Thanks to the generosity of campus and community members and the hard work of Ferris State University student coordinators, Ferris’ Office of International Education will provide 3,100 donated books to Afghanistan’s Kabul University.

Illyas Fana, an international student from Afghanistan, coordinated the drive with OIE student intern Manuel Abels. Initially hoping to collect 1,000 books in the effort, Fana and Abels extended the deadline by one week when donations from Ferris staff and the Big Rapids community continued so steadily. By the morning of June 30, they had tripled their original goal.

“It is a success and a joy to see how passionate individuals were about this effort, with more than 3,000 books contributed in just two weeks,” said Fana.

The drive collected books of all kinds to replenish the Afghan university’s once-extensive library, which has been destroyed in the more than 30 years of war in the region.

“I am happy that we got such great support for the Kabul University,” said Abels. “People in other parts of the world can really use what we might otherwise discard.”

Luzia Tartari, International Student Recruiting and Admissions coordinator, added, “The success of the book drive reflects the goals of the Office of International Education and one of Ferris' core values – collaboration. Our office aims not only to provide services, but also to be a catalyst for initiatives that involve students, the Big Rapids community and Ferris faculty and staff.”

For more information on Ferris’ Office of International Education, visit here.