If you don’t go to libraries, they will come to you. This is the concept behind Kitabus, a mobile library designed to promote reading to a wide audience. The name “Kitabus” is derived from “Kitabu,” which means book in Swahili, and “Bus” as a means of transport. This bookmobile is an initiative of the French Institute of Bukavu in Eastern DRC, which aims to promote basic education in the region through books that align with the Congolese education curriculum.
It offers a varied collection of novels, fables, manga, manuals, and more to promote access to reading. Upon arriving at this school located in the heart of the capital of South Kivu, students devour several pages during two hours of reading, both inside the bus and in the outdoor area set up in the courtyard of this private institution.
Kitabus addresses potential issues of mobility or the low interest in reading in a city of 3 million inhabitants, but which has fewer than 5 physical public libraries.
*The views of the above article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Africa Speaks 4 Africa or its editorial team.