READ BEYOND BORDERS: Reading Clubs

The year 2011 can be described as a ‘land mark year’ for OGCEYOD Cameroon. This is based on the organization’s ability to be engaged in a web of activities, directed towards improving our local communities. The year began with an international volunteer from Germany called Paula Menzel. She spent a year in Cameroon working with the organization on two different projects. The Read beyond Border- and Be in Between- Project.

In the first months of 2009, OGCEYOD Cameroon cooperated with the US organization Teach a Dream in terms of book donations. Several cartons full of books were handed out to libraries of some schools in Limbe. Observing the reading behavior of the students, OGCEYOD Cameroon realized that the books were not used by the youths. As a reaction to this undesirable state of affairs, the reading club Read Beyond Borders was brought to life. This project, as well as the students’ magazine Be In Between is geared towards encouraging students to read outside their syllabus and do research about topics they don’t get to know about in school. The coordination of the students magazine is carried out together with another Limbe based organization called ASYOUSED (Assembly for Youths for a sustainable Environmental Development). After spending a year in Cameroon, the members of OGCEYOD Cameroon bid Paula farewell as they welcome the new volunteer Louisa Well who is very committed to continue with the project for the 2011/2012 academic year.  Louisa comes in with a lot of positive energy and passion which has helped her through the implementation phase of the projects. With the start of this academic year, the progress of the project so far has been remarkable.  Before the commencement of the project, members of OGCEYOD Cameroon came together and drafted letters to all schools involved expressing motion of thanks for their cooperation and also to inform them of our intentions to continue the project in their various institutions this academic year. The clubs taking place in Government High School Limbe, Kulu Collge Limbe, Lura-May Bustin Memorial Christian Academy and Saker Baptist College are currently running smoothly.

 The change in administration (from Paula to Louisa) also came along with a new package. Students of the reading clubs now enjoy the novel Things Fall Apart by one of Nigeria’s best, the legendary Chinua Achebe who has been described as one of the great intellectual and ethical figures of our time. The story which takes place in a typical African setting is not only a source of knowledge and inspiration to the students but also to the volunteer who gets the opportunity to learn about the African culture along side her club members.

 It is truly amazing to see the charisma that these students display during the club sessions. Most of them who could barely introduce themselves during the first meetings have been transformed into open minded boys and girls who express their own opinion freely.  Students have also had the chance to read about new things such as culture, globalization, and millennium development goals. Club activities are at its peak as students will soon be facing their first inter school quiz session in which the club members of the different school get together and compete against each other in giving facts about the novel and other covered topics. But in the mean time we are looking forward to more positive transformation as the academic year unfolds.