The Samira Empowerment and Humanitarian Projects (SEHP) has donated literacy materials to six Basic schools in New Juaben South and North Municipalities in Eastern Region as part of an initiative dubbed “Library-In-A-Box”project aim at encouraging reading among pupils.
The beneficiary schools were Apempoa Islamic Basic School, Police Basic School, Trinity Royals Basic School, Model Basic School, Effiduase Presby Basic School and Oyoko Methodist Basic School.
Speaking at short ceremony to hand over the reading books to stock libraries of the schools, the Second Lady, Hajia Mrs.Samira Bawumia said ,objective of the initiative is to improve literacy,critical thinking and promote the culture of reading to unlock cognitive skills of the pupils.
“I’m excited because as I advocate for literacy and critical thinking, I believe in encouraging the love for reading among children and pupils of all ages. It is for those reason that my not for profit organization, the Samira Empowerment and Humanitarian Project has as part of it objective to improve literacy, critical thinking and promote a culture of reading among pupils in Ghana”
Education in itself is an empowering right and one of the most powerful tools which economically and socially marginalized individuals can utilize to lift themselves out of poverty and participate fully in society, we believe education is the bedrock upon which every nation’s growth and development I anchored” Hajia Mrs. Samira Bawumia said.
She reiterated that education is the bedrock upon which every nation thrive hence the huge investment by President Akufo Addo led government in education through the implementation of Free Senior High School to develop the human resources for ultimate benefit of the country in the near future.
“Our human society and its resource capital are our greatest assets and we have a duty to invest in our human resource for the ultimate benefit of our nation.It is gratifying to see that H.E President Nana Akuffo Addo’s government is focused on it vision of ensuring that quality education becomes accessible to all children irrespective of their social or financial circumferences”
The Second Lady encouraged the students therefore take advantage of the various interventions to cultivate the habit of reading as a constructive way of spending their time.
She also urged teachers to support children in their various schools by allotting reading periods on their time tables, inviting revered individuals to read with the students to inspire them and also form reading clubs.
Municipal Director of Education Mr. Haruna Mustapha Appiah cheerfully receiving the books on behalf of the schools, promised to ensure that the students make good use of the books by occasionally visiting the selected beneficiary schools and ensure the objective of the donation is achieved.
The Member of Parliament for New Juaben South, Hon.Michael Okyere Baafi who doubles a Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry commended the Second Lady for extending the project to Koforidua.
He further advised the students to make education and learning their topmost priority to empower themselves to grab opportunity in the next generation world.
The paramount chief of New Juaben Traditional Area,Daasebre Kwaku Boateng III thanked the Second Lady for the kind gesture shown to the people and students of New Juaben Traditional Area and promised to remember the Second Lady in prayers in the upcoming Akwasidae festival.
As at June this year, the Library-In-A-Box project initiated in 2017 has distributed over two hundred thousand (200,000) books to sixty-eight (68) basic schools across the country.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Kojo Ansah
