nursing textbooks lost in Nigeria.
By impactEDnurse • Aug 2nd, 2008 • Category: ectopics
Well its been over 4 months since we began Project N, an attempt supply a nursing school in Abuja, Nigeria with some up to date textbooks. The school is currently relying on an out of date stock of books from the 1970’s and 1980’s.
Following a fantastic response from you guys we raised the significant amount of postage required, and sent a large mix of new and nearly new nursing textbooks via sea-mail.
The schools principal, Ms Onukwue and her students have been excitedly awaiting their arrival since May. And as yet it has not shown up. I have been hoping (perhaps a little naively) that the delay may simply have been a result of a less than spiffy postal system at the Nigerian end, but I am now prepared to concede that the books are either ‘lost’ or have been ‘diverted’ for some different agenda.
I’m not sure where to go from here. These students were so looking forward to an improved reference library, and I would like to try again, but the prohibitive expense of mailing such heavy items would be unwise until a more secure delivery could be assured.
Perhaps a collateral inbound approach might be more successful. I could give out the mailing address of the school and people could send their own individual donations.
Perhaps we could develop a viral campaign and generate enough interest to raise big money and precision air drop the books directly outside the school grounds.
I’m open to any suggestions.
impactEDnurse is also known as Ian Miller, a nurse with over 26 years experience working in a busy emergency department in, Australia. This site in no way reflects the opinions of that hospital.
All stories (although based on actual experiences) have been changed to protect patient confidentiality.
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This sounds interesting – individual mail might work better – give it a go. Would be able to send from the UK as well then.
What about getting into contact with some nonprof org to see if we could work it via them?
Saw a doco on African aid efforts and it made me vomit. One thinks they are doing right only to discover we are just aiding the greedy. The help never gets to where it is going unless you go the riskier feet to terra firma route.
This seems like something that could be more successful scaled up. Was any research done to see what sorts of books were needed? I know “all sorts” is the obvious answer, but a Perry & Potter text wouldn’t be any good if they use different technology…
Logistics problem may have hampered the timely delivery of the books. Most likely, the books may be lying in one of the post offices in the capital. We’ll try our possible best to locate the books. We need not to be convinced that the books are lost until the completion of our tracking.
Ian Miller is proud to say that “Project N” is a success. “Nursing Textbooks NOT Lost in Nigeria”!