(L-R) Dr. Anakalo Shitandi of Kisii University; Tom Gitaa, president & publisher of Mshale and former Books for Africa board president; Ms. Lillian Otieno, Books for Africa board member and president of Association of Kenyans in Minnesota (AKIA); Dr. John Akama, Kisii University vice chancellor; Dr. Patrick Plonski, Books for Africa executive director; Paul Morande, executive secretary of the Minnesota Kenyans International Development Association (MKIDA) and John R. Vreyens, director of global initiatives at the University of Minnesota on Friday, November 12, 2021 when Dr. Akama and Dr. Shitandi paid a courtesy call on the Books for Africa leadership at its headquarters in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Photo: Courtesy Books for Africa
(L-R) Dr. Anakalo Shitandi of Kisii University; Tom Gitaa, president & publisher of Mshale and former Books for Africa board president; Ms. Lillian Otieno, Books for Africa board member and president of Association of Kenyans in Minnesota (AKIA); Dr. John Akama, Kisii University vice chancellor; Dr. Patrick Plonski, Books for Africa executive director; Paul Morande, executive secretary of the Minnesota Kenyans International Development Association (MKIDA) and John R. Vreyens, director of global initiatives at the University of Minnesota on Friday, November 12, 2021 when Dr. Akama and Dr. Shitandi paid a courtesy call on the Books for Africa leadership at its headquarters in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Photo: Courtesy Books for Africa

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Kisii University Vice Chancellor John Akama and the director of research and outreach at the university Dr. Anakalo Shitandi met on Friday with the executive director of Books for Africa Dr. Patrick Plonksi and a handful of board of directors at the book shipper’s headquarters.

The vice chancellor was accompanied by John R. Vreyens, the University of Minnesota’s director for global initiatives. Professor Akama is on a week long U.S. visit meeting with University of Minnesota officials and those of Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Dr. John Akama, the Kisii University vice chancellor (second right) and others listen as Tom Gitaa, Mshale’s publisher and former Books for Africa board president, explains how the African diaspora works with Books for Africa to ship donated text books to the African continent when the vice chancellor visited the organization’s headquarters and warehouse in Saint Paul, Minnesota on Friday, November 12, 2021. Kisii University has been a recipient of books from Books for Africa. Photo: Courtesy of Books for Africa

Kisii University and the two flagship Minnesota institutions have a working relationship that shares knowledge and expertise between them.

During the visit to Books for Africa, Dr. Akama thanked the organization for the containers of books that have been donated to his institution and gave an overview of the impact the books have had on the university community and surrounding areas.

Dr. Plonksi on his part pledged to continue supporting Kisii University through its partnership with Minnesota Kenyans International Development Association (MKIDA) which comprises the Kenyans in Minnesota from the Gusii region and has nurtured the Books for Africa and Kisii University partnership.

Attending the meeting were former Books for Africa board of directors president and board member emeritus Tom Gitaa, Association of Kenyans in Minnesota (AKIA) president Lillian Otieno and MKIDA executive secretary Paul Morande.

The 33-year-old Books for Africa is the largest shipper of donated text and library books to the African continent, shipping over 51 million books to all 55 countries as of this year.

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