Our Story

It was 1959. Dr. Roby Kidd was discussing what to do with a stack of unused books with his friends in a church basement when someone suggested they pack them into an old tea chest and ship them to Africa. They did. And soon one chest became two and two became twenty. From this grassroots effort, CODE was born.

Initially, the small operation was called Books for Developing Countries. A few years later and still growing, it was renamed the Overseas Book Centre (OBC). By the early 1980s, OBC had grown into a national operation, collecting and shipping more than 20 tons of donated books from across Canada to 85 countries each year.

In 1982 OBC changed its name to the Canadian Organization for Development through Education (CODE), and books were further supplemented with learning and teaching supplies such as pencils, audio video equipment and typewriters. In 1985 CODEs support to the developing world caught global attention when UNESCO honoured the organization with a prestigious and high profile International Literacy Award.

With success came the desire to do more for education abroad. CODE had become experts at procuring and shipping books, but the organization had come to understand the need for a more targeted and sustainable approach, one that would provide highly relevant and motivating reading materials in languages children were speaking in the home, and one that would help lead to the establishment of national book industries within the countries CODE worked.

Such program expansion required a sustainable and dependable flow of financial support. The decision was made to start a for-profit enterprise that would ensure CODEs longevity. In 1987 CODE Incorporated made its first donation to CODE. Today, CODE Inc is Canada's leading logistics and procurement agency, specializing in acquiring and delivering the items needed for elections around the world. The CODE Foundation was also established as an endowment fund to manage and invest bequests and other planned gifts left to the organization. CODE Inc and the CODE Foundation both continue to help sustain CODE with annual donations. (Click here for CODE/CODE Inc connections)

In 1991 CODE joined forces with the International Book Bank (IBB), a young American non-profit organization. IBB quickly became an affiliate that would take the lead on CODE's book donations program. This enabled CODE to focus on program development.

CODE knew that when a child can read and write, that child can learn to do, and be, anything. By 1993, CODE was supporting the production of books, magazines and newspapers in 26 languages throughout the developing world.

Throughout the 1990s, CODE boldly stepped up its capacity-building strategy to encompass all the links in the literacy and book chain. CODE started working closely with local education-based organizations in developing countries to help create quality learning environments. The staff of these partner organizations knew well the educational needs of their communities. CODE helped them with finances and expertise.

Through CODE, the availability of culturally and linguistically relevant books that engaged young readers of different ages grew. CODE strengthened local publishers and printers by working with authors and illustrators and by providing pre-publication orders for locally-created titles. CODE helped its partners to distribute the books at low cost or no cost to community libraries and schools. CODE complemented this activity with training for teachers and librarians to effectively teach reading and writing.

In 1999, CODE celebrated its 40th anniversary with numerous awards under its wing; adding to UNESCO's recognition was an Adult Education Award from Tanzania's Ministry of Education, the Jennie Mitchell Celebrate Literacy Award, and the Government of Canada Literacy Innovation Award.

In 2006, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, became the Patron of CODE. That same year a group of CODE supporters raised more than $100,000 when they climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa in an event called the Summit of Literacy Climb. In 2007 the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) extended its long-term support for CODE with a new five-year funding agreement of $10,000,000.

Over the years, CODE and its partners have developed more than 1000 unique titles, mainly for children, written, illustrated and published in 45 developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania. More than 60 languages and dialects are represented in CODE's book collection, including numerous scripts and two titles coded in Braille.

Today, on the cusp of its 50th anniversary, CODE continues to bring real lasting results to the developing world. CODE and its partners have been recognized three times with UNESCO International Literacy Awards for their education efforts.

When a child can read and write, they can learn anything, and promote change for themselves, their community, and their country.