Take advantage of my reading books - Samira Bawumia tells schoolchildren
The wife of the Vice-President, Hajia Samira Bawumia, has asked schoolchildren in the New Juaben South and New Juaben North Municipalities to take full advantage of ‘her reading books’ both in school and at home.
That, according to her, would open their eyes and doors to opportunities to enable them to excel in life and also make them useful citizens.
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She said reading had opened her eyes and opened doors and opportunities for her and added that she would want schoolchildren to also benefit from that.
Hajia Samira gave the advice when her foundation, the Samira Empowerment and Humanitarian Project (SEHP), presented many learning materials to some selected schools in two municipalities in the Eastern Region.
Library
The project, code-named “library-in-a-box”, formed part of her quest to improve the reading skills of schoolchildren at the basic school level.
Under the project, boxes filled with storybooks for different levels are distributed to the schools to expand access and close the literacy gap in basic schools throughout the country.
Reading clubs
To inculcate children’s interest in reading through stories, Mrs Bawumia urged school heads and teachers to open reading clubs at their respective schools.
Since its inception in 2017, the project has already distributed more than 200,000 such books to 68 basic schools in the country.
“I really know that growing up, it is the books that helped me to become who I am currently. Books will help you to learn about the world you have not travelled to.
"It will help you too to learn about societies you don’t know about. It’s your passport into the world,” she stated.
Hajia Bawumia told the school pupils and teachers that, “If you open a book and you read about it, you can learn and aspire to achieve that objective.”
She, therefore, urged them to use any opportunity they would have to improve their literary skills, which would open the doors of the world to them.
Books in new state
Mrs Bawumia told the teachers and the heads of the schools that the books were not meant for decoration purposes and that she did not want to visit the beneficiary schools one day to see the books in their new state or untouched at all.
She indicated that that would mean the children had not been helped at all to read the books.
“I want you to share it with them, read it with them, create a library space for them and also create a reading time for them,” she stated.
According to the Second Lady, the books had been put in the containers to keep them safe, clean and tidy so they would not get dusty or be destroyed by the rain.
Beneficiary schools
The beneficiary schools, Mrs Bawumia indicated, were the Apimpoa Islamic Basic 'A & 'B' Oyoko Methodist Basic, Effiduase Presby Basic, Police Basic School and Trinity Presby Model School.
“You will become somebody in the future if you stick to your books. As teachers, we must learn to encourage the children to read the books,” she stated.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for New Juaben South Constituency, Michael Okyere Kofi Baafi, for his part, commended Mrs Bawumia for coming to the aid of the schools.
Mr Baafi entreated the teachers to make good use of the books and create library periods for the children to improve their reading skills.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for New Juaben North, Comfort Asante, said the best way to develop the horizon of schoolchildren to better their education in the future was through reading.
That, she said, would help transform the country and society as a whole and at the same time enhance teaching and learning in the schools.
"The reading books provided today are to support you to improve your reading skills.
"Don't make noise when you are reading because it will disrupt your attention and concentration," Madam Asante said.
Schoolchildren
Some of the beneficiary students from Apimpoa Islamic Basic School, Ayishetu Abdul Rahman and Rukayatu Abdul Rahim, told the Daily Graphic that they were highly excited about the provision of the books.
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