In Cameroon and across the continent of Africa, reading and writing capacities are often low among children. In an effort to make reading more accessible to African youth, No Limit International recently launched a new mobile library in the Emana neighborhood in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital city. 

After noticing low literacy rates in children in Cameroon and visiting schools where she noticed that there were no libraries or systems put in place to empower reading in the youth community, Orlyanka Tantchou, Co-Founder of No Limit International, decided to collect books in the United States and start a community mobile library free of charge. “I want the youth to enjoy reading and develop a habit of reading at least one book a day, especially during the holidays,” Orlyanka declared. “Reading stimulates your brain and develops your imagination and creativity so that you can become a better writer, storyteller, and knowledgeable person. Knowledge is power, and reading gives you that power to think, create, dream, and initiate projects without limits.”

The mobile library is free of charge and stocked full of books for reading, which can be borrowed at any time with a return date and the opportunity to borrow more books. No Limit International aims to grow the library’s inventory of 300 books to at least 2,000 by the end of the year, with a range of different academic levels available.

“The books are for elementary, secondary and high school,” Orlyanka stated upon the library’s opening, “and we intend to add books that will be of interest for adults.” With books in French and English, the library provides a unique educational experience for a variety of ages and languages.

Opening Ceremony and Community Impact

The opening ceremony of the library was held on July 31, 2022. During the ceremony, the population of the Emana neighborhood, under the leadership of Chief Bindzi, voiced its appreciation in the presence of children, parents, and adults living in the neighborhood as well as the team No Limit International volunteers under Orlyanka’s leadership.

Youth in the neighborhood have applauded the project and saluted the initiative, which they say is timely. “This initiative is highly welcomed in our neighborhood,” stated Diko Nya Cassandra Jones, a student of the area, “as it will enable us to get books, read and increase our level of creativity and knowledge while developing our intellectual capabilities.”

The opening of the library by No Limit International was also lauded by the traditional ruler of the area, Chief Bindzi, who stated: “I am very proud of our benefactor, Ms. Orlyanka Tantchou, who thought about her younger brothers and sisters in Cameroon by coming here and opening this mobile library for the neighborhood. I really commend her for the idea and initiative. I will support the project every way I can by spreading the word in the community and encouraging parents and children to come visit the place because reading is very important for our youth. It prepares them for academic success, discipline and improved imagination, and creativity. Long live the project and No Limit International.” 

The ceremony ended with the youngsters in the community borrowing some books and looking forward to reading them at home. The launch of the mobile library marked a new day in the Emana neighborhood, bringing education (and, in turn, empowerment) to the Yaoundé community.

No Limit International’s mobile library launch was featured in NewsWatch today and praised for its efforts to transform the lives of the Yaoundé community and promote quality education for all. You can read the full newspaper article below:

Another newspaper article from The Guardian Post applauds No Limit International for helping to “boost youth’s intellectual capacities.” The mobile library is just one of many steps No Limit International has taken to empower communities both locally and globally. Read The Guardian Post’s full newspaper article below:

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To learn more about No Limit International, give us a call at +237 699 99 02 89 / +237 675 80 85 10 or contact us via email at info@nolimitinternational.org. Together, we can make a lasting impact on the world we live in.