Editions Bakame

Charity 2009: M+R Spedag supports "Editions Bakame". A publishing house with Swiss roots motivates children in Rwanda to take up reading.
 
For a number of years already, M+R Spedag Group, instead of making individual gifts to clients at the end of each year, supports international charity organizations. This years' charity will go to "Editions Bakame".

Without the initiative of Agnes Gyr-Ukunda, children in Rwanda would have hardly any access to books, and none to books in the local idiom Kinyarwanda. More than 10 years ago, she founded the publishing house "Editions Bakame" in Rwanda, with the aim to introduce books to children and youths. Bakame is the sly hare, a creature that is popular in local storytelling, and that is known to all children in Rwanda.

Agnes Gyr came to Switzerland in 1979 to take up her studies in romance philology. From afar she had to follow the tragedies of the civil war in her home country (1990-94), during which she lost part of her family.

After the war, Agnes Gyr travelled to Rwanda to look for surviving members of her family. During this trip she was deeply moved by the many orphans she met, and whom she tried to cheer up by showing to them the "Snow White" video that she carried with her. Back in Switzerland, inspired by the works of SJW - a Swiss institution specialized on publishing affordable youth literature - she founded "Editions Bakane" in 1995.

To date, 27 books were published, and total of 450'000 copies have been printed. This includes novels, fairytales, non-fiction and also illustrated books. The magazines and books are inexpensive, but not free of charge; an important fact, stresses Agnes Gyr, as otherwise the books would be valued far less by Rwandan youths. Bakame also offers supporting material for teachers and reading helps for children. The publishing house has gained international recognition, and is supported by UNESCO.
 
http://www.th.mrspedag.com/www.bakame.ch
 
Monday, December 22, 2008 - M+R Spedag Switzerland