A reading competition for selected basic schools in the Bolgatanga Municipality has been organized, by the Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (CESRUD), a humanitarian community based organization, in a bid to promote reading habit among children.
It was sponsored by Friends of African Village Libraries (FAVL), an American based charity organization and five selected Junior High Schools from the Bolgatanga North and West ‘B’ Circuits took part in the competition.
CESRUD in collaboration with FAVL have over years worked to improve quality of education in the Upper East Region and this has led to the establishment of three community libraries stocked with current and relevant books at Sumbrungu and Sherigu in the Bolgatanga Municipality and Gowrie-Kunkua in the Bongo District.
Speaking to Radio Ghana, at the event at Sumbrungu, the Coordinator of the Libraries, Paul Ayutoliya, stated that, reading was surest the way of empowering the rural children with the needed information and knowledge that would assist them to succeed especially in their academic work.
In view of this, Mr. Ayutoliya explained, CESRUD and FAVL mission is to instill in children the habit of reading through the provision of books to make books readily available and accessible to all children particularly the vulnerable.
He said, “CESRUD and FAVL over the years have organized numerous reading programs in all the three community libraries with the view of promoting the culture of reading among children especially students and pupils.
These respective community libraries since their establishment have improved the quality of education and literacy in the lives of many.
Mr. Ayutoliya disclosed that, with Biblionef Ghana, CESRUD have been able to create mini libraries stocked with reading materials in 20 basic schools in the two circuits.
These schools now have mini school libraries which have books of over 400 each to make books available to pupils and students who are distant from the community to also have access to information of any kind.
The Upper East Regional Librarian Mr. Leslie Kasanga, encouraged the children to consider reading as a hobby and read always in order to broaden their knowledge and scope of learning.
Mr. Kasanga revealed that 2019 has been declared as the ‘Year of Reading’ by the Ghana Library Authority and tasked parents to invest in the future of their children by buying books for them and encouraging them to read.
At the end of the contest, St Charles Jwanga JHS emerged winner with 570 points while Sumbrungu-Kolgo JHS, Bolgatanga Nyariga JHS, Sumbrungu JHS and Atampurum JHS were placed second, third, fourth and fifth respectively with 507, 501, 456 and 436 points respectively.
The participating schools were awarded exercise books, pencils and pens.
Story filed by Emmanuel Akayeti
