St Kilda book sale to fund East Timor library

THOUSANDS of books will be sold in a community initiative set to give the children of an East Timorese village a chance to read.

A giant book sale will be held this month by the Friends of Suai, a charity group established to support the village of the same name, to help build the township’s first library.

Thousands of books no longer needed by Port Phillip Library will go on sale Wednesday, May 28.

“A school library will be like a small miracle for the 1453 students who, until last year, were forced to take some lessons sitting on a concrete floor,” Friends of Suai co-ordinator Pat Jessen said.

“Most of these kids will have never even touched a book at home, so a whole library of books will be rare and precious.”

Friends of Suai was established in Port Phillip in 2000 to assist in the rebuilding of the coastal town on the western border of East Timor, which was almost completely destroyed during the independence vote in 1999.

Port Phillip Council has donated 30 computers, some of which will be used in the new library.

The sale is at St Kilda Library, 150 Carlisle St, May 28, 2-6pm. Phone 03 9209 6777 to volunteer. Details: www.friendsof suai.org.au

Wednesday, May 28, 2008 Time: 2:00pm – 6:00pm Location: St Kilda Library (take number 3 tram from city) Street: 150 Carlisle St, St Kilda City/Town: Melbourne, Australia