On 27 March 2025, on World Book Week, the French Institute of Congo (IFC) announced that it now has 13 reading points in Pointe-Noire, as the result of a partnership with Congo Terminal. Over the past three years, this partnership has enabled 29,757 children to have access to books during school and holiday periods.
The project began with the observation that many children did not have access to books during the school year, including those on the national education programme. The situation was becoming critical, so the French Institute of Congo set up the mobile libraries. The activity was soon surpassed by the influx of children in search of knowledge and entertainment. It no longer met the needs identified. The project therefore grew from a mobile library to a network of fixed reading points. These are supplied with books twice a month and are distributed from the city centre to working-class neighbourhoods.
“With Congo Terminal, this project is alive and growing. We have gone from 3 reading points in 2016 to 13 today. Over the last two years, an average of 1,000 children a month have had access to books, even in the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods,” explains Elvis TCHICAYA, coordinator of the reading point network at the French Institute of the Congo.
“The reading points enable young people to improve their education, elocution and self-confidence. It’s our way of supporting the emancipation of young people,” explains Patricia EKEY-MISSE, Regional Communications Manager for Congo/ DRC/ Angola.
The reading points are a very entertaining place to occupy young people during school and summer periods. They are places where knowledge can be shared and passed on, and some have been set up in schools. Through these facilities, children can take part in a wide range of activities: storytelling, screenings, debates, public speaking, etc.
