Books for Botswana

Arcadia University '06 alumna Kate Zanoni spent almost five months in Africa establishing Books for Botswana, a non-profit organization that provides books to children affected by HIV/AIDS.

According to UNICEF, Botswana has one of the highest rates of HIV. About 25,000 children are infected with HIV, and approximately 120,000 are orphans because of the disease.

Zanoni believes that reading therapy, like art or music therapy, can help with children's psychological treatment. Zanoni told the Philadelphia Inquirer, "The pleasure of storytelling is universal and stretches across all cultures, breaking down boundaries and uniting patients."

Primarily, Zanoni's work centered on the pediatric patients of Botswana Baylor Children's Clinical Centre of Excellence in Gaborone, Botswana. She says that the comforts of reading give these children "incentive to [return to the clinic and] adhere to their medication schedules," which is most important in helping their physical well-being.

Just weeks into her trip, Zanoni excitement shone through her words: "Entering the imaginative world contained in each book provides a temporary escape from the horror of their everyday lives in the clinic. I never thought I'd reach so many patients, as many aren't well enough to even sit up, but I have made so many patients smile, giggle and even double over with laughter when I am working with them. They are absolutely delighted by Dr. Seuss' silly rhymes and Sandra Boyton's goofy illustrations."

During her months in Africa, Zanoni collected over 1,500 books and $1,100 for her project. She also found time to deliver books to children in Botswana's remote villages, build a library/reading area in the Gaborone clinic, write a book on HIV for adolescents, and begin a series of issue-oriented children's books for the clinic.

Though Zanoni has returned to the U.S., she is still in charge of operations for Books for Botswana.
You can contact her at kate.zanoni@yahoo.com.