The Power of Education
through better supplies
Continuity of Education
with Literacy Boxes
The Joy of Education
through school materials

Background to our Charity

Every child has a right to an education and you can help

Literacy in a Box is the result of the vision of our Founding Chairman, Forbes Watson,

a member of the Rotary Club of Roborough, Plymouth.       

Read More    More Videos    Useful Links

 

Our Trustees

Hugh Baker

(Trustee)

Ian Parker

As Chairman of the Trust, ensuring that our aims are fulfilled and we maximise our opportunities to support the children we work with, that through…

Maureen Dickerson

(Treasurer)

Allan Berry

(Trustee)

How You Can Get Involved

Volunteers

Our volunteers are the lifeblood of Literacy in a Box. The passion and enthusiasm to help the orphaned and desperately poor children is both humbling and rewarding…

More

Partners

We are very grateful to our long standing partners for their support which enable us to create, pack and send Literacy Boxes to the disadvantaged children overseas.

Read

Helping Us

Few charities exist without a revenue stream. We are no exception. Our work is only possible through a continuous funding stream through public support and generosity.

More

Schools

We are truly gratified that many schools have Googled and searched for us, used our School Video as a resource to help teach pupils about the education in Africa …

More

About What we Do ...

Rotary

It was the personal experiences of Rotarians that led to the creation of Literacy in a Box as a project

Family of Rotary

The whole family of Rotary – Rotary Clubs, Rotaract, Interact and RotaKids, along with a ‘sister’ organisation within the UK, the National Association of Inner Wheel Clubs, have given brilliant financial support over the years.

Read More

Projects

We have supported not only projects involving the sending of Literacy Boxes, but also the activities that raise funds to send them

Began in 2006

We rented space on a container to Zambia and in April 2006 the first two Literacy Boxes arrived in Zambia. Each box contained enough supplies for 50 pupils. One box was sent to a 'basic' state school, the other to a community school funded from charitable resources

Read More

Box Recipients

The Children benefit from receiving the contents of the box. They are empowered to learn.

The Children

In the UK we take for granted school supplies, such as pens, pencils, paper, chalks and rulers etc. However, in Zambia children lack these basic things without our help. The Trust therefore decided that its first priority must be to focus on school supplies

Read More

News Room

Read all about what we are up to and sign up for our newsletter.

News Room

Our news room will contain up to date news about education in Zambia and also what is happening. Subscribe to hear all about things.

Read more

Zambia - The Facts

Default tab

Tab 1Tab 2Tab 3
Tab 1 content
Tab 2 content
Tab 3 content

Custom active tab

Tab 1Tab 2Tab 3
Tab 1 content
Tab 2 content
Tab 3 content

Vertical tabs

Tab 1Tab 2Tab 3
Tab 1 content
Tab 2 content
Tab 3 content

Tabs anchors

Tab 1Tab 2Tab 3
Tab 1 content
Tab 2 content
Tab 3 content
Use next links to switch this tabs Open tab 1 | Open tab 2 | Open tab 3

Disabled tabs

Tab 1Tab 2Tab 3Tab 4 (disabled)Tab 5 (disabled)
Tab 1 content
Tab 2 content
Tab 3 content
Tab 4 content
Tab 5 content

Custom styles

Tab 1Tab 2Tab 3
Tab 1 content
Tab 2 content
Tab 3 content

What People Say

  • “Because we have received Literacy Boxes regularly and also curriculum text books, most of our children have completed their education, against the expectation in a rural area of around half. “ Florence Mwayopa, Holy Hill Community School, Msoro

    Florence Mwayopa – Holy Hill Community School

    (, )

  • “On behalf of the George community school, I would like to thank the Literacy in the Box Trust for the donation of the following items: - Exercise books, pencils, pens, rules, skipping ropes, chalk, rubbers, school bags, and sharpeners. We as a school are very grateful for the donation. May the good Lord Jesus Christ continue blessing you.”   Kennedy Chintu, George Community School

    Kennedy Chintu – George Community School

    (, )

  • “The learners are overwhelmed by these wonderful gifts. It’s a great thing for them to use exercise books, pencils, pens and rulers, but teachers are also very grateful for these presents. The chalks are very good as they are durable and dustless, so we don’t choke when writing on the board. The pupils can write on your exercise books without tearing the paper and sharpen your pencils without them breaking. Please continue to send what you do.” Rosemary Mtonga, Headteacher, Manaca Community School

    Rosemary Mtonga, Headteacher – Manaca Community School

    (, )

  • “Twalumba Community School of Meanwood, is a school where they had no chairs. Children were sitting on blocks and planks.  So you can imagine the joy and jubilation of the children as they received the blessings from Literacy in the Box and also received chairs from Operation Sunshine.  Almost all the children had no exercise books before. You will never know the great things you are doing and the future leaders you are shaping. May you be blessed forever.” Grace Lutanda, Good Shepherd Ministry and Ambassador for Literacy in a Box, Lusaka.

