"Why do you make people who live in poverty pay for your books?"
This is a valid question, and one that we hear often at Oasis. Here are just two of many reasons why the Oasis model is designed to sell books in Africa, instead simply donating them for free:
1. Investing in the Local Economy
Flooding local markets with free products takes revenue away from the local book market. As a result, you are actually stifling the vitality of local businesses, who employ men and women with rent to pay and mouths to feed. Depending on the fragility of the economy of the country where you are working, the effects can be serious: except for a few rare urban exceptions, there are already too few Christian bookstores throughout Africa. Pumping a steady stream of free Christian books into these countries only inhibits the distribution of Christian books in regions where the church is experiencing explosive growth.
As a counter to this problem, Oasis instead chooses to invest in the local economy. When Oasis is looking to distribute books in a new area, we work with the local churches to help identify existant bookshop start-ups or qualified personnel who might be interested in starting up an independent bookselling franchise. We then help to supply book inventory, train them in best practices in book distribution, and get feedback about the books that they want to sell (more on that below).
By partnering with indigenous stakeholders, we not only increase the availability of Bibles and Christian books, but we also help to create jobs, provide reliable income streams for families, and therefore bolster economic growth.
2. Embracing Contextual and Cultural Differences
Westerners sometimes unknowlingly make this assumption: "Well, Africans usually don't have money to buy Bibles or Christian literature. So they will be happy to have any Christian books at all, regardless of what's in them or what they look like."
Let's reverse that perspective. Let's pretend that at your Western church, you received a huge donation of Christian books writen by African authors, for the African context. How much do you think that you would personally resonate with books that addressed the stuggles between Christianity and African Traditional Religion? Or with books that outlined a Christian response to conflict between two different ethnic groups in your neighborhood?
Books are not created in a vacuum. Books are steeped in cultural assumptions, from the metaphors used in the written text down to the very font type and cover design. Many Africans lack consistent electricty and read in very low light, or may need to lug books for many miles. How well do you think a small-type, massive textbook would work for these situations?
By working with local African book distributors, Oasis keeps in direct contact with people who understand their audience. In so doing, Oasis can keep a finger on the pulse of the African church. What are local Christians hungry for? What kinds of books are glutting the market, and what books can't be kept on the shelves? What book topics are missing from the spectrum of Christian discipleship? What books do pastors wish existed for their ministries, and what do seminary students desperately need for studies? And, very importantly, what is stopping good books from getting into the hands of those who need them?
As we continue to keep you updated on the exciting projects that we have on the horizon, we will continue our "Why Books?" series on why the Oasis model focuses on economic sustainability and local investment. Stay tuned!