JULIAN ENGONGA

Founder of Textbook Program to Benefit Africans Back Home

JULIAN ENGONGA

Julian Engonga comes to the College of Charleston from Gabon, a country on the Atlantic coast of Africa. Julian graduated high school in Gabon and spent two years at a technical school in France before coming to the College. 

While in France, Julian met Paul, another student from Cameroon.  Together, the two decided that there was an abundance of textbooks being wasted at the end of the semester, when there were many schools in desperate need of books throughout the world. 

After transferring to North Carolina, Paul founded Africed, a student program dedicated to collecting used textbooks to send back to Africa.  Julian has continued the program here at
C of C and is trying to expand the program throughout the Southeast.

Julian was nominated for The Volunteer Spirit website by Lauren Collier, the College of Charleston's Service Learning Coordinator. 

Current volunteer activities:  I have started a program to send used textbooks back to Africa.  The program is called Africed, a name which combines Africa and education.

What are you most proud of contributing to your oganization?  Getting the name of the program out into the community and building
awareness for the needs of books in schools around the world. 

Previous volunteer activities:  During high school in Africa, I gave math lessons to early high school students. 

What do you enjoy about community service?  Doing some things that are beyond my life.  And being able to help others, complete strangers, making a difference in their life. 

Most memorable volunteer experience:  On a trip through Florida to get more universities involved with Africed, we realized that once we got to Miami, we had no place to stay.  We were prepared to sleep in the car for the night, but we ran across a Christian group.  The leader of the group offered us a place to stay and dinner too, no questions asked.  When he asked what we were doing in Miami, we told him about Africed and how his group is also helping us to gather books and spread the word. 

What have you learned about yourself through volunteering?  My ability to do selfless things by helping others, which ultimately makes me a better person. 

What would you tell someone who is thinking about volunteering?  Do it!  It's an awesome experience.  You learn so much and the personal enrichment and rewards are unimanigable. 

Contact information:  Contact Julian Engonga at 843.817-5563 or Julianengonga@hotmail.com