Close to 90 crates of books were distributed to 13 learning institutions last week, by the Hands Across the Seas Foundation.

The hundreds of books were distributed to primary and secondary schools, as well as one pre-school, as part of the ongoing programme aimed at increasing reading {{more}}and literacy in the region.

Elaine Ollivierre, the local co-ordinator of the project, on Thursday and Friday handed out the books and library resources to principals and head teachers of the Sandy Bay, Langley Park, Georgetown, New Prospect, CW Prescod, Clare Valley, Chateaubelair Methodist, Spring Village, Stephanie Browne and Mary Hutchinson primary schools, and the Troumaca and Dr JP Eustace Secondary Schools, and Judy’s Pre-school of Clare Valley.

With the assistance of Courts St Vincent Limited, the crates were picked up at the Campden Park Container Port on Thursday, and taken to the various locations over the two-day period.

Ollivierre indicated that Moneygram, as well as the Mustique Charitable Trust and the Palm Island Resort were also instrumental in the distribution of the supplies.

The Hands Across the Seas Foundation began its work in 2007, when founders Tom and Harriet Linskey sailed into the Grenadine island of Union Island and were impressed with the work done in literacy by Lurette Coy-James, head teacher of the Stephanie Browne Primary School.

The following year, more than 1,000 books were sent to the school and in the following year, the programme spread to others schools in the country, then to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis and St Lucia.

Ollivierre said that the programme aims to transform the child literacy landscape in the Eastern Caribbean, with the donation of the books, and assistance to some schools in setting up libraries.(JJ)