Regional News of Sunday, 6 December 2020

Source: Daniel Kaku, Contributor

Ellembelle District gets first-ever community library

The library also has an ICT center designed for strengthening research among tertiary students The library also has an ICT center designed for strengthening research among tertiary students

The Future Builder Scouts (FBS), an American Non-Governmental Organization has constructed a state-of-art-community library at Awiebo in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region.

This library is a brand new and exciting collaboration between FBS and schools across the Ellembelle District and beyond.

It is the first of its kind in the Western Region, with the focus on encouraging reading amongst the future leaders and also to help them to experience new ideas.

The facility also has an ICT center designed for strengthening research among tertiary students and distant learners.

Speaking at the ceremony at Awiebo near Nzema Aiyinasi on Friday, November 4, 2020, the Founder and President of Future Builders Corps (FBS), Mr. Kofi Anaman thanked the Member of Parliament for Ellembelle Constituency, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah for donating 50 bags of cement for the construction of the edifice

He also applauded the contractor, Chief, and residents of Awiebo for supporting the project.

Mr. Kofi Anaman noted that BECE and WASSCE results in the last three years have dwindled hence the need to establish community libraries to inculcate the culture of reading and research among school children in the area.

"When we brought the Future Builders Scouts to Ellembelle District in 2018, I realized that the BECE performance of the District is going down and per the records, in 2016 the BECE performance was 75 percent but as we speaking it has come down to 45 percent and it is upon this reason that I collaborated with my friends in America to build this library to help solve the problem so this facility is free of charge to access by all schools in Ellembelle District and other Districts in the Western Region", he said.

Mr. Anaman observed that most school children lack proper supervision to study at home hence the library will serve as a center of learning and research.

Mr. Anaman said a host of activities such as forming a book club, literary circles, reading camps, a website, software to borrow books from homes as well as teaching children without formal education in computer training have been outlined.

On his part, the MP for the area underscored the importance of community libraries in research work and good quality education delivery in the country.

According to him, libraries offer a lifetime opportunity to access information relevant to the human mind.

Mr. Armah Kofi-Buah said the NDC has a track record when it comes to education in the constituency.

He, therefore, advised school children to take advantage of the library and commit more time to their studies.

He lauded the Founder and President of Future Builders Scouts, Mr. Kofi Anaman for the vision to transform the town through education and pledged to donate GHC500 to support internet connectivity monthly and GHC2,000 to support the payment of workers' salary.