Custodians of African Literature (COAL) is a nonprofit that empowers children ages 5-14 and youth ages 15-29 through alternative education and literary development. We believe that being able to just read and write is the first step in preparing a young person for success, and books have the propensity to make children and youth better thinkers, writers, and leaders. Our motivation stems from our commitment over the past 5 years to literary development, and the goal of seeing a reduction in the number of out of school children in Nigeria. COAL believes bridging the education inequity gap is possible through books. Our programmes amplify youth voice and create platforms for literary and creative expression across communities.