    Grace Lutanda – Good Shepherd Ministry

    (, )

  • “When I look at children, whom I have picked up from the street and see their changed lives because of education, my brother, you cannot go wrong in what you are trying to do” Florence Mwayopa, Holy Hill Community School, Msoro

    Florence Mwayopa – Holy Hill Community School

    (, )

  • Thank you so much for the literacy boxes. They arrived before half term and have been sitting in my room waiting until today. At the end of last half term the other teachers and I had been talking about the children needing new school bags and the need to buy pencil cases and stationery. I had planned on buying the stationery in the half term break but knew I would never be able to get them all a school bag Abigail Brown and all at Taonga School and Old MacDonalds Farm.

    Abigail Brown – Taonga School

    (, )

  • When the grade ones reported to school for the first time, they were all given a bag for their books.  This made them have morale to come to school every day.  The exercise books also made the learners very excited.

    Rosemary – Manaca Community School, Lusaka

    (, )

Showcase

News

  • Latest Newsletter

    mbrockle November 14, 2020

    Download Latest Newsletter - Autumn Newsletter 2020 [3d-flip-book mode="fullscreen" urlparam="fb3d-page" id="669" title="false"]  

    Read More
  • This is what we like to see

    admin November 14, 2019

    A Literacy Box raising a smile. We get a lot of feedback concerning the reception and use of the boxes and you will be…

    Read More
  • A Box of Learning

    admin July 25, 2019

    This article first appeared in the February / March issue of Rotary Magazine Education is one of the ways to help lift children out…

    Read More

Mission Statement

Vision and Mission
All children have a right to an education through schooling. Our mission is to ensure that every child has access to the basic education essentials, such as pens, pencils, paper, chalk and rulers, thus facilitating a ‘Better life through education’.

Our core programme, SchoolAid4Zambia provides these educational basics in brightly coloured boxes that are used for a variety of purposes. Our programme helps to enable children to work their way out of the twin challenges of AIDS and poverty for a better life.

Trust Culture
We want to provide continuity of supply of schools materials to the Zambian schools that are receiving our boxes and as funds permit we expand to other schools in Zambia.

If donations are made with a specific request for complete boxes to be sent to a particular destination then we will work with our donors to try to achieve this

All donations are used to purchase boxes and contents needed to send Literacy Boxes.  Each Literacy Box has a specific destination and, if requested, donors will receive feedback photos of ‘their’ box (es) at its intended destination.

All involved with Literacy in a Box are volunteers – we have no paid employees.

Our Aims
The Literacy in a Box Trust is approved by the Charity Commission and became a Registered Charity No. 1118177 in 2007.

Our key role of creating awareness and enabling funding streams for the SchoolAid4Zambia programme, along with managing the logistics for sourcing and supplying this educational support to Zambian children..

The object of the Trust is to advance education, primarily but not exclusively, in schools in Zambia and in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Trustees further the objects of the Trust by ..
Creating awareness through the general public and enabling the Rotary Organisation of the educational needs in Zambia and SSA.

Forging partnerships with schools and colleges in the United Kingdom to encourage them to link with “twin establishments” in SSA.

Liaising with Business in the Community, Chambers of Commerce and other allied bodies to gain corporate funding and support.

Facilitating the raising of funds required to purchase educational and other supplies in ‘Literacy Boxes’ and transport them to destinations in SSA approved by the Trustees.

Seeking feedback from recipients to ensure that the contents of ‘Literacy Boxes’ and the frequency of their supply are in line with agreed educational needs of establishments in SSA.

Evolving the Trust provision of Literacy Boxes and ancillary educational services in the light of feedback and financial viability.

  • Total Worldwide – 1110+boxes 
  • Core project Zambia – 950 boxes
  • 60 boxes to Zambia in six months
  • 2018 – 67 boxes to Zambia including 7 to Philippines

  • £2500 – Holy Hill  Community School Msoro
  • £5000 – Mnkhanya Community School
  • £11000 – Mfuwe Community School
  • £3000 – Manaca community School
  • £2900 – Schools in Lusaka

Get In Touch ...

There are many ways to get involved with us:

  • You could simply volunteer to spread the word.
  • You could donate to our cause or help raise money.
  • You could volunteer to speak at local schools or events
  • If you are a school pupil, you could share what we do with your friends and ask parents to help you
  • You could consider applying to become a Trustee

If Literacy in a Box sounds like a charity you become involved with, we’d like to hear from you!

[contact-form-7 id="20" title="Contact form 1"]

Our Partners / Supporters


Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Roborough since 2005

See more key contact info:   Useful Links