Johnstone Kpilaakaa An object will remain at rest unless acted upon by an external force. This is Newton’s First Law of Motion—and for Lengdung Tungchamma, it’s not just a principle of physics. It’s the story of his life, told in Motion, his forthcoming memoir.
His story begins in Jenta Mangoro, a slum community in Jos, Plateau State, central Nigeria, where he grew up at No. 16 C Avenue. His mother, a vibrant and generous businesswoman, believed in cooking more than enough food for her family. “We cooked nearly twice the family’s need at a particular moment,” Lengdung recalls. “Her theory was, ‘There will be people passing who need food.’ And she was always right.”
Their home became a refuge for anyone in need—a shelter for uncles, cousins, strangers, and community members in a neighbourhood often faced with hardship.
However, as Lengdung entered his early teens, his world began to shift. He was on the verge of getting involved in smoking with older boys—a step into street life. Weeks before he was due to be initiated into smoking, his life took a pivotal turn.
Lengdung had received a scholarship to a nearby school, a key opportunity that promised to change his future. But to finalise the scholarship, he needed a medical fitness certificate. It was during the process of obtaining this certificate that he met a stranger at the hospital, someone who would become the external force that set him in motion.
The stranger, noticing the potential in Lengdung, advised his mother, “That’s not the kind of school for your boy.” He recommended Bokkos, a nearby local government area, about 77 kilometres away from Jenta, as a better fit for Lengdung’s future. His mother took the stranger’s advice to heart. She made the decision to send her son away, and thus began Lengdung’s journey towards change. “That man, whose name I do not know even today, influenced my life in a way I could not understand,” he writes.
The trip to Bokkos was not just a physical relocation; it marked the beginning of a transformation. Away from the temptations of Jenta, Lengdung found space to grow. There, he discovered books, which became his lifeline. Even before, Bokkos was often interested in books.
“Books showed me that a new reality was possible,” he says. “They raised my view and my expectations. They gave me new dreams.”
When Lengdung returned to Jos, he was not the same person who had left. He had changed. He sought out others who shared his ambition and vision—a group of young people who, like him, wanted more from life. Together, they founded the Jenta Reads Community Library, a space to provide access to books that would help others, just as books had helped him.
Reflecting on the library’s impact, he says, “When I was in school, I had to steal others’ textbooks because I never had any. Now, kids in Jenta don’t have to do that. They can simply walk into the library.”
I remember one night, a few years ago, when I stayed over at No. 16 C Avenue. We lay on a wooden bed in his room, surrounded by books that lined the space like quiet companions. That night, he read one of them, though I can’t recall the title, and between chapters, we’d pause to talk. We spoke about life, about Jenta, about dreams and fears, and the kinds of stories we hoped to write one day. Even then, it was clear that books were not just objects in Lengdung’s life; they were anchors, conversation starters, and portals to possibility.
His deep commitment to reading and knowledge eventually led him to write his own book. Despite being a passionate reader, writing a book was not something he had considered. It was his mentor, Thaine, who kept pushing him to take that step. “Thaine believed in this story even when I didn’t,” Lengdung says.
The process of writing Motion was emotionally charged. Writing about his parents’ early years and his mother’s death in 2011 proved difficult.
“I cried many times writing that episode,” he admits. “One day, my dad started crying when I was talking to him about it. My sister and I were driving once, and before we knew it, we were both crying.”
Lengdung wrote parts of the memoir in many places—at home, in hotels, and even in Kenya. But it was at the Jenta Reads Library where much of the book took shape.
Now, Lengdung’s life is far removed from the streets he once walked. He is a computer scientist, a husband, and a father to a young daughter who already shares his passion for reading. He continues to champion the library, believing that access to books can change lives.
He also writes a newsletter about books, and keeps a YouTube channel where he shares on history—Lengdung always have a historical story to respond to every question.
Through Motion, Lengdung hopes to inspire others, especially children from communities like Jenta, to believe in the possibility of a different future. “Books are passports to the future,” he says, quoting Malcolm X. “My hope is that kids from places like Jenta and Tudun Wada grab this vision and run with it.”
When asked about the first book that changed his life, Lengdung reflects, “It must have been Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. That book set me on a different path.” He also credits The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis for broadening his imagination.
Like the force that once set him in motion, his story now hopes to nudge others forward—one book, one child, one dream at a time.
Pre-order MOTION (A Jenta Story) by Lengdung Tungchamma on Selar or Amazon.
