Books create schools
The book fair and the LAGERBOX
Selling books, building schools: the LAGERBOX book fair
Let’s go back to our Stuttgart facility two years ago. LAGERBOX received a request for a storage unit from Bücherbörse e.V., a book fair charity. This inquiry was unlike most of our usual customer inquiries. Bücherbörse is a charity project with a very important mission. For two years now, our LAGERBOX facility has been storing their books for them. For free. Read on to learn more about why we do this and why this project is close to our hearts.
The books stored in our free unit are all donations. LAGERBOX collects these donated books and stores them until they are sold to an interested public at the next book fair event. So far, so good.
However, the proceeds of selling these donated books are not kept for profit. Quite the contrary, they are used for a very important cause. Most recently, the proceeds were used to build a school in Sokode. Sokode is in Togo in West Africa, which has major problems with poverty and education.
In just two years, the proceeds from the book fair have resulted in the construction of a school. The school has already opened and created a place of learning for over 100 local children. For this reason, LAGERBOX did not hesitate to make a free storage unit available to the book fair charity and will continue to do so.
The book fair
The book fair aims at creating better and sustainable chances for education for children in disadvantaged regions. Like in Sokode. By the way: The school in question was a state school, but the state was currently not in a position to pay for it.
However, schools are of the utmost importance and cornerstones of every child’s education. In addition to the new school, the donations also went towards building a freshwater well and other sanitary facilities. For the school’s opening, a delegation of the organisation behind the book fair travelled to Sokode. They were welcomed by the entire community, the mayor, and the village elders, who were all very grateful. The Togolese Minister of Education also expressed his gratitude to the book fair charity in a letter.
Of course, this gratitude must also be passed on to all the diligent donors without whom it wouldn’t have been possible to realise this project. The same applies to all the book buyers, whose purchases created the funds to build the school.
The next event is just around the corner. The next book fair will take place at “Stuttpark” in Bad Cannstatt on the 7th and 8th of October 2023. Everybody with a love for books is invited.
The book fair offers a huge selection of books, of course, but also vinyl records and an amazing programme featuring literature, music, and food. In addition to intriguing book reading and storytelling events, there will also be live performances and a host of Stuttgart-based DJs, inviting you to spend a relaxed afternoon full of books and music. There will be great coffee, cakes, and other snacks for people of all ages.
The book fair is open between 10 am and 6 pm at Kegelenstrasse 19, directly next to the S-Bahn station Bad Cannstatt. Doesn’t that sound like a great afternoon?
LAGERBOX is very proud to be part of this project.
