Improving Child Literacy: Nascent Solutions Offers Over 100,000 Books To Three Regions

The Government of the United States of America, through the United States Department of Agriculture, USDA, is funding a five-year McGovern-Dole, MGD, Food for Education and Child Nutrition Programme in Cameroon implemented by the International Non-governmental Organisation, Nascent Solutions. The project benefits pupils, teachers and community members in 240 primary school communities in four target regions of the country. Of the beneficiary schools, 30 are in Adamawa, 18 in the East, 100 in the North, and 92 schools in the North West Regions. The project seeks to improve the literacy of schools age children and foster good health and dietary practices. 

Since April 2021, Nascent Solutions has distributed 108,446 copies of 97 locally published illustrated titles appropriate for all classes of nursery and primary school. Some 73,565 copies of the books went to the North Region, 20,649 to Adamawa, and 14,232 to the East Region.

Stakeholders Appreciate Donation

“We are so grateful and would like to see the project expanded to more schools in the region. The donation of books by Nascent Solutions is a big honour for us, which has been highly appreciated by regional educational authorities. School libraries are a big treasure to teachers and the general public. We expect better results in future as reading only gets better with time. Already, we have noticed the enthusiasm of pupils when it is time to read the donated books in the library,” Jean Clovis Magloire Eloundou,  McGovern-Dole Project Focal Point in the North Regional Delegation of Basic Education explains with joy.

“From the feedback of teachers, the books are good and pupils are so excited reading them. This is more so as most parents are unable to buy books for their children. Given that reading is one of the fundamental skills children need in order to make them succeed in other subjects, I think the story books will be of great help. Most of the recommended readers we have today are too worded. And so it is difficult to teach children because the texts are usually too long and do not often have illustrations to facilitate understanding for children. I believe the books Nascent Solutions has offered will go a long way to help children overcome difficulties in reading. We did an assessment of the pupils’ ability to read before the distribution. We hope to go back after some time to evaluate how much progress they have made in reading,” says Ngeh Bertha, Pedagogic Adviser for Nursery Education in the East Regional Delegation of Basic Education.

Njouktousia Ernest, Pedagogic Inspector for Literacy, Informal Basic Education and Promotion of National Languages, Adamawa Regional Delegation for Basic Education, is also grateful to Nascent for the partnership with the government of Cameroon, which has seen the offer of different forms of assistance to schools. He says the training of teachers in managing school libraries and the donation of leisure books will boost literacy. “The impact of the gift on reading will be quite great. Many parents in remote communities cannot afford books for their children. Or the books are not even available to buy. We believe the literacy of our children is now guaranteed. And that there is a brighter future for education in Adamawa Region,” Njouktousia avers.

School Officials’ Take   

Henri Dupont Olivier Zoa, Head Teacher of Government Primary School, Bonis, Bertoua, East Region, concurs that the new books will improve his pupils’ reading and help them to do better in examinations. “They will better handle challenges in life if they are able to read,” Olivier Zoa stresses.

“I thank Nascent Solutions, its partners and the government of Cameroon. The coming of this Non-governmental Organisation to our school has encouraged many children to continue with their education. And those who already dropped out to return to school,” notes Ange Souare, Chair of Government Primary School, Kismatari Parent Teachers’ Association, PTA, Garoua, North Region. She explains that parents have been encouraged to take more interest in their children’s education. “The setting up of our school library is promoting learning amongst children. This, in no small measure, will help in raising the level of literacy,” Souare assures.

“We are grateful for Nascent’s donation of 1,890 leisure books to our already existing library. It will encourage our pupils to work harder, help in their training, improve their vocabulary and grammar, and the love for reading at a time when children spend more time watching television,” says Rev. Sister  Thérèse Émile Zobo, Coordinator of Saint Angele Merici Primary School, Bamyanga, Ngaoundere, Adamawa Region.<...