Have a few school bags your children have outgrown? Are you a company with hundreds of backpacks, notebooks or other educational materials and back-to-school items in Nigeria to give away? Or perhaps you want to organize a school-supply drive for children who need a little extra help getting ready for school?

There are several organizations in Nigeria and other African countries that support children with school bags, backpacks, books, stationery, uniforms and other learning materials.

But there is an important difference between them.

Some organizations actively accept physical school supplies. Others primarily raise money to purchase supplies locally. And for international donations, shipping can sometimes cost more than buying the items in the country where they are needed.

So before sending a box of supplies, it is worth checking what an organization currently accepts and how it prefers donors to contribute.

Below are 12 organizations and programmes worth considering if you are looking for where to donate school supplies in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Benin and other parts of Africa.

1. Street to School Initiative — Nigeria

Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Best for: School bags, backpacks, stationery and educational materials
Donation type: Physical donations and financial/corporate support

Street to School Initiative is a Nigerian nonprofit focused on improving access to education for out-of-school children, street children and other vulnerable children in underserved communities.

Its BagSwap Project is especially relevant to people looking to donate school bags. The programme provides children with basic learning materials including backpacks, stationery, school uniforms and educational toys. The organization also runs a tuition-free school in Alimosho, Lagos.

Street to School says it was established in December 2009 and registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission in 2013. It also actively accepts individual and corporate partnerships.

What you can support: School bags, children’s backpacks, notebooks, stationery, uniforms and other learning materials.

Website: Street to School Initiative
BagSwap Project: View the BagSwap Project

For companies and bag manufacturers

Street to School can be particularly relevant for businesses that want to support children through a structured education programme rather than simply giving items to individuals.

Talk to African Things about donating school bags

African Things manufactures plain and branded school bags, backpacks and other bags in bulk in Lagos, Nigeria, making it possible for companies and organizations to combine a product donation with a meaningful education initiative.

2. Helpers Social Development Foundation — Nigeria

Location: Enugu, Nigeria
Best for: Physical school supplies, including school bags
Donation type: Material and financial donations

Helpers Social Development Foundation is a registered Nigerian nonprofit working with vulnerable children, youth and women.

The foundation’s education work includes distributing free school supplies to underprivileged children in public schools, as well as operating a free nursery and primary school for children who otherwise may not have access to education.

It explicitly says it accepts material donations, including school bags, writing materials, shoes and sandals, children’s clothing and laptop computers. It gives its Enugu office as the destination for school-supply donations.

Helpers Social Development Foundation says it was officially registered with the Nigerian Corporate Affairs Commission on June 27, 2019, under registration number 131317.

Website: Helpers Social Development Foundation

3. Lifeshare Foundation — Nigeria

Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Best for: School bags, exercise books and writing materials
Donation type: Primarily financial support; contact them regarding physical donations

Lifeshare Foundation has a long-running Back to School programme that helps children return to school with basic educational materials and support.

Its current programme information specifically lists school bags, exercise books and writing materials among the items provided to children. The foundation also runs community outreach and other programmes supporting vulnerable children and families.

Lifeshare is based in Garki, Abuja, and currently provides online donation and bank-transfer options in NGN, USD, GBP and EUR.

Website: Lifeshare Foundation

For physical school bags or supplies, it is best to contact the organization first and confirm what it currently needs.

4. Seun & Friends Campaign — Nigeria

Location: Nigeria
Best for: Brand-new school bags and basic stationery
Donation type: Physical items and financial donations

Seun & Friends Campaign is one of the most directly relevant organizations for school-bag donations.

Its back-to-school programme provides brand-new school bags, notebooks, pens, pencils, crayons and other school supplies to children in Nigeria.

The campaign reports that it has distributed 2,550 brand-new school bags across four Nigerian states, with subsequent outreach records showing distributions to children in Ogun, Osun, Lagos, Rivers and other locations. Its 2026 fundraising campaign is currently active.

The organization also specifically welcomes unopened packs of pencils, pens, rulers, erasers and crayons.

Website: Seun & Friends Campaign

This is a particularly good option when you want your donation to go directly toward children’s school bags and basic back-to-school supplies.

5. African Entrepreneurial and Human Development Initiatives (AEDI) — Nigeria

Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Best for: School bags, books, uniforms, shoes and stationery
Donation type: Financial support

AEDI runs a current Back to School Project supporting vulnerable children in primary and secondary education.

