The Rotary Club-Accra Airport, in partnership with two other organisations, has donated 10,000 books and other library materials valued at £27,000 to the 16 Basic Schools in the Ngleshie Amanfrom Circuit.
The other partner organisations are the Street Children Empowerment Foundation (SCEF) and Book Aid International.
With excitement, both teachers and pupils could not hide their joy, as they held books and chanted ‘Reading is Basic” when the cameras captured the donation event, which took place at the Ngleshie Amanfrom Cluster of Schools, in the Ga South Municipal Assembly of the Greater Accra Region.
The donation, which took place at the Ngleshie Amanfrom M A 1 & 2 Cluster of Schools, comprised books on all subjects.
Accoutrements that accompanied the books were shelves, tables, chairs and plastic carriers to move the books as well as other classroom support materials.
In addition to the donation, the partners also offered some training in librarianship to some staff of beneficiary schools.
Making the presentation, Mrs Theresa Osei Tutu, Past Assistant Commissioner, mentioned Basic Education and Literacy as one of the focus area of the Rotary Club.
The other areas are Maternal and Child Health, Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution, Disease Prevention and Treatment, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene, Community and Economic Development and , Support for the Environment.
Mrs Osei Tutu expressed worry over the poor reading skills among some school children.
She expressed the hope that the donation would help occupy the children and improve their reading habit, basic literacy and learning.
“Education is a right, and reading is a great part of education,” Mrs Osei Tutu stressed.
She gave assurance that more schools would benefit from the programme
Mr Cleland Cofie Bruce, the President of Rotary Accra Airport, said the Club was supporting deprived communities to help raise the standard of education, in addition to its community assistance in the area of health.
‘We intend to use reading as part of efforts to raise the level of education, “the Rotary Airport Branch President said.
Mr Francis Kodzotse, Head of Supervision and Monitoring, Ghana Education Service, Ga South Municipal Assembly, who received the donation, thanked Rotary Accra-Airport for the gesture.
“Once a child is reading, everybody is happy,” he said.
