David Rattray Murdered

[Double D]

Last year at a Consulate Staff meeting a request was made to find children’s books for the Ulundi library.  This has been a longstanding request for which there were no State Department programs to help.   I volunteered to see what I could do on my own.

I reached out to all of you for help and you came through.  To date you folks have sent me over 3500 books.

So far I have delivered 1500 books to two libraries and two schools. We are planning on delivering another 1000 books to a nursery school, elementary school and a Zululand Library in the next couple of weeks.

I still have about 1000 books left to distribute.

Delivering these books to Zululand has been eye opening.  These people are very poor.  The schools don’t have libraries.  There is no money for library books.  They need help in Zululand.  Learning to read is the key to a better life for these kids. 

I was talking with a friend here in Durban about who I could contact to find places in Zululand in need of books. My friend, said without hesitation—David Rattray!  This was good; David Rattray was on my personal list of people I would like to meet while in South Africa (Along with Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela and Mangosuthu Buthelezi).  Later that evening I was shocked to hear that Mr. Rattray was murdered at his Lodge at Fugitive Drift that very day.  http://www.fugitivesdrift.com/

David Rattray was a world renowned historian on the Anglo Zulu War and a champion of the Zulu people.  He supported Zulu culture and the Zulu people. He loved his country South Africa and had the highest hope for its future. http://www.speakersofnote.co.za/list/david_rattray.html

Almost a month has passed since the horrid event.  This weekend, the local paper had an interview with Nicky Rattray, David’s widow.  Mrs. Rattray expressed the strong determination to carry on David’s work through the David Rattray Foundation?

This morning I sent an email to Mrs. Rattray and told her about the books you folks have sent and asked if she would be interested in helping me find a place for the rest of the books in the name of the David Rattray Foundation.   I got an immediate response. Yes most definitely she would help. 

Mrs. Rattray said there are 8 schools in the area and they all need library books. So now my dilemma, I don’t have enough books for 8 schools.   I would like to give each school 500 books, that’s 4000 books total.  I have 1000.  I need 3000 more books.

Get to the thrift stores, talk to the managers and ask them if they will donate books for the kids in Zululand. Check your basement, garage and attic for the books you kids have out grown, hit the yard sales, bug your neighbors; just get me some more books. Send them to me book rate. 

When you think about it, it will make you feel good inside to be able to help these Zulu kids  and to honor a good man.

Douglas B. Dickens
2490 Durban Place
Dulles, VA 20189

[seacoastartillery]

     Mike and I just finished filling two boxes; we will ship them later today.

Mike and Tracy
Seacoast Artillery Company

[Don Krag]

I'm out of town until the first week in March. But, we have a thrift store run by the homeless shelter here that has books for around a dime each or so. I try to go by every other month or so. They aren't sorted, just stacked as they come in. I've even found some books from late 1800's tossed in with them. I'm sure they'd be happy to have me take their entire shelf full of children's books! What age ranges do you need?

[Double D]

Don,

Sounds great! I just learned the we need books for ages 6 years to 18 years.

Here's a thought for you.  Buy up someo of the old 1800's books, especially if they have illustrations in them and put them up on Ebay.  Then use the proceeds to buy more kids books and send the over.

You might even ask the store mamamger he might mike a deal for the hole lot.

[Cat Whisperer]

We've several boxes in the foyer to be mailed.

Darlene laid down the challange to the women's group in our church to bring in a thousand.
I challanged our men's group as well.

Several individuals have brought in small boxes.

[cannonlover]

Double D - Can you repost this on neffcannons?  The first few words are all that showed up on the post.  I know that we will start gathering books again.  I am going to try some thrift stores this weekend.  Wish me luck.

Thanks

[Double D]

Sorry, something is wrong woth the NeffCannon board.  All my post end up with only the first sentence

[cannonlover]

I cannot remember what shapes the books have to be in.  My daughter works at a library and they have sales of books that are in various used states.  They also have new books that people have dropped off.  I am going to speak with here today and see what I can get.

[Don Krag]

I'm back in town now. I'll swing by the thrift store today and see what they have in gently-used kid's books. I'm sure I can fill up a few flat rate boxes.

[Double D]

Flat rate boxes are to expensive for books.  Send them book rate.  You can send a lot more  books for the $8.10 book rate fee than you can send for the same $8.10 flat rate fee.