Notre Dame student forms group to provide books to students in developing countries

Notre Dame Regional High School senior Reagan Kapp's passion for reading and desire to help others led her last summer to form a not-for-profit organization called Livres Pour Le Monde, or Books for the World, which provides books for children in developing nations to improve literacy and give everyone access to literature and education.

Books for the World started off as a French Honor Society service project. Kapp said the society's moderator, Mary Ha, encouraged students to do service projects to benefit French people and/or nations. Kapp's parents, Dr. William and MaryBeth Kapp, helped her with the legal aspects of creating her organization.

Reagan Kapp mingles with students in a Hope Academy classroom after an opening Mass given by Father Rahab Isidore. (Submitted photo)

Her first project, inspired by a visit from Father Rahab Isidore to Kapp's home parish of St. Vincent de Paul, was to raise funds for books for a school in Thomassique, Haiti.

"He [Isidore] was a native of Haiti. I was ... touched by his passion for his native country and the people he loved. He always wanted to start a school there and formed an organization called Out of Poverty Through Education. They call it OPTE as an acronym and they built a school in Thomassique, Haiti, for children, especially those who were orphaned after the devastating earthquake there," Kapp said.

"I remembered thinking how neat that was, and I wanted to do something to help, so I got in contact with him and with Mr. Skip Wrape, who is in charge of OPTE, and asked them if I could help them provide textbooks for that school," she added.

Through corporate and private fundraising, Kapp said she's been able to raise enough to cover textbooks for the whole school. She recently was awarded $500 for being selected the Young Woman in Public Affairs by Zonta International. She plans to send the funds to Thomassique.

" ... I had the honor of being able to actually travel there with my family in October ... to be there at the dedication of the school and to present the funding for the textbooks to the children ..." she said.

Hope Academy students take a lunch break. (Submitted photo)

"It was a really incredible experience and was really amazing to see where it actually was going to go," Kapp said. She added she gets regular updates on how things are going, but even though the textbooks are covered, she's done more fundraising through the French Honor Society.

"I just talked to Skip Wrape, who's in charge of OPTE [which] built the school, and he said any further funding that we wanted to donate would be used to pay the salaries of the teachers, so that's a continuing expense," she said.

Kapp plans to attend Rice University in Houston this fall, and major in English linguistics and French. She hopes to keep Livres Pour Le Monde going through college and throughout her life.

"I think books and education are some of the most powerful tools we have to combat poverty in the world," she said.

She also is planning fundraisers for Naburereya Village, Bungoma District in Kenya, Africa. Father Kizito Wenani teamed up with students in Poplar Bluff, Mo., not too long ago and they built a well in that village.

Books and Kapp always have gone together.

Reagan Kapp stands in the schoolyard of Hope Academy. (Submitted photo)

"I have always loved to read," Kapp said. "It's something I'm very passionate about. ... I just couldn't imagine not having either the ability or the resources to be able to learn things through books. That's how people learn everything," she said. "I really want to do something to help improve not only literacy, but spread education around the world, too. I think books are very powerful tools. They just might give people the resources they need to really break some of the cycles of poverty."

"In Haiti, especially, one of the things I was struck by is that literacy is often below 50 percent. That's just a staggering concept to me," she added.

Notre Dame campus minister Sarah Strohmeyer said she thinks the world of Kapp and isn't surprised she's formed Books for the World.

Reagan Kapp poses for a photo with students from Hope Academy, built by Out of Poverty Through Education in Thomassique, Haiti, on its opening day in October. (Submitted photo)

"Not only is she academically gifted, but she is just one of the most caring people that you would meet. She's somebody that people really like because she doesn't say a mean word about anybody," Strohmeyer said. She added Kapp has been on mission trips every summer of high school and her group leaders are always impressed at her willingness to get her hands dirty and do whatever needs doing.

Kapp also has been involved in many service projects in the region through Notre Dame and is involved in many activities at school.

Kapp has an older sister, Kelly Kapp, who is attending medical school at University of Missouri-Kansas City, and a younger brother, Bill Kapp, who goes to Notre Dame.

"I've been very blessed in my life," Kapp said. "My parents have always taught me that we should share our time, talent and treasure, so I feel like it's the right thing to do."

"I'm really thankful to all the people who have helped me get this far and helped me along the way because everything good that happens is not just the work of one person. I'd really have to give credit to all the wonderful people at Notre Dame," she said.

For more information about Books for the World, visit booksfortheworld.net.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

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