Basic schools to benefit from Rotary Club/GCGL literacy project

Some selected basic schools in Labone, Kanda, Nima, and La all in Accra, are to benefit from a reading project aimed at improving reading habits among students.

The project, initiated by the Rotary Club of Accra Labone, in partnership with Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) will distribute 9,000 supplementary reading materials and other published literature to the beneficiary schools.

The project also supported by the Gedaid Foundation was unveiled at a ceremony in Accra on Thursday, July 6.

The project was partly inspired by the need to show compassion to the less privileged in the society, Mr George Agyekum, the club president said.

Mr Agyekum explained the selected schools do not have enough reading materials and reading times allotted by the Ghana Education Service (GES), usually go unproductive.

"The kids are allocated 30 minutes for reading but because they don't have the books, those times go unproductive. So we will make sure such times are used judiciously to nourish the minds of the kids through reading."

He said limited literature for school children poses a challenge to their educational experience, especially their reading habits.

Mr Agyekum stated that the club would set up an assessment mechanism to track the progress of students and how the materials are utilised.

He said the initiative founded on the theme: “Making a Difference", will not only help improve the literacy skills of students but enhance their overall reading abilities as well as instill in them valuable skills for the future, adding that "At the end of the day the only thing that matters in Rotary is how better the world becomes because we made a difference."

He said he is optimistic of the commitment and support of its membership in realising the goals and ambitions of the club.

MR Franklin Sowah, Director of Sales & Marketing at the GCGL said the company believes that a literate community can steadily spur the development of the country in the future.

Mr Franklin Sowah (right), Director for Sales & Marketing, Graphic Communications Limited (GCGL) explaining a point to Mr George Agyekum (2nd right), President of Rotary Club Accra Labone, Mr Emmanuel Arthur (2nd left), Corporate Communications Manager, GCGL and Mr Kwaku Ofosu (left), Sales and Circulation Manager, GCGL after the launch of the Graphic/Rotary Club, Labone Reading Project in Accra.

Mr Sowah said the drop in reading habits of school children must be tackled through literacy initiatives that will generate an exciting community where people will be knowledgeable and well equipped to have the needed discourse that will drive national development.

He said Graphic will make available copies of the Junior Graphic newspaper to the children and will consider it a progress made even if 10 per cent of the children adopt reading habits.

He said the literacy project partnership with the Rotary Club will increase to about 158 schools depending on the progress made by the children.

For his part,the Executive Director of Gedaid Foundation, Mr Emmanuel Asafo-Agyei said knowledge was the bedrock on which every society develops. 
In that regard he said his outfit finds it imperative to support laudable initiatives that promote literacy and education.

According to him, Gedaid's vision is to promote literacy through the provision of supplementary readers to school children across the country.

"We have acquired the right to print 100 supplementary readers from a local publishing company.These are african writers series approved by GES. We are therefore printing 18 different titles for the projects."

"Together with Rotary club of Accra Labone we will monitor and evaluate the project and the feedback will determine if the initial 9,000 supplementary readers would be expanded to 18,000" he added.

Mr Lamptig Apanga (left), Immediate Past President of Rotary Club Accra Labone introducing Mr George Agyekum (right), as the new President of Rotary Club Accra Labone after the ceremony in Accra

Mr Lamtiig Apanga, the immediate past president of Rotary Club of Accra- Labone said although there were challenges during his leadership, he has together with his team managed to deliver on its promises.

Mr Apanga said the increase in club activities has built friendship amongst members and communities within their catchment area.

He added that the club has made several donations to some key institutions, the flagship being a donation of 117 wheelchairs to hospitals and other beneficiaries under the “wheels for Hope” project.