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Without a doubt it’s hard to think of the history of South Africa without thinking of the Zulu’s and the Zulu wars. Two battles always come right to mind when you think of the Zulu War's. Rorkes Drift and Isandlwana. Two weekends ago I visited those two battlefields in Zululand. Zululand is located in KwaZulu Natal province in South Africa. The capital city of Zululand is Ulundi, population 300,000.

The defeat of the British forces at Isandlwana will always be cloaked in controversay. How were 20,000 Zulu's armed with Assegai's and Muzzloading rifles able to defeat and kill over 1000 Britsh soldiers armed with the then state of the art Martini Henry Breechloading rifle. We can only specualate, but we will never know.

During my visit to Isandlwana and Rorkes Drift I drove through Zululand. Suddenly I was in a third world country. There was no electricity or running water. Transportation was by foot and Combi (A Hiace Toyota van crammed with people). There was a communal water pump where people collected water and carried it back to their homes. The homes were brick and mud with a thatched roof.

I was at a Staff meeting last week at the Consulate and one of the Staff Officers had just returned from Ulundi. While there he visited the Library. The Library serves the entire Zulu nation. Ulundi library is in desperate need of English language books for children and young adults. If the children can learn to read they will be started on the path to a better life.

Here is a chance for us to help out. So what I am going to ask you to do is send me books. I will get them to the Library at Ulundi.

These could be new children’s books but good clean used book would be just as good. Books should not be torn or covered in crayon marks etc. Good books only.

Where to get books? Stop by thrift stores, Send the wife to check yard sales, and look in your own kids’ room.

Where to send the books. First in the U.S. go to the post office and ask for the flat rate boxes. Fill the box with books and for any weight less than 70 pounds the postage is $8.10 U.S. Outside of the U.S. I don’t know what to advise you about shipping books to me, parcel post I suppose. Doesn’t matter when the books get here the kids will get them. You could also go on line and order a book and have it shipped to me. Send the books to me at:

Douglas B. Dickens
2490 Durban Place
Dulles, VA 20189

I am going to revise this message a bit for email and send it to everyone in my address book… I might ask you to consider doing the same thing.

There are a lot of children in the world who need the help, lets see if we can help this group of Zulu children to learn to read.

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DD, Ret.

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