Zico Ishaq Abubakar Newton, Executive Director, Mother of All Nations Foundtion.
ReadCamp, a reading and literacy project aimed at improving on the reading and creative writing skills of children of school-going age has been launched in Accra.
The project, being implemented by the Mother of All Nations Foundation (MoANF), also aims at building the confidence and enhancing the academic capabilities of young people in Ghana while contributing to the country’s fight against illiteracy.
Speaking at the launch of the project in Accra, Executive Director of MoANF, Zico Ishaq Abubakar Newton, said the project, which is one of the largest out-of-campus reading initiatives, would feature interesting stories carefully written to answer some of the prevalent problems in society including drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, gaps in sexual reproductive health education, as well as issues related to unpaid care workers.
“The stories are created and well tailored in such a way that as the young people read to master the art of reading, they also absorb some of these key values that are needed to improve themselves and the people around them.”
According to him, the initiative would be held on a national level during the long vacation periods of schools.
“We believe that through reading, people are exposed to important information that would help them make informed decisions to impact their lives and the lives of the people around them positively, while helping them to contribute to the development of their immediate societies and the nation at large”, he stressed.
Mr. Newton disclosed that the project has however been faced with various challenges, chief among them being the acquisition of the needed resources, especially food for the pupils.
“Resources are not only about money, but other necessities such as books, a conducive environment to host the kids, among other logistics. We give the children food. Sometimes in some remote communities that we have reached out to, some of the kids attend the reading classes on empty bellies and we try our best, together with the support of some generous residents who provide us with farm produce, to provide some food for them”, he lamented.
He, therefore, called on individuals, corporate entities, and the public to come on board to support them.
Delivering the keynote address, President of the African University College of Communications (AUCC), Professor Isaac Abeku Blankson charged the Mother of All nations Foundation, stakeholders in the educational sector and parents to encourage reading and learning in Ghana’s local dialects.
According to him, a nation’s development is not hinged on its adoption of other people’s languages; but rather on its acceptance and promotion of literacy in its local languages.
Some dignitaries at the launch
By Nii Adjei Mensahfio