ComMattersKenya Donates Books to the Annual Book Week

ComMattersKenya has on September 10, 2009 donated books worth Sh20, 000 to the National Book Development Council of Kenya . The books are to be used during the annual Book Week Celebrations that run September 21-25, 2009 in Nairobi.

Organised by the NBDC, the aim of the Book Week celebrations are to provide an enabling environment for the public to interact with the literary sector.

“The Book Week exists to promote reading and creative writing, and to also bring publishers and writers together with a view to demystifying the myth that Kenya is a literary desert,” said NBDC CEO Ruth Odondi while receiving the books from ComMattersKenya director Ogova Ondego.

Mrs Odondi appealed to more organisations to partner with NBDC in her effort to popularise the reading culture in Kenya.

“I thank ComMattersKenya for its effort in assisting us to realise the dream of entrenching a reading culture among our people. These books will go a long way in assisting us achieve the dream of promoting reading-for-life culture,” she said.

Ondego said unless a book is read and its message acted upon, it remains as dead as the tree from which its paper was made.

“The book comes to life only if it is read and acted upon,” Ondego said, adding that ComMattersKenya’s goal is to work as a catalyst of change in society.

Saying the prevailing economic recession was adversely affecting individuals and organisations, Ondego said that should not be used as an excuse for inaction.

“It is a big sacrifice for any one to contribute resources at this time. But that sacrifice is worth meeting in times like these!”

Ondego said ComMattersKenya puts emphasis on children and youth in her approach to development because they are agents of change.

Besides publishing, ComMattersKenya is also involved in film production, communications consultancy, training, mass media, culture and development issues.