The world in her books was her safe haven when Dominique Alonga and her family fled the Democratic Republic of Congo for Rwanda seeking safety. It was in 1997, she was five, scared and the world around her was too confusing.

The stories she read in her books were the only things she could understand and enjoy.

“It was a hiding spot for me whenever the real world around me became scary,” narrates Alonga, who grew up to become an author and owner of a publishing house in Kigali.

Imagine We Rwanda, a bookstore, publishing house and library, was founded by Alonga in 2014. So far, over 950,000 copies have been sold and over 30 books have been published. Alonga is living a dream.

“I remember my mother constantly taking me to the library and pushing me to read at a very young age. Reading as a child opened a lot of possibilities for me,” Alonga recounts.

Alonga, 29, was born in DRC, did her high school studies in the United States then majored in media studies in Jain University, India. She returned to Rwanda in 2014 and founded Imagine We.

Reading culture, telling our own stories

Imagine We focuses on children’s books because “they have the most curious minds”. But Alonga’s passion to make especially children’s books accessible and affordable is traced to her childhood.

Alonga has always dreamed of seeing young people attain their potential, become smarter and more informed. Unfortunately, the reality is different.

Books are seen as luxury and are expensive to many Rwandans. Her main goal is to make books as accessible and affordable to especially children and the youth.

“I think it is possible to have books as accessible and affordable as our famous Akabanga hot sauce or milk. Reading books is a basic necessity. I am passionate to see this happen,” Alonga said.

Imagine We is self-funded and does not rely on donations. To Alonga, this means that people are actually buying books and a sign that the reading culture is not completely faded, only needs reviving.

So far, among all the 30 books published, 27 are by young Rwandan authors. Alonga says this is a beacon of hope and a sign that her work will pay off.

Having worked with young people in the literary sector, Alonga suggests that to revive the culture of reading and creativity, the youth need to be exposed to responsibility.

“Accessing books is one thing, but making use of what you read is a different matter.” Book prices at Imagine We bookstore range from Rwf6,000 to Rwf15,000. For now, Imagine We serves the upper and middle class market.

Alonga is now seeking to expand to more rural places and schools to reach the lower class. Early 2020, Imagine We bookstore auctioned its library to replace it with exclusively African and Rwandan books.

“Telling our own story is an important mission to me. We do not need foreigners coming to Rwanda, spend 10 days and write a book about us,” Alonga said.