South Carolina State University made headlines across the globe when university officials handed over 648,000 mathematics and chemistry textbooks and other learning materials to the people of Zanzibar on Aug 25.

Zanzibar is in the Indian Ocean about 25 miles from the coast of the African nation of Tanzania.

U.S. First Lady Laura Bush, in a letter praising the university's efforts, called the occasion "a great day for the children of Zanzibar."

The textbooks, produced by faculty and students of the university in collaboration with Zanzibar officials, is part of the Textbooks and Learning Materials Program (TLMP), funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and was handed over by newly installed President of S.C. State, Dr. George E. Cooper.

The program is part of President George W. Bush's African Education Initiative that aims to expand the academic opportunities of African students.

Prior to the handing-over ceremony, Cooper presented the official S.C. State University alumni certificate to the President of Zanzibar, Amani Abeid Karume, making him an official "S.C. State Bulldog."

In his address to more than 5,000 students, parents, supporters and government officials both from the United States and Zanzibar, Cooper said, "I am confident that through this collaboration, we have made a significant investment in the students and have contributed positively to the future of Zanzibar."

Sophomore biology major Daudi Muhamed, of Zanzibar, is one of two Presidential Scholars attending S.C. State as part of the schools partnership with Zanzibar.

"It feels so good," said Muhamed. "This program will really help. Students [in Zanzibar] don't have texts books, they just go to school and use the three or four texts in the library, and they [the texts] are sometimes more than 40 years old."

In his address at the handing over ceremony, Karume said, "In the future, by using the textbooks being handed-over during this ceremony today and being serious about your educational opportunities, one of you could one day stand where I am, and become the president of this great country."

According to USAID, in the Tanzanian island Zanzibar, resources are lacking, access to schools is limited and enrollment has been low especially in rural areas and among girls and children with special needs.

This initiative has allowed for a student to text book ratio of 1:1 for the first time according to Zanzibar education officials. 

The university first handed over 265,000 textbooks to Zanzibar officials in January 2008.

S.C. State further intensified its relationship by extending an invitation to the Zanzibar President of to be the feature speaker at the university's 2008 spring commencement which took place on May 7.

In his address to S.C. State, Karume expressed his gratitude to the university as well as President Bush, and gave the crowd assembled an appreciation of the hardships students face on the African continent.

Representing the university and joining President Cooper were the principal investigator, (interim vice president for Research and Economic Development) Dr. Leonard A. McIntyre, project manager Lamin E. Drammeh, lead writer for the chemistry textbooks, Mr. Elbert Malone, director of University Relations and Marketing, Erica Prioleau, and special assistant to the president, Mr. Edwin Givens.

Dervedia Thomas is editor in chief of The Collegian, the S. C. State University student newspaper, which originally published this article.