Tom Smith joined Book Aid International in Autumn 2008 as our Programme Development Manager. He recently visited Cameroon to assess the impact of our books and to develop a new partnership with local organisation Education Information Services International. Here he tells us about some of the libraries that he visited during the trip:
'My recent visit to Cameroon was a fantastic opportunity to visit some of the libraries we support. Visiting libraries is always the highlight of our trips and it is fantastic to see our books on shelves and being used by readers.
'One librarian I visited at a small community-run library in the suburbs of Yaounde said that having Book Aid International stock in his library increased the number of users: “Before your donations this library had mostly French books, but now we can cater to a bigger range of the population. Book Aid International donations have increased the number of library members by over 150, which is a lot in this area.”
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Petit Dan and Sarah Orphanage |
'Some of the most inspiring libraries I visited were run by small local organisations providing essential services to vulnerable people. One library, established in the Petit Dan and Sarah Orphanage in Soa, has a lovely collection of children's books that are being read by children throughout the school. Another, in the Buea School for the Deaf, contains fiction and storybooks to encourage the children to read for pleasure. Only a handful of dedicated deaf schools exist in the country, and this is the only one in this region of Cameroon. This particular school is already heavily oversubscribed, with over 100 pupils aged 3 to 16 in the school. Classes are small and intimate with inspiring, attentive teachers and the school is working hard to get the children to read more and to create an environment where reading is cherished.
'Buea is also home to The University of Buea. Book Aid International has been providing books to the university since a year after its foundation and librarian Rosemary Shafack still enthuses about the regular shipments she receives. The library has recently expanded into a brand new building, with lots of new shelving space and bright, light, reading rooms. Around 10,000 students are registered with the library, which is well managed and extremely well used. When I visited, it was humming with activity and I saw countless Book Aid International donations on the shelves, all being used frequently.
'It was really wonderful to see the books we send being used so well in so many libraries. I was especially pleased to see so many different sectors of the local community being catered for through Book Aid International shipments: young and old, rural and urban, university students and children of pre-school age.'
Tom Smith, Programme Development Manager
Book Aid International