Almasar Library Centre

Founder of the Almasar Library Centre, Najla Mohamed-Lamin wants to educate women and children on health and the environment in Saharawi refugee camps in south-west Algeria.

Najla is featured in BBC 100 Women 2023 - a list of inspiring and influential women from around the world. Originally from Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony under Moroccan occupation since 1975, her family was forced into exile after fleeing violence. After a 29-year ceasefire, fighting re-erupted in Western Sahara in November 2020, and continues today, despite little international media attention.

Born and raised in the camps, Mohamed-Lamin learnt English as a teenager, translated for foreign delegations and was able to study abroad after she crowdfunded her tuition fees.

After graduating in sustainable development and women's studies, she returned to the camps to help more than 200,000 Saharawi refugees deal with water and food insecurity made worse by climate change.

Entirely funded through modest donations, Almasar (which means ‘the road’) operates as a library, a seed bank, a community vegetable garden and a centre for breast cancer awareness sessions for Saharawi women.

Najla designed the centre. Painted on the bright yellow wall in the main reading room is the phrase: “Knowledge is strength. That's why the weakest nations are those that don’t read.”

The library's shelves are filled with Arabic books Najla has purchased from Algeria over the years.

“I had to keep buying new books because the girls, especially the girls, were reading them all,” she said.

The building itself is specially designed to suit the harsh desert climate, which Najla said considered three main things:

Light: windows throughout the space mean there is no need to turn on the lights during the day, and it means lots of sunlight for reading

Wind: the base of the building is constructed using sand-filled tires to prevent sandstorms or floods from destroying the building

Heat: the ceilings are high to promote airflow and make the space feel cooler. There is also an air conditioner in the office space for hot summer days when temperatures can soar above 50 degrees

Women’s health is another area of concern for Najla. Currently pregnant and the mother of an infant boy, she says she was struck by the shared experiences of breastfeeding troubles among young Saharawi women.

“As Saharawi women we are always told to endure,” she said. “We are told that this pain and this suffering when breastfeeding is normal. But it's not normal."

To draw attention to this issue and to combat stigma, Najla hosts regular breast cancer awareness sessions at Almasar with local health experts. She is also working on getting funding to set up a mobile breast cancer screening centre to reach more women in other camps.

Looking ahead, Najla says she hopes that the Almasar centre will inspire new generations of Saharawis to read and to imagine a life outside of the refugee camps.

“I always believe that great change happens slowly,” she said. “I want whoever comes to the centre to feel this inner ability to study on their own and to learn on their own. And if it's one kid, for me, it's already a success.”

Earlier this year, Almasar was robbed - the air conditioner and tables were taken. Now, the kids are doing all their art, games and reading on the ground, in extreme temperatures.

Your donation will help Najla purchase a new air conditioner, bookshelves, tables, books and other items to help the centre continue helping women and children in the camps.