A cultural centre for documentation and information 400 km from Douala

At Bokito, a French-speaking town in Cameroon, the NGO Bibliothèques Sans Frontières (Libraries Without Borders) is participating in setting up a cultural centre for documentation and information. A permanent structure, supplemented by a library bus to spread the word to the surrounding villagers.

Social and Employment

Place
Bokito (400 km from Douala), Cameroon

Sponsor
Jean-Marie Lambert

Grant(s)
10,000 € to the Selection Committee at 2008/07/01

Project leader

Bibliothèques Sans Frontières

« It gives me the greatest pleasure to sponsor Bibliothèques Sans Frontières. Its projects in France and abroad, in the developing countries, are exemplary. They need our help! »

Jean-Marie Lambert

Active in France, Belgium, Portugal and the United States, Bibliothèques Sans Frontières (BSF) develops numerous projects to provide access to the populations of the developing countries and certain difficult neighborhoods of the North countries to literature and documents on CD and video cassette.
These activities began with the sending of books to libraries lacking extensive resources. Then, over the years, its operations diversified. BSF now trains documentary workers, computerizes documentary centers and structures library networks between countries in order to facilitate cultural exchanges and the transmission of knowledge.
The NGO now has a catalog of references online, which local librarians can consult to order the books they need.

A library bus to supplement the offer of the documentation center

At Bokito, a town of over 15,000 inhabitants in the French speaking part of Cameroon (about 400 km from Douala), BSF was asked to participate in the creation of a cultural center for documentation and information, that will serve the schools and the public in general - especially the young, who will enjoy free access to CDs, VHS cassettes and computers. For the local population, lacking cultural facilities, this center is destined to become a privileged venue for exchanges and for the sharing of knowledge.

Besides, to ensure that the beneficial aspects of this investment are not confined to the Bokito area alone, BSF will help the cultural center to buy a library bus that will crisscross the five cantons around the town.
A total population of over 56,000 will thus benefit from the program thanks to this system. In this way, the country folk will be able to discover the joys of reading.


 

Other project supported

Bibliothèques sans frontières
Domain : Social et emploi
Country : France
Endowment : 19/12/2012

Opening library spaces in 6 accommodation centers for the sidelined population.