Goal
FAVL's goal is to assist the rural poor of Africa by helping create village libraries. FAVL does this by refurbishing community-donated buildings, purchasing books by local authors and in local languages, sending donated and collected books, providing for librarian salaries, extending financial support to existing village libraries in Africa, and sponsoring librarian training and library outreach and advocacy. A typical library costs only $4,000 to refurbish and stock with books. Operating costs are approximately $2000 per year for salaries, maintenance and stocking of new books.

Mission
FAVL is dedicated to increasing access to reading material and other information in rural villages in sub-Saharan Africa. FAVL-supported libraries serve all members of the village community. One core public is the local community of readers- schoolchildren, adult learners, and other persons committed to reading. Most children, particularly in rural areas, have little access to books. While they may go to school, they will probably have little opportunity to read age-appropriate material. There are few books available in rural schools. We believe that every child and adult should have the opportunity to pick up a book and read. Another core public served by village libraries are local farmers, crafts-makers, traders, and others who use to library to acquire specific information- whether about building a compost pit, a chicken coop, or treatment of dysentery. FAVL strives to include in every library collection as much relevant, useful information as is available. FAVL emphasizes books that are highly demanded by local readers: African novels and storybooks, children's books with village themes, and local language materials for the newly literate village reader.