USDA SENDS BOOKS TO SOUTH AFRICA'S CHILDREN   Release No. 0648.96

                                   Laura Trivers   (202) 720-4623

USDA SENDS BOOKS TO SOUTH AFRICA'S CHILDREN 

      WASHINGTON, Dec. 24, 1996--Santa Claus set sail today on a sea-going
freighter loaded with 100,000 gifts -- each one a book to be used to teach
reading skills to several million rural South African children.

     All 100,000 books, provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and
including 304 copies of Charles Dickens' "Christmas Carol," are headed for
schools and libraries in South Africa's Eastern Cape and Northern provinces.

     The book donation is a project of the Agricultural Committee of the
U.S.-South Africa Binational Commission, chaired by Vice President Gore and
South African Deputy President Mbecki.  The commission was created in 1995
following the 1994 presidential election of Nelson Mandella to assist the
President's new government of national unity.  In addition to the books, the
Clinton Administration has been working with the South African government on
a number of other social and economic issues.

     "There is no gift as valuable as the gift of learning," said Glickman.
"At this holiday season, I am especially pleased to be able to share the
bounty of learning with South Africa's children.  I hope these books that
will help stock shelves in libraries and classrooms will inspire the next
generation of South Africans to the wonders of books and the joys of
reading." 

     Three previous book shipments, totaling 170,000 volumes, have been
sent to South Africa from the United States since last summer. Most of the
books are children's volumes, but the shipments have also included textbooks
and teaching materials for kindergarten through l2th grade.

     Today's shipment is scheduled to arrive at Durbin, South Africa, Jan.
17. 

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