Cedar Rapids man sends books to those in need

CEDAR RAPIDS — Momodu Kamara and his family came to Cedar Rapids 17 years ago after fleeing the civil war in Sierra Leone.

In July 2010, Kamara founded the non-profit Books Without Borders.

'We basically gather used books that would otherwise go to the garbage dump or recycling plant and sort them out, package them and send them out to needy parts of the world,' Kamara said. 'Sierra Leone, having gone through a civil war, is one of the places that we are currently sending books.

'We actually refer to our activity as converting garbage into a gold mine, because here we are sending what could have been in the dump ... we are sending it to places in the world where the need is.'

The first shipment of books left Cedar Rapids for Sierra Leone on Jan. 11, 2011 and included 18 pallets and five barrels of books, supplies and equipment.

When he can, Kamara travels to Sierra Leone to help distribute the books, which primarily are sent to schools.

'The ultimate goal is to establish a mobile library as well as having local community libraries in a lot of these locations,' Kamara said.

Books Without Borders is seeking children's books, religious books and textbooks. In the past, donations have come from educational institutions in Cedar Rapids, such as Linn-Mar schools and Kirkwood Community College. The organization also is seeking donations to cover the cost of storing and transporting the books.

Kamara and his family have lived in Cedar Rapids for the past 17 years. Prior to coming to Iowa, Kamara and his wife and three children fled a civil war in Sierra Leone.

The family briefly lived in a refugee camp. They were then invited by a friend who offered his home if the family wanted to relocate to Cedar Rapids.

'When the Civil War, which started further away from the capital city, which is Freetown, progressed gradually and reached the capital city, that was when we realized that we were really in trouble,' Kamara said recently during an interview at the Cedar Rapids Public Library. 'The war wasn't quite as far away as we originally thought. This time it has come right inside our home capital city.

'That was when I called my friend to ask if the offer he made for me being welcomed to relocate, whether it was still up.'

Kamara has two graduate degrees from universities in Canada. In addition to his work with Books Without Borders, Kamara is an active member of Salem United Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids.

How to help

To contribute books or donations to Books Without Borders, call Momodu Kamara at (319) 310-3123. For more information on Books Without Borders, go to facebook.com/Books-Without-Borders-Global-106320729444332/