is a gift, a gift of hope. Most African children who attend school have never owned a book of their own. In many classrooms, 10-20 students share one textbook. Many people in the United States take these educational necessities for granted, but children in Africa treasure books. For many, having access to an education is a solution of transcending poverty and acquiring a better quality of life than their previous generations. Therefore, without books, children are not able to acquire an education, which means they can’t become better individuals. The lack of books is a reality in Africa today. As of today, there are 370 million children living in Africa. Without our help, many will never have access to books. Without our help, another generation of African children will grow up without books.

Solution

To address this problem, we propose to create the group Aztecs for Literacy. The group Aztecs for Literacy would be a student group where students, teachers, and others in the community could collaborate with the organization called Books for Africa. We intend to persuade San Diego State University’s Associated Students (AS) to allow our group to be an SDSU student organization. Aztecs for Literacy’s main purpose will be to get students, teachers, faculty, etc. to donate books to send to children in Africa. The organization will also accept donations and financial help in order to make sending these books possible. The Associated Students of San Diego State University is always accepting new student groups to make a difference. Currently, there are no student groups working toward the literacy of African children. Whether it be in the SDSU community, or in another country in the world, it is clear that Associated Students wants to make change and can do so in the approval of Aztecs for Literacy. Aztecs for Literacy will be creating flyers to send and pass out to students, teachers, faculty, and parents as well as a website and a Facebook group for San Diego State University students to ‘ like’ and/or join. The goal is to reach all students and community members in giving everyone the opportunity to participate, whether that be through their membership in the group, or simply by donating books or funds. The flyers that we will be sending and passing out will include our mission statement: “ Providing literacy to students and children in Africa.” The flyers will contain pictures of children in Africa that have already been impacted by the cause so far, and ways in which people can help out. We will include the date of our first meeting that people can attend to see if they want to become a member or simply help out with the cause of our organization. In addition to passing out and mailing out these flyers, we will post them on bulletin boards and around campus. In addition to the flyers, our website will be used to help people learn more about the organization and/or join. It will provide information on the need for literacy in Africa, our mission statement, a list of contributors, a background of the organization Books for Africa that we are partnering with, a list of people who have joined, and those that have already made donations in books and financially. We will have a link to send questions via email to our organization. The Facebook page will be titled “Aztecs for Literacy” and will provide the opportunity for people to “like” the page in order to get the word out. In addition, students and anyone interested may join the Facebook group and learn about how they can participate. We will hold monthly meetings where individuals can sign up for the organization and

partake in the fundraising/book collecting process. In addition to our flyers, website, and Facebook page, our meetings will address our problems, mission statement, and ways to help out. In these meetings, individuals will have the chance to join our group, or simply make a book donation or financial donation. Flyers will be available at all times for people to pass out to friends and acquaintances potentially interested in helping the cause. Aztecs for Literacy will be offering a membership to students and teachers at a cost of $25 dollars. This money will go towards the donation boxes we will have around campus and the future shipping of books. This fee will help give more value to obtaining a membership in the organization. Helping out doesn't have to be obtaining a membership, anyone can help out through easy ways that don’t require too much. We will have a few donation boxes set up around campus where anyone can drop in used or new books that they no longer need. In addition to this, we will be accepting money donations via our website, mail, and at our meetings as well. According to Books for Africa, “ 50 Cents Sends a Book to a Child in Africa.” We will have different types of fundraisers. One specific fundraiser will be pairing up with local fast food restaurants where people can go to a restaurant and a certain percentage of the price of their meal will go straight to our organization on a specific day. We will advertise for this via Facebook, our website, and flyers- anyone can take part through a simple way. The solution to the need for literacy in Africa is completely possible. The organization Books for Africa states that “ It costs about $10,300 to send a 40-foot sea container of books, computers, and school supplies to most major African sea ports.” The cost is very small in comparison to the incredible solution. It will be possible as a result of our planned fundraisers and donations. People are always looking for new ways to help out. Children in Africa are hungry to read and hungry to learn.

Benefits

Aside from the personal benefits that come from books, there are many other benefits to having the student group Aztecs Rock Literacy. Creating this group means that any books that people have lying around the house can be donated and put to use for a good cause instead of thrown away. In addition, it lessens the clutter on bookshelves and creates opportunities for libraries elsewhere, more importantly in Africa. According to the online bookstore, Better World Books, they have diverted over 73,000 tons of books found in landfills. This is a major issue because these books could be potentially useful to a child, an educator, or a family in need of books. Here in America we take advantage of the accessibility we have to books, magazines, and other print found in libraries all over. This student group needs to be created so that books can be given a new home and help lessen congested bookshelves and backpacks. Evidently, as more books and monetary donations are donated, the more children in Africa are given the opportunity to become literate and catch up to their peers in school. This is very important because illiteracy plagues many children and families in Africa. According to the United States Agency for International Development, 40% of school-age children do not attend school or have even set foot in a classroom. This leads to the sad fact that most African children do not own a book of their own. The students that are fortunate enough to attend school are forced to share one book with their classmates. Again, with the creation of this organization, we are able to provide children with the greatest gift in the world, a world of literacy starting with a book of their own. Furthermore, the books that are collected from book drives and donations, will not only be given to children, but they will also be bestowed to libraries in Africa. This will help the country make greater strides in becoming self-sufficient by providing literacy to their generations of people. The books that are not age-appropriate for children can be used for adult literacy programs and resource centers. Illiteracy is an epidemic that we would like to help end with the support of our fellow Aztecs and surrounding community. The books donated from students, faculty, and community members will help our student organization aid the people in Africa in creating a culture of literacy and providing tools of empowerment for generations to come. In addition, students that join our organization will acquire many marketable skills such as financial development, community outreach, and teamwork experience. By approving our student group, Aztecs Rock Literacy, it enables us to help enrich our experience and jump-start the spark that changes the world we all live in.