Students from BASIS Peoria’s UNICEF Club recently organized an ambitious book drive benefiting children in Kenya. In partnership with the African Library Project, BASIS Peoria students set up donation boxes around their school and at BASIS Peoria Primary.
The African Library Project establishes small libraries in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, giving communities an essential tool for teaching children how to read. Each library established by the organization consists of approximately 1,000 books.
BASIS Peoria met their goal of 1,000 books within the first week of their book drive. By the end of their two-month donation window, the BASIS Peoria UNICEF Club collected almost 4,000 books for the cause. These books will be used to establish two libraries in Kenya, with additional books being sent to local schools in need.
“We underestimated the generosity of our community,” says Pariza F., president of the BASIS Peoria UNICEF Club. “We originally thought it would be difficult to reach 1,000 donations, but we hit this amount in just one week! After we saw how fast donations were coming in, we knew it would be possible to collect enough books for two libraries.”
This book drive was covered on ABC15 local news as part of the Uplift Arizona segment. Check out the coverage below!
“It was wonderful to see the club members unify their communities as they worked toward this amazing outcome,” says April Hines, faculty advisor for the BASIS Peoria UNICEF Club. “Underprivileged kids across the globe are able to benefit from the efforts of these students.”
Pariza says she learned a lot from organizing this book drive. “The most impactful part was the collaboration and teamwork. Starting a book drive and collecting supplies over two months was not easy, yet with the help of all of our club members and officers, we were able to get everything done efficiently.”
We are so proud of the ambition shown by our BASIS Peoria students and are grateful to everyone who donated to this cause! These books will make a profound difference in the lives of Kenyan school children.
This book drive only scratches the surface of what the BASIS Peoria UNICEF Club is all about! Over the past two years, the club has taken on initiatives such as creating healthcare packages, collecting blankets for single mothers and their children, and creating refugee care packages. The club also holds a bake sale each year benefitting UNICEF.
BASIS Peoria is the #1 High School in the U.S., according to the 2024 U.S. News & World Report rankings. The school serves grades 5–12 with an accelerated, STEM-based curriculum designed to prepare students for success in college. You can learn more about BASIS Peoria and experience our school culture firsthand by taking a school tour. To apply for the 2025–26 school year, visit our Apply page.
