READ International (then known as ‘Tanzania Book Project’) began in 2003 as a group of student friends at university with a vision to change the world.
A gap year experience had left this group of students so shocked by the lack of resources in Tanzanian schools that they were compelled to do something about it.

So, these students went about contacting their local secondary schools and collecting books. In the first year (2004/5) they collected 40,000 books which they sorted according to strict criteria (only good quality, relevant books allowed). In summer 2005 they sent 25,000 books to 20 schools in Tanzania, financing the entire process themselves. In summer 2006 they did the same – 25,000 more textbooks sent to a further 20 schools in Tanzania.

It made so much sense that the students couldn’t let it go. They registered as a charity - READ International - and so our work began. 

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The book project has gone from strength to strength with 5 universities coming on board in 2006, and a further 5 in 2007 which took us to a total of 11.
This Autumn we are expanding even more which will take us to 16 projects and 22 universities involved.

We have also grown in other ways - looking to actively expand our project list over the coming years. Our doors will always be open to collaborative, student-led projects that take on educational problems. If a potential project fits our criteria, if it can work within our values, and if it is realisable, then we will provide the support necessary to implement action.

We will be launching our first brand new READ project, the READ School Project, this autumn.