Grey skies had people heading to Bookfest Noosa this weekend and Noosa Daybreak Rotary members couldn’t have been happier.
Richard Marsh said the Rotary group had collected 25,000 books for this year’s event which was slightly down in numbers from last year but they hoped to again raise about $30,000 with the proceeds being donated to assist people who are homeless in Noosa.
Richard said volunteers unloaded 16 pallets of books from their storage shed, filling all the tables set up within the Noosa Leisure Centre.
A steady stream of people browsed the books, picking up bargains at $3 a book and only $1 for children’s books.
Richard said money raised would go to the Salvation Army to sponsor a case manager to help people in Noosa who were homeless.
Also adding to the book sales at the event was Sharon Stevens who had brought along a selection of bags and scarves to sell, with half the proceeds going to Rotary and the other half to a woman named Suman, from Gujarat in India, who made the items from recycled saris.
Sharon said while travelling in Gujarat she met a tour guide with a strong social conscience who had helped rescue 23-year-old Suman and establish a life for herself.
When Suman’s parents died from Covid her uncle lured her to Mumbai where he sold her into prostitution. She was shifted to Ahmedabad by her handlers where the tour guide rescued her. She was then helped by a Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) with housing and taught to sew. The tour guide purchased a sewing machine for her and helped her set up her business with another woman, also helped by the man, who was forced to live on the streets after being divorced.
Sharon said the story just resonated with her.
“If I can buy some of these every now and then it gives her a regular income,“ Sharon said.
Noosa Daybreak Rotary president Ken Kipping said the annual Bookfest run by the club had raised funds to support various projects in the local region over the years with homelessness the focus this year.
