In the Cameroon school system, Parents are expected to buy the school textbooks for their children and with the high level of poverty, many children go through school without being able to afford a textbook, which affects the learning process very severely.
Pupils from poor countries lack textbooks, says Unesco. This study from UNESCO gives examples such as a reading book in Cameroon is being shared between 12 pupils or students.
The lack of textbooks in schools means that, many families would have to pay for their own copies, which would be unaffordable to the poorest.
The Unesco report claims that providing one textbook per child in sub-Saharan African countries would increase literacy scores by between 5% and 20%.
In Cameroon, according to a LINK-UP report, less than 10 percent of school children can afford a textbook for the entire school year. The situation has been worsened by the ongoing socio political crisis in the North West and the South West, English speaking regions of Cameroon which has affected many internally displaced children negatively.
This program enables us to put books into the hands of vulnerable children by subsidizing the cost of the core textbooks, by 75 percent.
The Revolving Core Textbook Program.
It is operated through the Village Libraries Initiative that promotes access to books to children through the Library in a Trunk,
Cupboard, or Building. It enables poor children to have access to textbooks, who otherwise would not by subsidizing the cost by 75 percent.
The textbooks procured, are then introduced into the Revolving Core Textbook program, which permit the children to keep accessing these textbooks through exchange, as they move from one class to the next.
While hoping that the Government will step up and harmonized a stable textbook policy by putting in place, a centralized procurement and exchange system for schools as in most developed countries, we count on your support to enable vulnerable children to have some books to learn in school or at home.
We would like to provide 10,000 children with the core textbooks for this academic year by subsidizing the cost at 75%, by investing 10,000frs in the live of a child, which enables the child to keep having this set of core textbooks as they move up the academic ladder, through exchange.
It has undergone a very successful pilot, since 2016 with a success rate of 98.14 percent of the successful return of the textbooks.
Bridge Remedial Catch-up Classes as part of the Village Libraries initiative.
This program is designed to assist children with reading difficulties, to catch up. Otherwise, they lose their self-confidence, esteem and drop out of school.
Apart from sponsorship programs, that give poor children access to schools, LINK-UP has designed other programs to enhance children learning opportunities either in school or at home.
LETTER EXCHANGE AND FRIENDSHIP PROGRAM – Diverted to past projects.
The Letter Exchange program promotes friendship, cultural exchange and writing between children in developing countries and developed countries through hand writing. The children are paired one to one and are expected to grow this cherished friendship as they get older.It gives them the opportunity to have a broader understanding of global issues, cultures as children.
Children within schools and similar age groups are paired up, to write to each other with the hope of developing friendship, love and trust to keep them communicating with digital technology as they group up.
Some aspects to guide the children in their communication
Knowledge about the continent, country, region, council/county, national events of each country, national languages, currency, main imports/exports, festivals, school experiences, family experiences etc.
Duration
The children are coached for a year where children are expected to mail hand written letters at least 3 times in a year. After they are allowed to continue with their friendship in any form, be it by phone, email or regularmail.
Registration
Registration for the programme is through schools and Libraries.
Selection of participating candidates
- We match them to their corresponding age groups.
- Applicant can write in English or French
Yearly Evaluation:
There will be an annual evaluation of the program to determine the level of interactions between the children.
Schools involved
Cameroon USA
Graceland International Bilingual and Primary School
Buea- SWR Cameroon
Number of children in the program 27