There will be a fundraiser for the Library of the College of African Wildlife Management called “The Jail and Bail for Tanzania” on Saturday, April 17 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The event will be held in the Market Place, where participants will be “jailed” for at least thirty minutes. When in jail, participants can either call friends or family to make bail or take a chance or ask visitors to the Market Place for donations. The minimum “bail” is $25, with all proceeds going to the College of African Wildlife Management.

When Sophomore Political Science Major Katie Eiden was told to come up with a community engagement project for her Public Discourse class, she immediately thought about ways that she could help Tanzania. “My great-grandpa was a medical missionary in Tanzania, and my grandpa was born there,” Eiden said. “So I’ve always been interested in the country.”

After considering a couple of different ideas, Eiden decided to help Gustavus Biology professor Cindy Johnson-Groh buy books for the College of African Wildlife Management in Mweka, Tanzania. The college’s library is a ten by twelve meter room that contains books copyrighted, on average, in 1980. According to Eiden’s research, books are so precious in Tanzania that the school’s students are not even allowed to check them out overnight.

Once Eiden figured out who to help, she needed to come up with a plan to do it. Eiden considered doing a book drive, but after doing some brainstorming with Student Activities Director Megan Ruble, she decided to host the Jail and Bail, thinking that it would draw more interest on campus. “I wanted capture fundraising ideas that were unique and hadn’t been seen at Gustavus, and I thought the Jail and Bail was a good idea. Plus, this is a way to make sure all the money goes to the school,” Eiden said, referring to the high cost of shipping and the lack of transportation infrastructure that could guarantee that the books reach their destination.

The timing of the event is no accident, as it coincides with the Lupe Fiasco concert, the Gustavus Association of Congregations convention and Science on Saturday, which will bring many visitors to campus. Eiden hopes that some of the visitors will agree to be jailed. “My goal is to raise $1000,” she said, adding that Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Menomonie, Wisc. has already donated $400 to the cause.

Sam Boerboom, the communication Studies professor overseeing Eiden’s project, is excited about the event. “I really appreciate Katie’s project involving Tanzania,” Boerboom said. “I know that it is already developing key leadership and citizenship skills in Katie.”

According to Boerboom, students in the class are currently working on projects with subjects ranging from cyberbullying to animal relinquishment at shelters to a proposed FlexDine arrangement where students could potentially use their campus ID cards to purchase items at local businesses. “The great thing about this class … is that students become leaders in their own communities,” Boerboom said. “We like to say in the department of communication studies that this course is a practicum in citizenship.”

It looks like Eiden understands the lesson. “I’m really excited about this project because it connects with my family roots, and I’ve got the opportunity to share that with people on campus,” Eiden said.