Minneapolis--- Two Minnesota-based NGOs - Hand In Health and Books for Africa, have partnered to ship a million books to Gambia this year.

Hand In Health's executive director, Megan Meyers, informed a cross-section of the Gambian community in Minneapolis on Saturday that a shipment of 44,000 books in two 40ft containers had arrived in Banjul. Eight 40ft containers are being loaded with books for Gambia.

Ms Meyers who's already left for Gambia on Sunday, will be joined by Mr Lang Dibba, a board member of HIH; Lane Ayres, director of Jackson Mason Law & Democracy Initiative for BFA and other members of the NGOs to participate in a two day Africa Book Walk from border to border on the Trans-Gambian Highway on February 21 and 22, 2012.

Hand In Health has been supporting health and education in the Gambia since 2006. In 2010 HIH provided 7500 medical books for the hospital library in Bwiam, Ms Meyers said.

According to a media release from Mr Dibba two weeks ago, HIH and BFA will be distributing books to schools on the 'Book Walk' route, which will end with a ceremony at a school / library in Farafenni, North Bank Division. And on February 16 and 17,  the 'Book Walk' team will be in the capital, Banjul, for a ceremonial walk from the port, and will meet with government officials and other agencies.

Both Lane Ayres and Alkali Yaffa, president of the Gambian Association of Minnesota, urged the Gambian community to get involved in the project - either by donating cash, books, or help in sorting and packaging books to be shipped home.

Those wishing to help the project are encouraged to contact:

- Books For Africa http://www.booksforafrica.org/

- Hand In Health http://www.handinhealth.org/

- Gambian Association of Minnesota http://www.mingam.org/index.php