Partner: Magic Libraries Foundation
Period: 2023 – 2026
Country of Operation: Ghana
Category: Education and Child Literacy
About the Project
The Cocoa Communities’ Library Project (CCLP) is a partnership between Participatory Development Associates (PDA) and the Magic Libraries Foundation aimed at improving children’s reading literacy and nurturing a lasting culture of reading in cocoa-growing communities in the Ahafo Ano South East and Ahafo Ano South West Districts of Ghana’s Ashanti Region.
The project was launched in 2023 in ten communities and, following its success, was renewed for a further two years (2025–2026) and expanded to reach 20 communities. Working alongside the Ghana Education Service, traditional authorities, schools, parents and community volunteers, the project seeks to ensure that children have regular access to engaging reading opportunities, quality books and supportive learning environments.
At its heart, the project believes that reading is more than an academic skill—it is a gateway to confidence, imagination, lifelong learning and future opportunity. By placing communities at the centre of children’s literacy development, the project is building local ownership that will sustain reading long after the project ends.
Our Objectives
The Cocoa Communities’ Library Project aims to:
- Improve reading literacy among children in cocoa-growing communities.
- Build a lifelong culture of reading.
- Strengthen community ownership of children’s learning.
- Equip reading patrons, teachers and volunteers with practical literacy facilitation skills.
- Create safe, engaging and child-centred spaces where children can develop a love for reading.
PDA’s Role
PDA leads the coordination and implementation of the project by:
- Establishing and supporting community reading clubs.
- Training reading patrons and community volunteers.
- Conducting literacy assessments to track children’s progress.
- Organising reading events, competitions and literacy festivals.
- Working closely with schools, parents, traditional leaders and district education authorities.
- Procuring culturally relevant storybooks from Ghanaian publishers.
- Monitoring project implementation and documenting learning to strengthen future programming.
How the Project Works
The project combines access to books with regular opportunities for children to read together in fun, supportive environments.
Community Reading Clubs
Each participating community hosts a reading club where children meet weekly to participate in guided reading sessions, storytelling, comprehension activities, word games, spelling activities and creative exercises that strengthen literacy while making reading enjoyable.
Reading Assessments
Periodic reading assessments help measure children’s progress, identify learning gaps and generate evidence that informs future project activities. Assessments are conducted across lower and upper primary classes to monitor reading proficiency against expected grade levels.
Capacity Building
Reading club patrons, teachers and volunteers receive regular training on effective reading facilitation techniques, child safeguarding and strategies for creating engaging learning experiences.
Community Ownership
Traditional leaders, parents, School Management Teams, PTAs and district education officials actively participate in planning and supporting project activities. Their involvement helps ensure that libraries and reading clubs remain active and sustainable.
Access to Quality Books
The project provides reading clubs with carefully selected storybooks from Ghanaian publishers, ensuring children have access to culturally relevant books across different reading levels.
Project Impact
Since its launch, the Cocoa Communities’ Library Project has grown into a vibrant network of community reading clubs serving children across twenty cocoa-growing communities.
To date, the project has:
- Expanded from 10 to 20 communities across two districts.
- Reached more than 2,500 children, including 1,675 girls and 825 boys.
- Established and strengthened 20 community reading clubs.
- Distributed thousands of culturally relevant storybooks, with each club now maintaining a growing library collection.
- Conducted regular literacy assessments to monitor reading outcomes and guide project improvements.
- Trained reading club patrons and facilitators in literacy instruction and child safeguarding.
- Supported the renovation and strengthening of community library facilities.
- Fostered stronger collaboration among schools, parents, traditional leaders and district education authorities.
Monitoring data also shows encouraging signs of increased reading engagement. During reading assessments, many children were able not only to name several books they had read through the clubs but also confidently retell the stories, demonstrating improved comprehension and enthusiasm for reading.
Recent Highlights
Recent milestones include:
- The successful handover of the Nyinanufu Community Library, reinforcing community ownership and long-term sustainability.
- Cluster Library Days bringing together 17 reading clubs and 178 children for collaborative reading, storytelling, artwork and literacy games.
- More than 117 weekly reading sessions conducted across all 20 reading clubs over a three-month period.
- Distribution of approximately 200 new storybooks to each reading club, further enriching children’s access to quality reading materials.
- Continued literacy assessments involving hundreds of children to measure progress and strengthen project learning.
Communities Reached
The project currently serves communities across the Ahafo Ano South East and Ahafo Ano South West Districts, including:
Kwamekyemkrom, Pokukrom, Amangoase, Nsuta, Nyamebekyere I, Ohiapae, Nyinanufu, Mmrobem, Nyamebekyere II and Kwakunum, alongside additional communities added during the project’s expansion.
Looking Ahead
The Cocoa Communities’ Library Project continues to expand opportunities for children to read, learn and thrive. Upcoming activities include cluster-level reading competitions, continued monitoring of reading clubs, additional storybook distribution, completion of library renovations and ongoing community engagement to strengthen local ownership and ensure the long-term sustainability of community libraries and reading clubs.