Its published list of essential items includes:

• School bags
• Books
• Pens and pencils
• Uniforms
• Shoes
• Socks
• School fees

The project is currently listed for the 2025/2026 academic year. AEDI is based in Kurudu, Abuja and provides a bank account for financial donations.

Website: AEDI Nigeria

For businesses with physical products, contacting AEDI before donating in-kind items would be the best approach.

6. Ebonyida Foundation — Nigeria

Location: Benin City, Edo State
Best for: School bags, notebooks, uniforms and other school supplies
Donation type: Financial support through GlobalGiving

Ebonyida Foundation focuses on disadvantaged children and has an ongoing school-supplies project in Benin City, Edo State.

Its recent programme reports provide particularly useful evidence of its work. In its 2025 school-supply outreach, the organization distributed notebooks to pupils across three public primary schools and provided 25 school bags to children most in need.

GlobalGiving currently identifies the organization as vetted, top ranked and an effective nonprofit, and the project provides transparent donation amounts connected to school bags, writing materials, uniforms, shoes and books.

Donation: Ebonyida Foundation on GlobalGiving

This is a good option for someone who would rather fund a complete school-supply package than ship physical goods.

7. The Special Youth Leadership Foundation — Nigeria

Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Best for: Complete back-to-school kits
Donation type: Financial donations through GlobalGiving

The Special Youth Leadership Foundation has a current project called Back-to-School: Equip 100 Children for New Term.

The project gives donors a very clear picture of what their contribution can provide. Its current donation options include school bags, stationery, uniforms, shoes, textbooks, lunch boxes and water bottles. GlobalGiving currently lists the organization as vetted since 2025.

For example, the project states that a $30 donation can provide a child with a school bag and full stationery set, while larger donations can cover a complete back-to-school package.

Website: The Special Youth Leadership Foundation
Donation: Back-to-School project on GlobalGiving

Ghana

8. F.A.B Foundation — Ghana

Location: Sekyedumase, Ghana
Best for: School bags, books, stationery, shoes and uniforms
Donation type: Financial and material support

The F.A.B Foundation supports underprivileged children at St Francis Roman Catholic Basic School in Sekyedumase, Ghana.

Its current donation page specifically lists school stationery, exercise books, story books, school bags, school shoes, trainers, socks and underwear among the items donors can support. The children currently supported are between 9 and 13 years old.

This is one of the better options for donors who want to support actual school items rather than making a general charitable donation.

Website: F.A.B Foundation Ghana

Cameroon

9. Hope Day Cameroon Organization — Cameroon

Location: Douala, Cameroon
Best for: Physical school supplies and financial support
Donation type: Material and financial donations

Hope Day Cameroon is a nonprofit association founded in 2023 to support children from vulnerable backgrounds in Cameroon.

Education is one of its main areas of work, and its website explicitly provides a Material Donation option for people who want to donate school supplies, food or other essential items. Its 2026 school-enrolment campaign is currently supporting disadvantaged children from four care centres.

Website: Hope Day Cameroon

For donors based outside Cameroon, contact the organization first about the most practical way to make an in-kind donation.

10. Cameroon Children’s Ministry — Cameroon

Location: Supports children in Cameroon; U.S.-based nonprofit
Best for: Backpacks, notebooks, pens and children’s school supplies
Donation type: Material and financial donations

Cameroon Children’s Ministry works with orphaned and vulnerable children in Cameroon.

Its official Get Involved page specifically asks for children’s school supplies, including notebooks, pencils, pens, backpacks, rulers and crayons. It also says gently used books can make an impact.

The organization is a U.S.-registered 501(c)(3), with its published administrative address in Minnesota. That means donors should contact it about the logistics of getting physical supplies to Cameroon rather than assuming that supplies can simply be dropped off locally.

Website: Cameroon Children’s Ministry

Benin

11. Advance Benin — Benin Republic

Location: Benin
Best for: Funding school supplies purchased locally
Donation type: Financial donations

Advance Benin supports vulnerable children by helping them attend school and providing the educational necessities they need.

Its current programme states that donations provide essential school supplies and other documentation needed for children to attend school.

There is an important lesson here for anyone researching where to donate school supplies internationally: Advance Benin prefers to purchase supplies locally rather than have donors ship boxes internationally. This can make the donation more efficient because the organization can source what children actually need without paying large international shipping costs.

Website: Advance Benin

West Africa

12. Develop Africa — Sierra Leone and other African programmes

Location: Current school-supply focus: Sierra Leone
Best for: Backpacks, school supplies and organized school-supply drives
Donation type: Physical and financial donations

Develop Africa is particularly useful for people organizing school-supply drives, corporate donations or large collections of educational materials.

