HBCU South Carolina State Provides Textbooks to Zanzibar

[Im The Truth]

HBCU South Carolina State Provides Textbooks to Zanzibar
Sunday, 27 January 2008 12:34
http://emergingminds.org/index.php?o...ivism&Itemid=1

SC State University made an historic international impact on education, when Interim President Leonard A. McIntyre through the textbooks and learning materials program (TLMP), funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), officially handed over biology textbooks to the President of Zanzibar, Amani Karume.

The books were developed collaboratively with a partnership with USAID, The Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT) of Zanzibar, and SC State University.
“I wish to congratulate Dr. Leonard McIntyre for his appointment as Interim President of South Carolina State University,” said President Amani Karume. “You have done a good job in managing this project and I hope in your new position, the collaboration with the Ministry of Education will be taken to new heights,” he said.

During the ceremony which was held at the Mwanakwerekew ‘C’ Secondary School more than 1000 students, parents, supporters, and government officials both from the United States and Zanzibar were present for the historic event.

According to the Honorable Minister Haroun Suleiman this will be the “first time in the history of Zanzibar that there will be a student to textbook ratio of 1 to 1,” he stated.

TLMP is funded by USAID, which is a part of U. S. President George W. Bush’s African Education Initiative that aims to expand the academic opportunities of African students. In total, SC State has received $5 million from the program to write the textbooks and produce other learning materials.

And, at the program’s conclusion, which will be in September 2008, SC State and its partners will have provided more than 1 million textbooks and learning materials in science and mathematics at the secondary level for the students of Zanzibar, Tanzania.

The U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania, the Honorable Mark A. Green expressed his appreciation for the books, because as he stated, “these biology textbooks are culturally sensitive, language friendly and address topics, such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and gender equity.”

“It’s a great day for the children of Zanzibar,” said Dr. Sarah Moten, Chief, Education Division, Africa Bureau/USAID. Calling it an historic event, she stated that “over 265,000 textbooks and learning materials are being presented to the MoEVT today.”

Representing SC State and joining Interim President McIntyre, were the program manager, Lamin E. Drammeh, lead writer, for the biology textbooks, Dr. Albert Heyward, director of University Relations and Marketing, Erica Prioleau, and assistant vice president for Enrollment Management, Dr. Antonio Boyle.

During his address today, Dr. McIntyre, stated that “ I am most proud to join our partners in presenting biology books 1 and 2 due to the generosity of the American people.” McIntyre futher shared that “in this global community, the future of every society lies in the education of its children, and I am confident that through this collaboration, we have contributed positively to the future of Zanzibar.”