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Kate Benetti. Brussels, Belgium. 16.03.2010 22:02 GMT+1.

NUHA’s second birthday is upon us! As I thought about his project, the aims, the long term goals that NUHA has set out, I keep returning to the two most basic elements of the project: the books and the humans.

Now, the books are wonder unto themselves. As kids, many of us went to a library or bookshop without giving it a second thought. We wanted information; we accessed it. These books propelled us through primary school, stayed up late with us in high school, got highlighted and underlined and scribbled in throughout university. They stayed with us during summer holidays, entertaining us. Books have the ability to educate, entertain, and allow us to think outside the box.

Of course, this is not a reality for everyone. Libraries and bookshops are not always a given. For me personally, I cannot imagine a life without books. But there are many people in the world who do not readily have access to education, let alone a library. This is why NUHA is important for me.

The second element of central importance to me is the human element. The many people who have made this project a reality have worked very hard. Indeed, NUHA has collected more than a thousand books, has team members spread across the world, and is represented by multiple nationalities. But it is not the statistics that impress me. It is the dedication of these people. They work all day in their day jobs, and then come home to email late into the night to coordinate book deliveries, card catalogue techniques, or network. Some have already moved to the site to begin groundwork. I must confess, I have only been with NUHA for two months; but there are many who have been with the organisation since the very beginning. Their dedication to making this library and English language programmes a reality is wonderful.

So, I would like to thank all of the NUHA staff for their hard work over the last two years. They understand that books are a gateway to many new realities, and can propel people forward. Let us continue our quest for a library, overflowing with books! If you have books that you would like to donate, please send us an email at info@nuhafoundation.org, and we will make sure they get to the site.