Its current school-supply programme focuses on Sierra Leone and states that it has provided school supplies to more than 124,700 children. The organization currently accepts preschool, elementary and high-school backpacks, notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, pencil pouches, calculators, geometry sets, rulers, coloring books, crayons and certain technology items.

Develop Africa also explicitly accepts company-branded items, including branded bags and stationery.

That makes it especially interesting for companies that want to donate branded school bags as part of a corporate social responsibility programme.

There is, however, a shipping consideration. Donors are responsible for shipping physical supplies, and the organization currently suggests contributing toward shipping costs. It also offers a “Fill the Backpack” campaign for people who would rather fund locally purchased supplies.

Website: Develop Africa
School-supply donation page: Donate School Supplies to Sierra Leone

What Can You Donate Besides School Bags?

When people search for where to donate school supplies, they often think only about notebooks and pencils. In reality, the needs can be much broader.

Depending on the organization, useful donations can include:

• School bags and backpacks for girls and boys
• Children school bags
• School bags and lunch bags
• Lunch boxes
• Water bottles
• Exercise books
• Notebooks
• Pens and pencils
• Erasers and sharpeners
• Rulers and mathematics sets
• Textbooks and story books
• School uniforms
• Shoes and socks
• Laptops and tablets
• Educational toys

For older students, needs can change. A durable school bag for university students may need to accommodate a laptop, books and other equipment, while younger children may need a smaller school bag for children with compartments for books, snacks and a lunch box.

What Makes a Good School Bag Donation?

A school bag doesn’t have to be expensive to be useful. It does, however, need to be appropriate for the child using it.

A high quality school bag should ideally be durable, comfortable to carry and strong enough to handle everyday school use.

For younger children, features such as:

• Lightweight construction
• Padded straps
• Easy-to-use zippers
• Multiple compartments
• Easy-to-clean materials
• Bright or child-friendly designs

can make a difference.

A school bag with lunch box compartment can also be particularly practical for younger children because books, snacks and other school items can be kept separately.

For older students and university students, larger backpacks, laptop compartments and stronger construction may be more important.

Below are images of school bag and backpacks from African Things. You can also check our recently completed jobs page or chat with us to see more samples of school related jobs we’ve done in the past.

Can You Donate New or Branded School Bags?

Yes, depending on the organization.

Some organizations specifically request new school bags. Seun & Friends Campaign, for example, focuses on brand-new school bags and new basic supplies, while Develop Africa explicitly welcomes company-branded bags and other branded school items.

For companies, this creates another possibility: instead of donating money alone, you can sponsor branded school bags and have them produced specifically for the children or programme you want to support.

That can work particularly well for:

• Corporate social responsibility programmes
• NGO partnerships
• School outreach projects
• Back-to-school campaigns
• Community projects
• Employee giving programmes
• Children’s events

Need School Bags for a Donation Drive?

African Things manufactures plain and branded school bags, backpacks, lunch bags and other educational bags in bulk in Lagos, Nigeria.

Whether you need a simple school bag for children, school bags for girls and boys, backpacks for teenagers, school bags and lunch bags for kids, or larger school bags for university students, we can help you choose a suitable design and quantity.

We also manufacture bags in bulk for organizations that need bulk school bags wholesale, including schools, NGOs, companies, event planners and CSR programmes.

Get a bulk school bag quote

Buying School Bags in Bulk for Donation

If you’re a company, NGO, school or community group planning a large donation, buying locally can sometimes be more practical than importing finished bags.

For organizations based in Nigeria, African Things provides wholesale school bags in Lagos and can manufacture school bags and backpacks in bulk according to the requirements of the project.

The specifications can include:

• Bag size
• Material
• Number of compartments
• Colours
• Logo placement
• Branding
• Packaging
• Quantity
• Delivery requirements

You can also choose between plain school bags and customized or branded school bags, depending on the purpose of the donation.

For younger children, you might choose a school bag and lunch bag for kids. For older students, a larger backpack may be more appropriate.

The most important thing is to choose a bag that matches the age group and actual needs of the children receiving it.

School Gift Ideas for Students

School supplies can also make thoughtful school gift ideas for students, especially when the gift is something a child can continue using throughout the school year.

A simple school-support package might include:

For younger children:
A school bag, lunch bag, water bottle, notebooks, pencils and other basic stationery.

For primary school pupils:
A durable backpack, exercise books, stationery, lunch box and school materials.

