August 15, 2024
PHNOM PENH – The One Book, One Community (OBOC) initiative is undertaking a charity mission titled “25 Days, 25 Capital-Provinces” to promote and foster a reading culture in Cambodia by distributing 25,000 books.
The mission, which runs from August 10 to September 10, aims to distribute the books nationwide, with a focus on young people aged between 15 and 35, according to OBOC founder Sok Lak.
While carrying out the mission in Pailin province, he mentioned that there would also be workshops and promotions to prepare for a reading contest, encouraging 2,500 readers. Additionally, he said the initiative seeks to develop 50 community libraries nationwide.
“There are many types of books, such as history books, novels, self-development literature, strategy books and English and Khmer language books. We plan to distribute 1,000 copies in each province and the city. We are trying to reach out to the youth,” Lak said.
He noted that the programme will be implemented in schools, community libraries and public spaces, depending on the local partners.
Lak added that the mission is expected to involve young people, writers, entrepreneurs and partners, spanning a distance of 3,000 kilometres throughout the country.
OBOC co-founder Heang Vathy expressed hope that the programme would contribute to fostering a community reading culture and strengthen human resources in Cambodian society.
“After promoting reading and cultivating our cultural pride through this activity, we hope it will encourage communities to organise their own activities, especially for young people, to develop a love for literature and Khmer culture,” she said.
Hok Sothy, chief of the Library Association of Cambodia and director of the education NGO Sipar, remarked at the launch on August 9 that the initiative is a commendable effort by young Cambodians to bring books to rural areas.
“The issue in Cambodia is that books do not reach people from all walks of life, so the efforts of younger generations to bring them to communities in any form are commendable,” he said.
“It is an active contribution to the development of reading and knowledge in Cambodia,” he added.
Since late 2022, the OBOC project has supported more than 40 community libraries and distributed approximately 10,000 books across the country.
The campaign promotes a reading culture and independent learning through various initiatives, including nationwide reading competitions, an outstanding readers’ contest in Phnom Penh, book distribution programmes, mobile libraries, library development projects and knowledge-sharing workshops, according to OBOC.