Maya Angelou Libraries

Renewable Energy and Sustainable Built environment
This year, Thank U is planning to establish 3 sustainable built-environment, solar-powered Milestone Community children’s libraries with a nature reserve in South Africa, Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago in the name of literary icon, Dr. Maya Angelo. The children will learn about ecology, climate change and how to look after their own environment.

Concept rendering of the Chidrens’ Libraries

Legacy of 200th Anniversary of Slave Trade and 2008 Year of Reading
The objective of the ‘Milestone Library Project’ is to establish a living legacy that combines the evening of the 200th anniversary of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and ‘2008, the Year of Reading’, to help children lift themselves out of poverty.

Replicating Dr Maya Angelou’s Personal Libraries
Dr Maya Angelou has provided us with her entire book listing from all her libraries, which we will replicate in the three countries in partnership with Foyles Bookshop. All the books will be available for purchasing online or from their stores, from a ‘wedding-list’ style booklist.
The books will mainly be made up of titles that positively reflect people of African heritage and culture. Seeing themselves positively represented through the pages will make reading attractive and enjoyable for children in developing countries.

Acknowledgement Plaque of Donors for All Contributors
All donors, supporters and contributors will be listed on an acknowledgement plaque in the libraries, alongside Maya Angelou’s name. We need to raise £450,000 for the construction of the libraries so we will be engaging in various fundraising activities for the next 12 months to reach our target.

Partnership with Foyles bookshop
Thank U have partnered with Foyles bookshop who will be the providers of the books. Supporters will buy a books as a gift to Dr Angelou for her 80th birthday, which will be donated to one of the libraries in their country of choice.

Volunteering Programme for Disaffected Young people
We also have a programme to send disaffected young people (who most often, tend to be young people who have languished in care) to work on the construction of the libraries abroad gives them the invaluabe opportunity to learn about other cultures through direct interaction. Experience has shown that this route helps to reform many young people whose focus is renewed through the development of their self esteem, and self-worth and it renews their focus in life.

Please help us raise £450,000

We have raised £50,000 for the planning and organization of the project. We now need to raise a further £450,000 for the construction of the three libraries and need your help.

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