For secondary students:
A larger backpack, notebooks, writing materials and other educational essentials.

For university students:
A stronger backpack or laptop-friendly school bag designed for books, computers and everyday campus use.

A donation doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes giving a child a durable bag and the basic supplies needed to use it is already a meaningful start.

Before You Donate School Supplies

One final thing is worth remembering: don’t assume every organization accepts every type of donation.

Some accept physical school supplies directly. Others prefer financial donations so they can buy materials locally.

Shipping can also become expensive, particularly when sending school supplies from one country to another. Develop Africa, for example, specifically asks donors sending physical supplies to consider the cost of international shipping and provides a locally funded “Fill the Backpack” alternative.

So before donating:

1. Check the organization’s current list of requested items.
2. Ask whether they accept physical donations.
3. Confirm the delivery or drop-off address.
4. For bulk donations, contact the organization before production or shipment.
5. Ask whether they prefer new items.
6. For international donations, compare shipping costs with locally funded purchasing.

That small amount of planning can make your donation much more useful.

Want to Donate School Bags Instead of Money?

If your organization is planning a school-supply drive and you would like to donate actual school bags, backpacks or lunch bags, African Things can manufacture them in bulk.

We supply plain and branded school bags in Lagos, Nigeria, including backpacks, school bags with lunch box compartments, lunch bags and other customized bags suitable for schools, NGOs, companies, children’s programmes and community outreach.

You can also review our school-bag work and the BagSwap project here:

View the school-bag portfolio / BagSwap project

Chat with us about your school bag donation

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I donate school supplies in Nigeria?

There are several organizations supporting children with school supplies in Nigeria. Options include Street to School Initiative, Helpers Social Development Foundation, Lifeshare Foundation, Seun & Friends Campaign, AEDI, Ebonyida Foundation and The Special Youth Leadership Foundation.

Before sending physical items, check each organization’s current donation requirements.

Where can I donate school bags in Nigeria?

Organizations such as Street to School Initiative, Helpers Social Development Foundation and Seun & Friends Campaign have programmes that specifically involve school bags or backpacks. Some other organizations raise funds that are used to provide school bags to children.

Can I donate used school bags?

It depends on the organization.

Some organizations may accept gently used items, while others specifically request new school bags. Always check with the organization before donating used bags.

What school supplies are most useful to donate?

School bags, backpacks, notebooks, exercise books, pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, rulers, mathematics sets, books, uniforms, shoes and other basic educational materials can all be useful.

The exact need varies from one organization to another.

Can a company donate school bags in bulk?

Yes. Many organizations welcome corporate partnerships and larger donations.

A company can either purchase bags specifically for a donation drive or contact an NGO to determine what type and quantity of bags are needed.

Where can I buy bulk school bags wholesale in Lagos?

African Things manufactures school bags and backpacks in bulk in Lagos, Nigeria, including plain and branded options for schools, companies, NGOs, events and community programmes.

Can school bags be branded for an NGO or donation project?

Yes. Depending on the project, school bags can be customized with an organization logo, campaign name, event name or other branding.

Develop Africa, for example, explicitly states that company-branded bags and other branded school supplies are welcome.

What is a good school gift for a child?

A durable school bag, stationery set, lunch bag, water bottle, notebooks and basic learning materials can make a useful school gift.

For younger children, a school bag and lunch bag for kids can be especially practical.

Should I donate money or physical school supplies?

Both can help.

Physical donations are useful when an organization specifically requests them. Financial donations can be better when an organization can purchase supplies locally at a lower cost or when international shipping would be expensive.

The best choice is usually the one recommended by the organization receiving the donation.

Make a School Donation That Actually Gets Used

Whether you’re donating one school bag or organizing a large corporate school-supply drive, the best donations are usually the ones that match what children actually need.

A school bag for children that is durable and appropriately sized can be more useful than an expensive item that isn’t suited to the child’s age or school environment.

And for organizations supporting large numbers of children, a locally manufactured order of bulk school bags wholesale can make it possible to equip many more students within the available budget.

The most important step is simple: identify a credible organization, ask what it currently needs, and then provide those items in the most practical way possible.

If you’re looking for a supplier for that donation, African Things manufactures high-quality plain and branded school bags, backpacks, lunch bags and other customized bags in Lagos, Nigeria, with bulk production available for schools, NGOs, companies and community programmes.

WhatsApp African Things about bulk school bags

Donation requirements and programmes can change, so always confirm current needs, delivery arrangements and accepted items directly with the organization before sending supplies.