The Library Project
At Children of Cameroon, we believe every child should have the chance to fall in love with reading. That’s why we’re building up mini libraries across the regions we work in – and making sure every book we send is meaningful, tracked, and accessible.
We’re steadily growing a collection of books across three key areas: Belo, Bamenda, and Yaoundé. So far, we’ve sent around 100 books, with huge thanks to Refurnish, Crediton, who have kindly donated most of them. But this is only the beginning.
This project is closely linked to The Box, which explains how we regularly send large packages to Cameroon. These shipments include books for the libraries, along with other essential resources.
How it works
Before we send a book to Cameroon, we log its reading level and write it inside the cover. We also track which region it’s going to. This means:
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Field workers can suggest books tailored to each child’s reading ability
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Children get to choose books that interest them, which is vital for motivation and learning
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Everyone from toddlers to young adults (and even the field workers themselves!) can access books that suit them
Our field workers store and lend books to the children in their care. Books are read during Study Sessions, or at the field workers' homes (with permission), or taken home on a loan system. Every book is signed out and returned with care, just like a real library.
Why it matters
Access to books boosts literacy, education, imagination, and joy – especially when children can choose what they want to read. Our collection includes:
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Classics
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Activity and educational books
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Fun, silly, adventurous books
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...and everything in between.
We also take book requests from our field workers to meet specific needs.
In the future, we dream of setting up community-access libraries – spaces where anyone can come to read and learn.
How can you help?
We’d love your support to keep this project growing.
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📦 Shipping books is expensive, so donations help us send more, more often
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✏️ We also want to buy new educational books with activities, which are hard to find secondhand
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🎯 Our goal is to send at least 30 more books to each region by the end of 2025
Every donation helps a child discover a love of reading. Thank you.
