FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 1999
Contact: Tania Vitvitsky (617) 868-3510
SABRE AND AEAF CONTRIBUTE TO MICHAEL L. KENNEDY LIBRARY IN ANGOLA Library to open despite renewed outbreak of civil war in central Angola
Ellen Olafsen (617) 951-0433CAMBRIDGE, MA – A shipment of more than 12,000 new and used textbooks has been sent by The Sabre Foundation of Cambridge in support of the Catholic University of Angola and its efforts in the face of renewed fighting to rebuild that war-torn nation through the education of its people. The shipment, which covers a variety of topics including law, economics, business and human rights, was coordinated by Sabre and the Angola Educational Assistance Fund (AEAF) of Boston and will be housed in the university’s new Michael L. Kennedy Memorial Library.
"We’re very pleased to collaborate with AEAF, another Boston-based non-profit, to focus our attention on the educational need in Angola," said Tania Vitvitsky, Sabre’s Project Director.
Located in the capital city of Luanda, the Catholic University of Angola opened its doors in February of this year with about 350 students in preparatory classes. While the Law and Economics faculties will open in the Fall, the Michael L. Kennedy Memorial Library will officially open as scheduled on June 19th despite renewed fighting in Angola’s 30-year civil war. In addition to coordinating the shipment, which is due to arrive in Angola in late March, an AEAF representative will be on site to ensure its appropriate arrival and placement within the library building.
"Founded by Michael Kennedy, the Angola Educational Assistance Fund remains committed to supporting the Catholic University, and to promoting the highest quality education for the people of Angola," said AEAF President Filippo Nardin. "This facility and the opportunity it provides to the students of Angola is a living reminder of his concern and dedication to improving the lives of people around the world."
The mission of the AEAF is to support the reconstruction of Angola through improved education and training for its people. AEAF’s Board of Directors includes members such as Mrs. Robert F. Kennedy, President of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial, former U.S. Representative Joseph P. Kennedy II, and Archdiocese of Luanda Cardinal Alexandre do Nascimento.
This project, funded in part by the United States Information Agency, represents the Sabre Foundation’s first book donation to Angola under its Michael W. Christian Program for African Youth, and its first collaborative effort with AEAF. The shipment consists of books donated by several major publishers, including: McGraw-Hill Companies, W.W. Norton, John Wiley & Sons, and World Book, Inc. Other countries have received book donations through the Sabre Foundation recently are Ghana and Liberia. The Foundation currently has plans to expand its activities to Malawi, Sudan, and Kenya.