As part of efforts to improve and promote the literacy rate amongst basic school pupils, Umbrella for the African Child organised a reading competition for seven deprived schools in five communities in the North-East Region on June 5, 2023.
The initiative the founder, Samuel Kwame Mensah, indicated aimed not only to improve their literacy rate, but to build their self-esteem as they advanced in life.
Speaking to our reporter, Moses Apiah, Mr. Mensah noted that the initiative, through the collaboration of the Akua Kids Foundation, received massive support from the number of pupils and schools that participated as well as stakeholders in the respective communities.
“Umbrella for the African Child in collaboration with Akua Kids Foundation, has been able to conduct this reading competition at Sakogu, East Mamprusi District–North East Region, Ghana. This competition is to demonstrate the ongoing support for raising the literacy and reading levels of schoolchildren, especially those at the basic level. We will all appreciate the fact that without a strong foundation for our children, they will not be building a robust future for themselves. So, we thought it wise to begin from there.”
Touching on the beneficiary schools, he indicated that seven schools from five villages at the initial stage were able to benefit, but plans were far advanced in the future.
“So, we had schools like Namenboku, Keptritinga, Namasim, Dindani, and Sakogu participate in the competition at the lower levels. And Dindani, Namasim, Sakogu Roman Catholic, Namenboku, English Arabic, and Confidence Preparatory Junior High Schools were among the participating schools also. We did it because we wanted them to build a belief in themselves that, irrespective of the environment they found themselves in, they could make it to the top.”
A representative from the Ghana Education Service, Charles Adongo at the District Office of Gambaga, underscored the importance of instilling the discipline of reading in children at the early stages of their lives.
Acknowledging the efforts of the two foundations to instil reading discipline amongst children at the lower levels. Mr. Adongo then encouraged stakeholders in education as well as parents to re-emphasize their roles to improve the reading proficiency of their wards.
He, therefore, urged educators, especially teachers, to maintain the reading initiative in their respective schools at least every term.
A sub-chief of the Sakogu traditional area, Chief Wanimpa Mohammed, also expressed his gratitude to the organisations for the initiative, adding that it will encourage more pupils to develop a love for reading in the district.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mensah also gave the assurance that the initiative will be extended to other districts as the aim is to build a generation of readers, writers, and good communicators in the future.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Moses Apiah|Ghana
