Students at Vaal University of Technology in South Africa will now have RPG and PHP textbooks thanks to a combined effort of interested parties in the U.S.
In a heartfelt display of generosity, the IBM i press and user-group communities came together this week to provide textbooks to Vaal University of Technology (VUT) in South Africa. In this poverty stricken area, the normal cost of a single textbook (roughly $80) is enough to feed an entire family for a month in certain South African neighborhoods. In the end, the midrange publishers and user groups made it possible for South African students to afford RPG and PHP textbooks for classes at VUT.
It all started with a request from COMMON Africa asking for help from the book authors. The VUT staff needed to support their IBM Power System curriculum with textbooks. They wanted 20 copies each of “Programming in RPG IV fourth edition” by Bryan Meyer and Jim Buck, and “The IBM i Programmers’ Guide to PHP” by Jeff Olen and Kevin Schroeder. The request was simple: "We need the books—can you help us get them?"
“All of the authors were onboard immediately; they all wanted to do whatever they could to make sure that we got the books,” says Marinus Van Sandwyk of COMMON Africa. “In the end, they all donated their royalties to reduce the costs even further," he said. "Everyone who got involved really went above and beyond.”
After hearing of the request, others also got involved , starting with the publishers. Penton Media and MC Press Online joined forces to offer the books at unprecedented discounts and combined them into one shipment to trim transportation costs nearly in half.
“What an opportunity to bring the hope of better jobs and to make a difference in the lives of students and their families!" said Penton's Jan Hazen. "Supporting this partnership moved us beyond our typical focus of conducting business successfully to doing something significant to help others succeed,” she said.
Merrikay Lee, MC Press president, said, "We're absolutely thrilled at the opportunity to assist COMMON Africa with their textbook needs. We really should thank them for allowing us to contribute—in a small way—to the success of this very worthwhile endeavor. When we think of the important work the volunteers, members, and students of COMMON Africa are doing to advance the IBM platform that we all rely upon, how can you not feel inspired?"
The story, nevertheless, does not end here. With the authors and publishers now involved there was a fair bit of buzz in the IBM i community. After hearing how much it would cost to ship the books to Johannesburg, Buck approached the Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association (www.wmcpa.org) board for a donation to help with the expenses. Similarly, Olen approached the OCEAN User’s Group of Southern California (www.ocean400.org). Both groups donated to help pay for the books and shipping. After all was said and done, the cost to the students for books and shipping was less than one fourth the normal retail price. The result was overwhelming—so much so that the order was increased to 30 copies of each book!
“It was an amazing thing to see everyone in the IBM i community come together to help these students," said author Jeff Olen. "I am proud to have been able to be a part of it.”
Should others wish to contribute to the purchase of textbooks for these African students at the Vaal University of Technology, they may contact Operations Director Chris Kotze at
Jeff Olen is a super-spy now but keeps his cover identity intact by working for video game studios on the East Coast. So when he’s not out killing members of ISIS or rescuing refugees, you can find him playing Wolfenstein II or testing the new Fallout 76 releases at his beach house in Costa Rica. In any case, he can’t be reached. You can email his cat at
MC Press books written by Jeff Olen available now on the MC Press Bookstore.
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The IBM i Programmer’s Guide to PHP Get the scoop on how PHP can—and should—be deployed on IBM systems. List Price $79.95 Now On Sale
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