Yak Jones Foundation Continues Mission To Improve Reading Culture With Books Donation

The Yak Jones Foundation has donated reading and learning materials to three Early Childhood Development Centers (ECD) in Freetown, Moyamba, and Kambia. The materials will benefit over 200 early learners from low-income communities.

Dr. Yakama Manty Jones, an Economist, Entrepreneur, and Philanthropist focused on literacy advocacy, is on a mission to revive a love for reading in Sierra Leone.

“If we want citizens to reach their full potential, it starts with ensuring they have functional literacy skills,” said Dr. Jones, who launched the Foundation in 2016.

The three centers that got donations from Yak Jones Foundation include the Freetown City Council Early Childhood Development Center in Congo Water in Wellington, the St. Joseph Pre-School Kgbotima Village in Moyamba District, and the KDC School in Mambolo, Kambia District. Each center got storybooks, textbooks, exercise books made from recycled new and used papers, crayons, and other learning materials. 

“This donation is a brilliant one because it came at the time when we needed it the most. Because, things are expensive now, we used to beg the parents to bring in newspapers and old magazines. So we want to say thank you to the Yak Jones Foundation. We do appreciate,” Marie Dingie, Head Teacher FCC ECD Center.  

The exercise books donations were made possible through the Foundation’s Paper Reuse Initiative. Used and new papers from local institutions, mainly the American International School in Freetown, were turned into exercise books by A. Genet & Partners. Dr. Jones said they reduced paper waste while providing learning materials for kids.

The Yak Jones Foundation is a non-governmental organization aiming to revive the reading culture in Sierra Leone. Yak Jones Foundation mobilizes to buy books for needy schools and communities. It funds reading clubs and reading coaches for children in municipal schools. The Foundation also uses traditional and social media to raise awareness about reading and literacy.